Interview
G2E LAS VEGAS 2018 IGT Interview
As IGT’s core games strengthen, does this reduce the pressure on licensing the next big IP product?
If you look back at our Premium portfolio, there were two areas of improvement. Again it was a quantity versus quality approach and we were using licences to cover up bad game design. We immediately switched that, thinned out our licensing portfolio very heavily and let a lot of those licences expire. However, we also understand that licensed games fit a very important role in the portfolio. IGT is dedicated to evolving Wheel Of Fortune into the future, while our latest licence launched at G2E, Te Price is Right, has a tremendous amount of history and game assets to build a slot game around. It’s a licence that ticks every box from a licensing point of view, so it is back in our portfolio and we are dedicated to keeping that product alive, which is why you see such a wide range of launch products. We also have a much better discipline around new licences, understanding how important it is to move licences around the portfolio for the life of the term and appreciate how the assets lend themselves to gaming.
were weaving together game mechanics and lifestyle games and selling as a segment. Primarily, we want all segments to be part of a casino floor as they all offer different player experiences. And secondly, it’s about giving the player alternative games that they could enjoy based on their current favourite titles.
Our Innovation segment is where we are really pushing the boundaries, and so yes, the hit rate is slightly lower than the rest of the portfolio, but we are able to offset those figures by underlining our commitment to innovation, while games such as All-Star Eevolutions are derivatives of great classic intellectual properties, almost “sure things” to place on the floor. We also have the Pure Core games and the Jackpot games, which have higher hit rates and are the most mainstream titles, which means we are able to accept a slightly lower hit rate as regards our Innovation product line.
How does the development of hardware specifically contribute to the success of IGT’s core games?
About five-six years ago there was a push from the operator base in which they said there was too much hardware diversity. Since then, it’s actually proliferated even more, with operators diversifying their floors further, despite budget limitations. Te outcome of this is that we are seeing hardware grow across different form factors, particularly in the last few years at the
We are delving into the archives to bring back classic games with modern and contemporary twists for today’s players and it’s been a very successful formula for us to date. We have a developer running our Premium studio, Kurt Larsen, who spends more time in the Core Video studios than his own - which
highlights the level of cohesiveness amongst the studios.
G2E trade show. Largely, the difference is that our portrait cabinets allows us to create new combinations and really use the realestate for reel expansions and wilds, while the landscape dual screens are more traditional in look and feel with the 27ins. screens now the standard across the industry.
In terms of the games, we have a native portfolio inside of each cabinet, but right now around 50 per cent of our games are available on either cabinet. We are not forcing operators to buy new hardware, as they have the luxury of moving games back and forth between the two hardware configurations, apart from those that have gameplay mechanics that lend themselves better to one aspect or the other.
Te second part of the equation is taking great core game mechanics and using that as the foundation of your Premium portfolio, rather than creating games within a vacuum. What you’re seeing now are games such as Wheel Of Fortune 4D utilising its game mechanic from Golden Egypt from the Core Video portfolio. We have Links being built around the Scarab mechanic - it’s all about the mechanics! We are delving into the archives to bring back classic games with modern and contemporary twists for today’s players and it’s been a very successful formula for us to date. We have a developer running our Premium studio, Kurt Larsen, who spends more time in the Core Video studios than his own - which highlights the level of cohesiveness amongst the studios. It’s this camaraderie that’s really starting to showcase itself in the quality of the product. Te benefits are also manifold as we are not sharing royalties with anyone else.
Finally, I’d say that licensing has risen to its highest point of inflation in the last few years and it’s now balancing out a little bit. I believe there’s as much equity and brand recognition in some of our proprietary games as there is some of the great Premium games at G2E.
Is the longevity of the games on the floor starting to lengthen?
Our view is that the longevity of the product is absolutely critical to being successful in the Premium space. We are also being held to a very high standard, due to the fact that the market is not expanding at a rapid rate right now, so it’s about proving yourself on the floor and being able to steal share. You also need roadmaps that are clearly visible to your sales force and customer base, so that they know you have the
NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / MARKET DATA P55
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