“Hollywood titles and math are equally crucial in game development”

What products have you presented at G2E?
The first title is Avatar, and the thing with Avatar is that it’s the biggest grossing film of all time, so that’s an important title for us. We have Jurassic Park, which is also one of our big titles available on IGT Duo, 103" or70" CenterStage formats, and Bridesmaids, which is also another important element for us, which is a kind of a ladies’ version of The Hangover film. Then we have Back to the Future. All these titles are for both the US and international markets. 

This G2E we are also showing new concepts for the casino environment and one of them is enhanced content.Enhanced content is like two games into one cabinet. We develop once and then unlock new content at the right time and double the entertainment. Enhanced content games are Back to the Future, True Blood, Bridesmaids and Sex and the City Platinum. So it is not just about new games but a new way to release content as well.

Another concept is the Community Play. Just imagine a bank of machines with four people all playing the same game.Whenone of themhits the bonus, other three players receive half of the original bonus. If you imagine this not just on a bank but on the whole casino, there are so many different possibilities for applying a concept like this. 

One of the most anticipated core-releases this year will be IGT’s Winner’s Choice. Players will welcome this new title as it allows slot enthusiasts to select from six of IGT’s most played core games, including Wolf Run, Cleopatra and Siberian Storm, and play any mix of four games at once. Winner’s Choice boasts a bountiful array of bonuses including a two-level progressive. 

Another game is “Sweet Three” which is based on proven, player-favorites, combining slot hits Candy Bars, Takes the Cake and Cats N Dogs for a one-of-a-kind trio slot game. Three games based on similar math models, on a similar look and feel, all created from the same studio and allows players to enjoy any of the three slot games, all at the same time. 

As always, IGT presents the best of market-attuned content for Asia and Latin America. One of them that have already been well received in Mexico and USA is Huevocartoon.

What has been your experience at G2E?
I would say this is the best experience that I’ve had yet. IGT’s rebrand is a forward-thinking alignment between our external communications and the way we communicate to the outside world. When you look at our business strategy, it is very different to what it was 20 or 30 years ago. Our strategy now is about the convergence of our best-in-class content across all possible platforms. We are providing the best game titles, with the most entertaining bonuses to enrich the experience for the players inside and outside of the casino. This convergence message is what we’re really all about. We are on social gaming platforms; we are online; we are in VLT market, and we are leading the land-based segment.  What’s key here is the experience that everybody gets, from both the player and the operator perspective. This is especially true for the smaller operators who don’t have the money and the infrastructure to advertise their casino or have an online solution. DoubleDown allows them to take best-in-class, best-in-breed slot content, poker content and all of the other casino type games embedded on the website. The casino then has the valuable opportunity to provide their players with marketing opportunities while they’re being entertained with the great games on DoubleDown Casino. 

Regarding the Hollywood titles, what thinking goes into picking one title over another?  Why Avatar, for example?
Players have connections to certain brands, as was the case with Avatar, which is the highest-grossing film of all-time. You have to have games that players are going to love. There’s a science and art behind designing a machine and we have to tap into that market research and make sure we are giving players the popular games and licenses they have come to expect from IGT.

What is more important, the title or the slot math model?
I would say both. Players appreciate movie-like experience that IGT creates on the casino floor. It’s becoming apparent that this idea of combining pop culture and gaming is working.