With the connections between video games and iGaming continuing to reach new levels, Game Play will delve into how gambling industry stakeholders embarked on their own gaming journeys.
SlotBeats spoke to Jordie Wagner, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Mirror Image Gaming, who explained why Halo 3 is the “absolute pinnacle of gaming experiences”, the game soundtrack he still listens to today and the slot that is his favourite of all time.
Are you a PC or console gamer? What was your first home gaming experience?
I was always a console kid growing up. I have three other siblings, so the first console Dad ever bought us was a Sega Dreamcast with four remotes. The console is a little less known, but we loved that thing. The best game was definitely Sonic Adventure — it absolutely blew our minds as kids. The big open world with so many places to explore… I still listen to the soundtrack today.
We also loved this game called Vigilante 8, which was a vehicular combat game. There was nothing better than school holidays, Vigilante 8, and four-player split screen on the old CRT TV.
What is your favourite game of all time and why?
Halo 3, baby! By far. It was the reason we bought an Xbox 360. That game, to me, is the absolute pinnacle of gaming experiences. I have so many memories of 9th-grade sleepovers at my mates’ houses, playing eight-player system link Halo.
Just the amount you could do in that game was insane. I spent hours with my brothers creating our own maps and trying to unlock all the achievements. Best map was hands down Valhalla. For years, we had the fiercest Capture the Flag games on that map, and they always ended with us shouting at each other. Good memories.
What mobile game have you spent the most time playing?
Bloons Tower Defence 5. I love that game. I played the hell out of the previous titles on the computer as Flash games, but I got an iPod Touch one Christmas and downloaded the fifth game.
For the entire year, I think it was the only game I played on my iPod. I’d get to such high levels, and there would be so many balloons that the frame rate would drop to like 5fps, and each level would take at least 15 minutes to finish.
Which mobile game are you currently playing?
I am fixated at the moment on a game called Through the Ages. It’s based on a board game, and I can’t put it down. I’ve actually deleted and reinstalled it so many times because I have such an issue with playing it too much.
Basically, you compete with other players to build the best civilisation. You start in the Bronze Age and work your way up to modern times. Each game takes about 40 minutes, so it’s perfect if you need a break and want to kill a bit of time. Highly recommend it!
Last video game completed?
My girlfriend and I just finished a co-op Rome: Total War campaign! It took us a couple of weekends, but we eventually conquered the entire world together. It’s a turn-based game, and the gameplay loop is so engaging. You always say to yourself, “one more turn,” until you realise it’s 3am on Monday morning.
Favourite video game character?
Hands down, Sam Fisher from the Splinter Cell series. We had the first three games on PS2 growing up. Sneaking around CIA office buildings and hiding dead bodies in the shadows is such a core memory of mine.
And Sam Fisher was just so cool. He was this middle-aged spy with a dry sense of humour, voiced by Michael Ironside. I was definitely too young to understand the storyline (which was usually about post-Cold War global politics), but 10-year-old me just thought it was awesome playing as Sam.
Favourite all-time slot?
Pine of Plinko 2. I love the bonus mechanic so much. I definitely play it more than the base game. I don’t even know why, but the game just scratches the right neurons in my head. The game just looks and plays so good and the music is burned into my brain.
