p30-38 community gaming.qxd:Layout 1 24/03/2009 08:29 Page 39
COMMUNITY GAMING
example, that would involve you going round to
every machine and doing something to every
machine in order to set up that bonus. That
can all be done centrally now, it can be a
timed event, it can be qualified by tickets,
or triggered by a player turning up at any
machine and identifying himself as a
member of the group.”
“Community gaming is a proven concept,
which is why everybody is trying to do it. It
will just get more and more exciting as we roll
out server-based later in the year. Community
gaming is the next step, and technology will
really determine how far we take that,” Quartier
concludes.
Atronic’s mystery jackpot Cascading Cash encourages
players to bring their friends to the bank, and offers two
levels of jackpot awards. In the first jackpot the triggering
player wins the amount shown on the domino. In the
second jackpot, all active players receive the domino
amoun.t while the triggering player wins that amount
multiplied by the number of active players. Cascading
Cashi is available as an add-on for casinos with an
existing Atronic Crystal Web infrastructure, when it can
connect any number
DualVision from Bally Technologies
B
ally’s DualVision cabinet is built around its CineVision 32-inch perhaps because
display, which is flipped on its side and segmented so that a they are
couple, or two friends, can sit side-by-side and play two sets of intimidated or are
video reels in their own ‘privacy zone’. not sure whether
Due to be available in a stand-alone, two-player unit or as part of a they will enjoy
‘pentapod’ of five two-player stations, DualVision will go into field trials playing, to give it
in North America with a new slot game, Two for the Money, before the a try with their
middle of 2009. Other titles are expected to follow in the series, partner or a
including Roulette, Keno, and Blackjack. friend.
It’s not competitive gaming,” explains Dan Savage, VP Marketing for “The social
Bally Technologies. “Both players are trying to win the same pot and aspect, with
there is only one place to put money, and one credit meter…each player people winning or
chooses how many lines they want to play on each spin, and each player losing together
has their own screen. There is only one button to start, and the reels rather than playing against one another, is the whole concept behind
start and stop at the same time – wins are experienced together, and go Communitive Gaming for us,” Savage explains. “It’s that social aspect…
to the joint credit meter.” We often see one spouse in front of a slot, playing, and the other behind
In the bonus feature the screen changes from dual video reel slots to a them, not playing. We are trying to get two people on one game,
single, co-operative screen. The bonus is then played by the two players, experiencing similar events and then when they go on to bonus rounds,
who work together to win together; they don’t compete with one another. they play together.”
As is the case for the base game, whatever is won in the bonus round is DualVision is unlikely to be ready to ship until early 2010, but is
won by the two players together, and is credited to the joint meter. another aspect of Bally’s approach to growing the whole gaming market,
Bally is not expecting massive sales for DualVision, as Savage explains: rather than just fighting with competitors for a larger share of the same
“It is a very small, niche marketplace. Our best games will sell thousands market. As Savage explains: “We are also trying to get skill based games on
of units. The marketplace we are trying to open up with Dualvision is the casino floor, to bring in more demographics rather than just doing
probably hundreds of units of opportunity, but, when you talk about how more games for the people we already fulfill. All our competitors will try to
to bring more people into gaming, about how to get more couples to take market share from us, and we’ll try to take market share from them,
enjoy the experience together…with DualVision, we’re trying to develop but we are also trying to develop new segments and develop that whole
that as another sector.” bigger pool. We are trying to bring more demographics into the casino,
Rather than having one partner in a couple ‘hanging back’ watching rather than just doing more games for the people we already sell to.”
the other playing a game, Bally hopes to grow the market by enticing “DualVision is not going to be huge, but we are trying to develop new
people who currently don’t participate in the gaming experience, segments, new markets. I think we have got something here…” he says.
38 APRIL 2009
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54