SCORE GAMING
month for the casino. We try to invent games where players actually feel like they can beat the game. We create games with low house edges but with a lot of decisions in there – let’s be honest, players are going to make mistakes when there are decisions to make.
CI: The ‘stick rate’ for table games is actually
very low compared to how many are on sale every year. Is your success rate comparable to other suppliers? BJ: We work constantly to invent new games because of this. We have 12 games currently GLI approved in various jurisdictions. We have games that have been successful and have been in the market long term – one in particular has been a success in the UK, Double-Up Blackjack which has been out there for almost two years now. It’s been in the US for almost five years. Some games last a long time and stick around, but most games have a shelf life, they are on the floor for six months to two years, then for whatever reason, the players drift away. We constantly expand our library – we have eight games in development and preparing to be released as we speak.
CI: Is everything developed internally? BJ: We are the only major table game company that
invents 100 per cent of our games. Every once in a while I might get an email, can you look at my new game, and we stay away from that. We like to invent our own games and it saves us a lot of trouble.
CI: Do you use the online space as a test-bed to teach people your games?
BJ: On our web site we
currently have game videos, but at the moment we are
working on getting in to the online space with game samples for those very reasons.
CI: Which of your games had had the greatest penetration to date?
BJ: Double-Up Blackjack, with over 20 installs
around the world, and contracts signed to take that to 30 by the end of the year.
CI: What makes a game a ‘stayer’? Table games and side bets that succeed are all very different, but is there some commonality in there? BJ: If I knew the answer to that… Your most popular game in the slot world is the Wheel of Fortune slot machine, it’s been around probably 20 years. It’s been successful, I believe, for a number of reasons. Familiarity with the game show and the music; it’s not like your standard slot machine either, it steps outside the box – combine those things and you have tremendous staying power. On the table games side, Three Card Poker is the benchmark we all shoot for. We work with Shuffle Master in another way, on their progressives, so I had the chance to ask your question – why has it been so successful? I was surprised to hear that it wasn’t, right out of the gate. It struggled initially and took about a year or so to really settle in. It’s a simple game, you have a winning combination or not; there’s no draw, the only decision is, do I like these cards? That simplicity has really helped the game I think. We actually recently finished a game called Three Card Draw Poker, which is three card poker where you can get an extra card if you want it. We’re trying to take that concept and take it a step further without making it confusing.
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