Scientific Games becomes Light and Worder: Rob Procter explains the reasons for this change

Scientific Games has become Light and Wonder, a new multi-platform brand. We interviewed Rob Procter, head of development, to let us explain the reasons behind this rebranding and what impact it will have on games production.

Hello Rob, please introduce yourself to our readers. What is your role at Light and Wonder?

Hello Slots-777 readers! I’m Rob Procter, VP of Game Development at newly rebranded cross-platform global game studio Light & Wonder, formerly Scientific Games. My role within the company is to essentially oversee all of our global online slot releases from conception to completion, making sure that they’re up to scratch and of the high standards we expect and strive for every single day.

In addition to this, I’m also responsible for deciding which countries we launch our games in, which is quite a difficult task in itself, as players in each market have their own unique preferences. We’ve got some fantastic creative minds that have developed wonderfully crafted games that suit certain markets very well, such as the Rainbow Riches series in the UK and Europe and Asian-themed games such as 88 Fortunes in North America.

From Scientific Games to Light and Wonder. Could you tell us the reasons behind this rebranding?

We felt that the time was right to take a bold step forward by introducing a fresh new brand that encapsulates our future vision.

This grand vision is to ultimately cement our place as the leading cross-platform global game company. We’re incredibly proud of our heritage and long-standing success both online and in the land-based gaming sector, and we want to showcase our proud history and exciting future.

This rebrand wasn’t something we took lightly, we partnered with branding experts and canvassed the opinions of key stakeholders, including players and employees. After months of extensive research and deliberations over 2,700 names, we decided on Light & Wonder, a name that received a very positive response when speaking directly to consumers.

We’ve been keeping a close eye on the reaction to this rebrand, and overall, we’re very pleased with how the transition has gone so far. We truly believe that this new brand is aligned with our aspirational future intentions within the entire entertainment space.

What will change in terms of games with Light and Wonder? Will you adopt a completely new style?

Whilst our name and logo may have changed, we still fully intend on bringing players the same high-quality games that they’ve become accustomed to over the many years we operated as Scientific Games. We don’t intend on fixing something that’s not broken, our product catalogue and future roadmap will ultimately stay the same as we look to introduce fresh concepts to the marketplace.

Expect to see the return of fan favourites such as our Dancing Drums and Rainbow Riches franchises. There’ll also be some incredibly exciting new games to look forward to from our partner studios via our OpenGaming platform, the world’s largest and most trusted iGaming ecosystem.

We pride ourselves in having a diverse portfolio of online slots to match our incredibly diverse player base. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach from us here at Light & Wonder.

What are your flagship products at the moment?

We’re currently seeing a lot of love for Tiki Magic which was released early in 2022. This bright, vibrant Tiki-themed slot seems to have resonated with players in multiple markets, particularly in Europe where that calm Polynesian lifestyle seems like a distant dream!

When developing Tiki Magic, we decided to incorporate Quick Hit Ultra Pays, a mechanic that sees six jackpot prizes displayed on the left-hand side of the game reels that can be won when players land a set number of Tiki Magic symbols.

We did this as we were keen to find out whether features and mechanics traditionally geared towards a North American market would do well in other jurisdictions such as Europe and the UK. The early signs have been very positive so far.

In terms of other flagship products available right now via our OpenGaming platform, we’d recommend Terrific Tiger Coin Combo and Lightning Gorilla, which are both new to the market, these slots have some fantastic bonus features leading to very impressive payouts.

What are the new Light and Wonder games coming out that we absolutely must try?

One upcoming game we’re extremely keen to shout about is Stargate Megaways. Not only is this slot based on the hit Sci-fi franchise Stargate, but it features a new and innovative twist on Megaways gameplay, which is something we can all agree is well worth getting excited about.

Stargate Megaways incorporates the Trail Ways mechanic, something we’ve seen other providers utilise well in recent years. However, what makes this different in Stargate Megaways is the fact that we’ve levelled it up a notch. Players need to trigger at least five consecutive cascading wins to trigger a bonus feature, while nine are required to activate the most lucrative top-level bonus.

This slot really is a game-changer when it comes to bonus features and mechanics, so much so that we’ve incorporated an Eye of Ra inspired feature that automatically re-starts the bonus feature, meaning players can enjoy double the fun and a second chance to rake in some seriously big wins.

This release will kick-start plans to bring more exclusive branded content to our online players. Traditionally our branded slots have come as a result of collaborations with our land-based team, but we’re now able to take the lead and work on a one-on-one basis with license holders such as MGM on Stargate Megaways.

Is there anything else you want our readers to know about this brand-new project?

All I’ll say is watch this space! We have some incredible studios working under the Light & Wonder banner following recent M&A activity, such as Lightning Box, ELK and Authentic Gaming. We fully expect these studios to enjoy great success this year as their talented teams are developing some amazing new slots.

It’s our job to help these teams scale and achieve rapid growth as they expand into new markets. This shouldn’t be too difficult as we’re a company filled with forward-thinking, ambitious, and likeminded individuals that are all working towards the same key goals.

Additionally, our OpenGaming platform is only set to get bigger and better as the year goes on, meaning casinos are going to get access to some fantastic games from some amazing studios. We’ll be expanding into new markets, specifically in the United States and Canada.

This is the beginning of a very exciting journey for Light & Wonder, and we’re excited to bring players along for the journey, it’s going to be great fun!