Review G2E VEGAS 2015
KONAMI’S PERFECT ENSEMBLE PIECE
Konami Gaming orchestrated yet another virtuoso performance at G2E Las Vegas, revealing the sweetly constructed Concerto to the delight of the G2E audience
The launch of Konami Gaming’s new Concerto cabinet six years on from the introduction of its hugely popular Podium, was the centrepiece attraction on a widely varied stand that included G3’s favourite game of G2E 2015. While the Podium will exist in the short-term alongside the Concerto, the evolution of the Podium’s KP3 platform to the new KP3+, means that the added processing power will drive next generation games, with greater resolution, speed and memory, while KP3+ also runs content from the existing KP3 library of games.
The Concerto launched with its own roster of six KP3+ games that capitalise fully on the increased real-estate that includes two 27ins. HD monitors, the biggest in their class, and holographic lighting, designed to attract (but not overwhelm) players. The Concerto’s dynamic button panels have to be seen, and pressed, to be believed. The first of its kind, a glass deck features real polycarbonate button overlays that are physically pressed like a regular button, while the screen beneath changes the panel and buttons in relation to the events taking place on the monitors.
“We have been beta-testing Concerto for 3-4 months and we’ve had zero mechanical issues,” described Konami Gaming’s Matt Reback at the G2E show. “The
5 6
topper is also a 19ins. HD monitor that can interact with the game or switch to attract mode when the machine is idle. The entire cabinet is covered in a sleek black finish, distinct from all the chrome on display at the show, which is non-reflective, immune to finger- prints and is easy on the eye - letting the graphics pop from the screens and the frame disappear into the background.”
The Concerto’s dynamic button panels have to be seen, and
pressed, to be believed. The first of its kind, a glass deck features real polycarbonate button overlays that are physically pressed like a regular button.
In addition to the latest KP3+ games, Konami also demonstrated its bolt-on standalone KP3+ progressiveall of which benefiting from a beefed-up sound system provided by the new Concerto cabinet. “In addition to all the ergonomic elements and cutting-
edge technology, the design incorporates human touches to make the new cabinet appealing and welcoming to players,” explained Mr. Reback. “People want, at the subconscious level, to interact with other people, so we added human characteristics to the new Concerto. If you look closely at the proportions and features of the cabinet it resembles a welcoming human face.”
A machine that features distinctly reptilian features is Konami’s Frogger, a fabulous-looking reimagining of a Konami’s 1981 arcade classic. Resplendent in vivid green the cabinet leaps (sorry) out from any location on the floor and while presently features an RNG- based bonus game, the title is ripe for a skill-based gaming make-over in the future, as are the entire collection of Konami video gaming titles. It was a favourite of the G3 team in Vegas and complements the currently hugely popular Crossy Road, which is such a mega-hit on mobile.
Konami’s proven game content will also be available across a multitude of potential online channels through the launch of Konami’s remote gaming server (RGS) with Spin Games. Konami announced its partnership with Spin Games the week prior to the Vegas show, in which Spin Games will to offer popular Konami video slot games for online interactive distribution to social and for-wager gambling environments. Both land- based and online casino gambling entities will have the ability to provide Konami game content to all relevant mobile devices, desktop platforms, and internet browsers, through use of HTML5 technology.
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 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84