Insight
SLOT CABINET DESIGN Konami’s Concerto
Obviously, these demand and command a choice spot on the floor.”
Te Concerto has a different aesthetic to traditional gaming machines, eschewing chrome and glaring LEDs, for a subtle matte black that melts into the background, leaving the screens as the sole focus of player attention. It seems contradictory to say, but the Concerto is both subtle and striking, in that it makes a star of the enormous screens, while de-focusing attention from the form-factor of the cabinet.
“Te matte black finish was an important improvement we identified for the industry,” describes Matt Reback of Konami’s design approach to Concerto. “If you look at any popular smartphone device or flat screen television, the surrounding hardware is streamlined and simplified with utmost priority for the display itself. We envision the same thing for the future of video slots.
“Bold hardware accessories play an important role in initial attraction, but in order for the player to remain at the machine once they arrive, they should have the comfort and freedom to become immersed in the game content itself,” underlines Mr. Reback. “Tis was an important design feature Konami identified for Concerto, and it’s become a strong factor in its success.”
DECONSTRUCTING THE CONSTRUCTION Seeking to deconstruct the cabinet design with
finding the right machine for the floor. “Of course, you try to add difference to your floor; an innovation that everybody is talking about,” adds Mr. Soberon. “Players will always seek out new state-of-the-art products, so it’s important to allocate them the correct spot on the floor, to maximise the promotion. Beyond that, the game must have a hook to engage the player.”
Mr. Hickey believes there’s no easy answer to question. “I never want my floor to look homogenised,” he says. “Rows of games with the same colour or laminate or acres of clone- looking equipment. Yet, I’m not really looking too much toward show-stopping drama, either. Generally, I like my floor to represent a little of everything in each zone. Not too far to find a poker game – not too far to find a stepper game – not so far to play a premium game.
“Banking strategies also sneak into the floor design, especially considering high and low volatility game families,” continues Mr. Hickey. “I do look at the floor like a large retail space and try to place targets of opportunity (impulse buys) in places that capitalise on traffic flow. At the same time – some games look better on end caps or rounds. Some games make a statement with their size. G2E last year and the year before seemed to be themed around “Land of the Giants” with huge games being displayed.
our operator panel, we asked our experts about the importance of the individual elements of the Concertos design. How important are the two 27ins HD monitors; the holographic lighting (designed to attract, but not overwhelm players); the dynamic button panel with polycarbonate ‘pressable’ buttons; the build quality of the cabinet; the 19ins. topper; the black matt finish of the cabinet - what’s important and what’s not?
Chuck Hickey again gave us his detailed and considered opinion. “First of all, the Concerto almost demands to be placed on a round of machines. Tis is due to a couple of things – the side lighting being one and the sheer size/bulk of the cabinet. Putting them in a bank does create a bit of a wall and hides some of the lighting effects. Te round displays the game well and doesn’t present such a critical mass as you can typically see through the upper part of most round stands.
“Te monitors certainly display their games well, don’t contribute to eye strain (like some machines) and have a visual pop from across the casino,” continues Mr. Hickey. “Tey display the game title quite well, so a guest can see from a long way off if that box contains their sought- after favorite. Holographic lighting… if the design was to attract but not overwhelm, then I think they accomplished their goal. It works well and doesn’t blind you. “Te dynamic button panel works well if a little
fragile,” he adds. “Konami has been re- engineering the panel to make it more robust to withstand the rigorous pounding our guests can put on a machine. Build quality is good – and will be better when they find a solution to their door locking issues. Matte black… pretty much goes with everything, doesn’t seem to show fingerprints either. What is important? None of it – and everything. It has to work – it has to draw attention, but in the end… it is the content, not the box.”
While it’s difficult to disagree with that sentiment, it also doesn’t explain one of the phenomenons described by Konami in our ICE 2016 Concerto review. Due to the built-in backwards compatibility of the KP3+ platform, existing back-catalogue titles can be operated on the Concerto (something we’ll discuss in more depth later on in this article). Tese titles are not just finding a new lease of life in the new cabinet, but they’re performing better than their last generation counterparts. We asked Chris Garrow, Jeff Croes and Kelly Pace for their views.
According to Chris Garrow, to be competitive, Konami had to add the two 27ins. monitors. All of the slot manufacturers are making their cabinets with multiple screens, video toppers and button panels, though in his opinion, Konami executed all of these enhancements perfectly. “Te holographic lighting only adds to this great cabinet,” states Mr. Garrow. “Tey look even better on a carousel and with the topper it visually pulls the entire cabinet together. Having the black matte finish appeals to me.”
Jeff Croes agrees that the two 27ins. LCDs make the game more vivid for the players, they display the game graphics much more sharply, which is what players his players wants, LEDs attracts players to the game and make the cabinet unique on the Aruba Marriott Resort & Stallaris Casino slot floor.
Kelly Pace also believes that the monitor and the topper are pretty important too. “Tey both help create a sense of unique presentation for the guest and make the machines more visible,” he told us. “Te holographic lighting is minimal and isn’t overly distracting for guests. I’d also say the button panel is of less importance to us than some of the other features.”
Juan José Rivas Soberon also picks out Konami’s holographic lighting for particular praise, but adds another elements to the Concerto mix.
“Te holographic lighting is a very attractive feature, but I think that the main difference is the sound, it is incredible. While for me the topper is not such an important element, the addition of the 27-inch. HD monitors in combination with the quality of the audio, means that players can really ‘feel’ the game.”
At the launch of the Concerto at G2E 2015, NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE /
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