Review G2E ASIA 2015
The Asian-Pacific market witnessed the global debut of IGT's newly formed Winning Combination of industry leaders, following the acquisition of IGT by GTECH
Linked progressives with culturally enriched progressive themes were at the heart of what IGT described as its ‘latest collection of Asian-attuned games.’ Taking pole position on the G2E Asia floor was San Xing Bao Xi, or Lucky Dragon in English. It features two base game themes, Dragon Dynasty and Golden Frog, and features a series of play mechanics that elevate player excitement and encourage players to bet up. Housed in the CrystalDual cabinet it boasts two Multi-Layer Display touch screens.
Dirk Geere, Director of International Product Management at IGT, said: “The game features a fire dragon in the base game, which reveals random expanding substitutes to increase the number of awards. Not all players meet the bonus requirements, so we’ve built in a series of teasers (such as the frog that hops along the screen) through which players are offered the option of taking free games or playing for the jackpot. It’s a game that really is relevant globally.”
Fu Gui Ji Li was another progressive title making its global debut at G2E Asia although it has already proved popular in the market place. Also housed in the CrystalDual cabinet, Fu Gui Ji Li communicates luck and fortune through culturally relevant symbols. Mr. Geere explained: “Fu Gui Ji Li, known simply as the balloon game by many Chinese players, is currently one of the best performing Multi Level Progressives in Australasia. Our Asian collection has really benefitted from our third party Chinese design studio, which works in conjunction with US and Australian studios.
“Gong Xi Fa Cai is doing big numbers for us in Asia with its proven math model and popular bonus features,” added Mr. Geere. “It’s packed with free games and a pick bonus, where players have the opportunity to win one of four progressives. Players select from red envelopes which reveal jewels. If players select three jewels of the same colour, they are awarded the corresponding progressive level. It includes incentives to wager up in order to enable multipliers, increasing average wager and driving coin-in. Players actually choose how the play the game in terms of the volatility. Our games are all compliant to Macau’s latest 1.1 slot machine standards. Many of these Asian- specific games are also proving popular with Asian players in the US with the world’s first Gong Xi Fa Cai video slots unveiled recently at Seminole Hard Rock Tampa in Florida.”
Another game expected to perform well in Asia is Golden Dragon. Mr Geere said: “Golden Dragon has been built on the success of Wheel of Fortune, which did well in Macau despite the game show not being recognised over here. Golden Dragon is an Asian- themed wheel game that awards players that pay into
7 0 Dirk Geere and Phil O'Shaughnessy
IGT DEBUTS ASIAN-ATTUNED WINNING COMBINATION IN MACAU
“We’re unifying depending on what the customer wants. We’re placing our customers
first and showing logic when it comes to what brands work in what markets.”
the scaled progressive.” It was developed for Las Vegas Sands, who have bought 100 units with a six-month exclusivity period.
The True 3D technology, developed by GTECH, was also shown on the company’s premium Axxis line with Asian theme games including Dragon’s Temple 3D and Dreams of Asia. On the G23 hardware, new games included Dancing Lion, Eastern Treasures, Chinese Odyssey, Fortune Beast, Guardian's Treasures and Lantern Riches. Other games shown with GTECH origins included several from the PopCap range on the MaXVusion cabinet including Bejeweled, Zuma and Plants Vs. Zombies.
Seizing the first chance to speak to Walter Bugno, IGT International CEO, since the acquisition, we heard him describe: “This has been a very complementary merger, and we’re delighted with how our product team is producing a unified roadmap. IGT is strong in casino gaming, whilst SPIELO has been strong in lottery and VLT. The system product of GTECH is strong in VLT whereas the IGT product is top tier in casino. We’re unifying depending on what the customer wants, putting together the best of breed.
“We’re placing our customers first and showing logic when it comes to what brands work in what markets.
On the lottery side there will be very little impact as IGT has not been heavily involved in that sector,” Mr. Bugno added. “There is no way we could replace the Lottomatica brand in Italy with IGT for example. In interactive, GTECH has been a major player in the platform space and IGT in content. In terms of market coverage IGT is a market leader in North America, whilst SPIELO has gained traction with niche products. In Europe IGT is strong in the west, whereas SPIELO is historically strong in central and Eastern Europe. We will now have a broader customer base and will be able to bring products to market faster.
“We’ve been very respectful towards legacy IGT’S position in the gaming space and I think branding the new group as IGT has shown that. Personally, I’ve been amazed and delighted by the feeling between the teams. There’s been a really good vibe and a togetherness in understanding what we’re trying to do. The logic behind the branding was simple. GTECH stood for Gaming Technology and IGT stood for International Game Technology, so the two brands were already very similar and showed great continuity for our customers, our employees and Wall Street. The stats show how big we now are as a company, but it’s not about size or being the biggest. Size is irrelevant. We’d rather focus on outstanding performance and being the best performer in the industry.”
In Asia, Mr Bugno highlighted IGT’s recent success in the Philippines at City of Dreams as well as in Singapore with Marina Bay Sands and RW Sentosa and with Genting in Malaysia. The company’s deal with LT game in Macau has seen an influx of machines as has a similar set up with Matsui Gaming Machine in Korea. It is also looking at markets in Goa and Daman in India. It also recently entered the system market in Vietnam with an install of IGT Advantage at the Palazzo Club, located within the Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers.
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