p26-36 IGE 2009 2/3/09 10:51 Page 36
IGE 2009 REVIEW
instead of splitting up. When they hit the bonus rounds, Shuffle Master brought the fabulous iTable with
they start to play together instead of individually. them, after it made its debut in Vegas in November.
Bally is also working at extending its slot skill Kirsten Clark talked us through how the company will
gaming offering, a segment where they've already handle testing with a tightly controlled rollout; "We
created Pong and Breakout titles which we'll see early have already pinpointed some sites where we will put
in 2009. It's aimed at the kind of player that wants to multiple tables in the properties to go live to get these
interact more with the game rather than be passive tested. We are going to do a controlled rollout. Because
and trust to 'luck'. we are doing multiple tables at properties, that way we
Multigames is also an area of focus for Bally, with can have our service staff on site in case there is a
three of their popular Blazing 7s titles now in one glitch, or something goes wrong – we can address it
multigame cabinet. immediately. We are getting such interest from the
Bally's Gavin Isaacs spoke real sense when talking customers that have seen it that the quicker we can get
about the show calendar, lamenting: "Trade shows are through on-site testing and make sure it works perfectly,
Above: Graeme Kidd has Communitive a big expense, and there are so many in the global the faster we can get it out there to a wider audience."
Gaming explained by Bally’s Dan calendar now that it really becomes hard to do
Shuffle Master is developing some of its proprietary
Savage.
justice to all of them. If only the trade show games for the table, including Three Card Poker and
Below: Signs4U had their own stand
organizers would get together and maybe rationalize Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em. If you didn't see it in Vegas,
instead of piggybacking on their slot
– have one big show in each region, us manufacturers
customers’ stands, and it looked superb.
the beauty of this table is that it's an electronic card
would be able to plan our products better, and maybe table rather than a fixed game, so it's just a question
show products in each region that would delight of switching the software and hey presto, it's changed
them and be much more specific. Because the from Baccarat to Blackjack, and these games can now
emphasis is now on the end of the year, beginning of offer more complex (in mathematical terms, not in
the new year with G2E and ICE so close, it’s very user terms) side bets – Blackjack for instance now
difficult to bring new product to ICE that’s wasn’t a offers real live odds based on the likelihood of
G2E, and that really doesn’t do ICE any service." whether you will beat the dealer according to your
Cammegh were their usual upbeat selves, and their first cards. The company is also looking at developing
stand really did their Roulette products proud. It was progressive jackpots for the table in the near future.
much larger than previous years and genuinely Signs4U had their own stand, and on it was their
looked great. The main products on show were new development, a mystery jackpot concept with up
PitBoss HQ, the brilliant Slingshot II wheel, their i- to 10 levels. The display shows only the top four
Ball Roulette wheel camera, and their info display. levels, with the other levels taken care of by the game
The company has segued neatly into offering a range cabinet toppers. As Signs4U's Martin Spies explains,
of Roulette products while not compromising on "It will attract players to play longer and more
quality in their existing wheels, nor skimping on R&D because they have interaction with the topper. They
to develop existing product further. will keep getting small jackpots from the topper, and
Andrew Cammegh told us his experience of the show: good opportunities for the high level of course.
"We have had a fantastic show. It has been a really, really "You can add this to you existing machines with a
pleasant surprise. We didn’t really have any particular SAS port – if you have an existing game that is not
expectations. Tuesday morning was a little bit quiet, but performing very well and you want to upgrade it a bit,
what we have noticed is that the number of delegates you can put an extra system like this on it, and it will
from casino groups has reduced, but the decision perform a lot better."
makers are here and the business is being done." Last but most certainly not least comes
JCM had their big guns on show, with their world- FutureLogic, who unveiled for the first time in
renowned line of currency handling product Europe their really exciting, innovative new range of
displayed clearly and plenty of staff on hand to product. TableXchange is top of the list, their device
answer questions. Their big story was the Vega unit, which allows TITO to reach table games, and allows
which is aimed largely at the AWP market and is casino customers more flexibility when playing; with
apparently at a hugely competitive price level. TableXchange, they no longer have to cash in a ticket
Personally, we can't wait to see Trident in then buy into a game, they just take the ticket to the
international markets, it's just so good. table and buy chips with that. When they leave the
We spoke with Tom Nieman, over from the Las table, they take another ticket. Simple and quite
Vegas office, who expressed some disappointment brilliant. One of the benefits is fewer drops required
and echoed Gavin Isaac's words: "From our as there's tickets in the box rather than cash; another
perspective, one of the challenges of this show is its benefit is the potential to use this in restaurants or
proximity to G2E. Although the operator customers bars across a venue. That's some way off, but the
may not have made the trip to Las Vegas this year to potential is clearly there for TITO to break out of the
see whatever was new, the media do. It has got to be slot machine.
tough for this market – it is almost as if you have to FutureLogic's John Edmunds was delighted as, on the
launch something twice. stand, they had been running "back to back demos of
"From our standpoint, the show has been adequate. TableNet and PromoNet. Operators have been coming
The second day was the strongest day for us, while back two or three times, thinking about the product in
the third day lived up to its billing as a slow day." between – bringing back more people."
36 MARCH 2009
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