ICEBALL X
Latest ICE Alley Roller Offers Multiplayer Fun
Innovative Concepts in Entertainment is bringing back their classic alley roller with a majorly updated cabinet and modern, interactive gameplay.
ICEBALL X, which went into production Aug. 17 and is shipping now, made its official public debut at IAAPA Expo Europe in late September.
Its predecessors, ICEBALL and ICEBALL FX, came out in 1997 and 2014, respectively. ICE’s vice president of sales, Ryan Coppola, explained that those had the same playfield and same type of scoring structure. “Games could be linked but there was no dynamic gameplay between them,” he said.
That changes with ICEBALL X, he said.
There are five main pockets on the playfield – one in the center and one at each of the corners, which forms an X. Players get 10 balls per game, so each player has the opportunity to get the “Complete the X” bonus twice. Players can also get bonuses for hitting three holes in a row or each of the four corners. Each of those X pockets turn a solid color once a player sinks a ball, so they can easily track their progress.
As the game goes on, “cabinet lights intensify and cycle faster, music advances, adrenaline rises and remaining X pockets become more intensely lit and animated,” the company said.
Linkable up to four units, the introduction of a 2-4-player “Great Race” mode is the biggest highlight of the new game.
“In the locations where we tested, 30% of the players going to play ICEBALL X are playing the multiplayer race,” Coppola noted. The company said this drives repeat play and is the primary reason behind the reported 20% earnings increase.
The Great Race is simple. Players get unlimited balls and race to the high score in the allotted timeframe (operators can set the timer as desired).
This is where the 15” x 30” dot-matrix displays come into play. They feature live player tracking, so you can see where you rank during the game, as well as exciting animations and winner celebrations, making it “just as much fun to watch as it is to play.” A marquee topper can be added to two or more linked machines.
Keeping with the intensified gameplay theme, lots of additional immersive LED lighting and sounds were added.
All of these enhanced features come at a “significant” price increase compared to the previous model, Coppola said. However, ICE will continue production on ICEBALL FX for operators with budget constraints.
The new ICEBALL X was in the making at ICE’s Clarence, New York, factory for about 14 months. Coppola said the company felt the time was right and operators needed something fresh, adding, “We wanted to separate ourselves from competition in an overly saturated alley market.
“This game does that in a way that encourages more families and friends to be social and compete – against the clock and one another,” he said.
To get more information, visit www.icegame.com or contact your authorized ICE distributor.