Insight NEW GAMES SHOWCASE
breakthrough with their latest games at the New Games Showcase included: Mr. Casino Games, Customised Casino Games, Galaxy Games, ICS Europe, Shuffle Master, Royal Roulette, Prime Table Games and TCSJohnHuxley. Speaking to Luke Davis of TCSJohnHuxley, whose company showed Supernova Roulette and Supernova Blackjack, progressive versions that do not alter the classic games themselves, he sees real value in the Grosvenor-staged event. “Conducting a trial with real players lets game developers understand the mechanics of their game on the floor of the casino,” said Mr. Davis. “The questions Grosvenor asks each player about the game are also hugely important for us, enabling us to understand how players are interacting with new offerings. We’re delighted with the response from the Showcase to Supernova Black Jack and Roulette, though the games are slightly different from those shown here in that we’re not reinventing the games, but rather adding a progressive to the existing traditional games. There’s nothing proprietary here aside from the
CONDUCTING A
TRIAL WITH REAL PLAYERS LETS GAME
DEVELOPERS
UNDESTAND THE MECHANICS OF
THEIR GAME ON THE FLOOR OF THE CASINO.
“The questions Grosvenor asks each player about
the game are also hugely important for us, enabling us
to understand how players are
interacting with new offerings.” LUKE DAVIS,
TCSJohnHuxley.
(Top) Casino Pairs from Mr. Casino
Games, Mississippi Stud from Shuffle
Master and Bjingo by Customised Casino Games
Once over, the last games standing, four from the original 20+ games shown at the first showcase, are now live in casinos throughout the Grosvenor Group. “If I can select another four games from this current showcase I’ll be very happy,” outlined Mr. Shanahan of his hopes for the 2012 crop. “We have to sift through each of the games and find the ones that hold player attention. They can’t just be novelties, they must maintain longevity, which is very difficult to achieve. It’s hard for any new game to penetrate the player consciousness of roulette, black jack and roulette. It’s a challenge for any game to brush shoulders with those three, with only three card poker having significantly broken into this inner circle to date.”
The suppliers seeking just such a
three numbers generated from the roulette, which forms the side bet mystery win. We can offer a local table or all table mystery win, depending on operator. This isn’t so much a new game, as we’re using standard wheels and displays, with a traditional layout that simply includes colour-coded player assists. Instead, Supernova adds excitement to established favourites in a very simple, retro-fitable solution that’s already gaining real momentum in the UK.”
Across the 20 new games unveiled at the latest New Games Showcase, Grosvenor aimed to provide a broad mix of brand new innovations and subtle enhancements of traditional games. “I was really impressed with the level of detail in the games,” stated Mr. Shanahan. “We have shown a series of totally innovative games, some I’ve no idea how they were ever dream-up.
Others are adding something new to traditional games, with multiple betting options and variations. I always find it harder to gauge the more radical games as they often prove to be region specific, which is why we sample the games across such a wide area following this event. Last year we saw 22 games at the showcase and across the whole year sampled 30 in total. Since running the first Showcase in April 2011, we additionally conducted three ‘mini’ showcases, giving the clubs the ability to gauge the games for themselves. We can’t conduct an event such as this in every casino, as we’re restricted by space in most of our venues. However, we can conduct smaller events having reduced the number of games from this event to a manageable size. Last year we conducted mini events in Leeds, Cardiff and Birmingham and I think we’ll stick to this format this year too.”
Following the New Games Showcase and the whittling down of the games to the shortlist, Mr. Shanahan and his team begin a briefing process with the clubs across the Grosvenor estate that are looking to trial the new games. Each receive a training session in club and are asked to open the game at specific times, prices and set periods, even requesting that certain areas of the floor are devoted to the game to give maximum exposure. “We don’t want the game sat in a corner of the casino as we want a fair evaluation of its potential in each location,” explained Mr. Shanahan. “We want it to be played by as many people as possible.”
Smashing the crystal ball Predicting which games will be popular with players has been described as a ‘black art,’ something that you can’t test, trial or focus group. It’s a statement to which Grosvenor gives absolutely no credence. The purpose of the New Games Showcase is to put new games in the hands of players and let them decide which they want to play. It’s not exactly rocket science, but at the same time it’s taking conventional thinking and standing it on its head. Grosvenor has taken the traditional model, in which the management team select the games they want to offers players, and stood this on its head. Players choose the games, the management simply listens and reacts to the requests. Mr. Shanahan is frank about his own ability to spot the best games from across the multiple variants at the Showcase. “Of the games that I thought would work really well, I was really surprised that they didn’t gain any traction, while some the games that we have taken-up within the group are ones that I’d never have imagined would have been successful,” admitted Mr. Shanahan. “What mentally stimulates the player and
July 2012 PAGE 37
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