ARUZE
On the Up W
e’ve all seen Aruze’s titles on casino floors worldwide – most famously, probably Paradise Fishing, the striking fishing slot with a rod and reel for the player to partake in
interactive bonus games and features. Aruze started life in Japan back in the late 1960s as
Universal Lease Co. The name Aruze did not appear until 2005, and it has an interesting and unusual meaning. The “AR” in Aruze represents the archaeopteryx, a flying dinosaur that has been called the “first bird”, which is also featured in the company’s corporate logo. The company says it represents its ‘challenger spirit and the value placed on the thrill of attaining new heights’. The “U” stands for Universal, the name of the company’s previous incarnation and appears in red in the company logo, which matches the Universal corporate color. It further serves to signify the company goal of providing an all-encompassing range of universal entertainment to all people. The “Z” is of course the last letter in the alphabet and in this instance representing completeness. The “E” stands for the company’s major corporate theme: entertainment. Put the letters together, and Aruze represents their desire as a company to change all forms of entertainment.
Kelcey Allison talked to Casino International about the company’s growth – and future…
Casino International: It’s interesting that the name Aruze is an acronym, and not in the usual form where it’s kind of forced in order to make a name close to a familiar word… Kelcey Allison: The E being for entertainment says
a lot really. I think the industry has lost the vision of what gaming is supposed to do, and that’s entertain our clients. That was one of the key philosophies behind Paradise Fishing. It’s a blast to play, with RealFeel technology, the rod that simulates catching a fish – it’s a fun experience.
Aruze Gaming America, Inc. (“Aruze”) has seen continued growth right through difficult economic times thanks to fun games that look superb on the floor. Kelcey Allison, Aruze’s Chief Executive Officer, talked to Casino International about the company’s strengths
CI: Players that grew up on the old home computers, even the earlier consoles, are in their early 40s; a console now is hundreds of dollars to buy, it’s not for children any more. If someone with that background sits down for a playing experience they expect more in the way of entertainment, I think. They are clearly prepared to spend money; PS4 games are $60. KA: We still have to play by the rules of what gaming is in the casino environment, but we make it a thrill of a ride for as long as possible so you get the most bang for your buck. Interestingly, we just released a brand new game called Dark Samurai, and our designers were thinking of Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, that kind of game; it has bonuses where a ninja fights a samurai and each strike to the opponent is a credit. You remember video games in the past, fighters had life or health metres and those are in our game too; as you strike or defend and get struck, the metre goes up or down accordingly. Whoever wins gets the jackpot, it’s really quite brilliant.
CI: You’ve seen great success in recent years… Did that begin with Paradise Fishing or was there another door-opener for you? KA: The trajectory of our market share has been almost vertical over the last five years and I attribute that to us being “outside the box” and not copying anybody else per se. Our R&D is not even in North America, it’s in Tokyo. Our team focuses on trying to be innovative and totally out of the box on the gaming side. We try to drive home the true meaning of what gaming is, which is entertainment, the E in Aruze.
Our factory is in the Philippines. Our boxes are
manufactured there and they are shipped worldwide to our sales offices. We have offices in South Africa, Macau, Australia, North America and Europe, which is a brand new, emerging market for us. We recently signed a huge distributorship for the Latin American market. We are truly international. It did start with Paradise Fishing. It was a completely new, innovative theme; there was a lot of
32 APRIL 2015
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