“In the coming months you can expect Konami to continue broaden its international portfolio”

What innovations did Konami present in recent SAGSE show?
This year’s SAGSE Buenos Aires marked the international release of two highly-original premium products for Latin American markets: Konami’s tall-top Podium Monument cabinet and one-of-a-kind Rapid Revolver. Both are built with an emphasis on combining immersed player engagement with proven video slot mechanics that players know and love. Our first Latin American market release on Podium Monument is Snow Stars: White Winter, which was on display at SAGSE with its 2-level stand-alone progressive “ski jump” bonus feature that uniquely leverages the cabinet’s extra-tall 32” screen and creates a sense of thrill that really puts players in the action. Rapid Revolver—which features six spinning mechanical drums in the upper top box that interact with a bottom video screen through synchronized high-impact lighting and sound—also made its Latin American debut title, an arctic adventure themed game called Northern Treasure. What’s important is that both products retain a familiar 5-reel video base game as the core method of play, so these machines are new and exciting, yet native to what slot players expect to see.

And as we continue to support an ever-growing library of available games for Podium Upright, Slant, and SeleXion multi-game, Konami brought a number of up-and-coming international game titles to SAGSE 2014 including Inari Riches, Exotic Princess, King of the World, More Gold More Silver and Lotus Land. The majority of the products we release for international markets are designed for local casinos, which are at the core of Latin American gaming. Konami games have proven staying power for engaging high-frequency gaming consumers, so operators in Latin America are seeing how Konami builds games that keep people coming back, for months and months down the road.

What did you think of SAGSE this year? 
The surrounding market challenges were of course felt and acknowledged, but even so, our customers are resilient and this year’s event gave us the opportunity to show them our appreciation and how we’re working diligently to empower them with the gaming products and technology they need to run their business. Konami and its distributors always look forward to SAGSE to hear about the experiences of gaming professionals from across the region—to garner insight on what’s working and what they hope to see in the future.

How do you see the Latin American market in general? 
The region is currently up against various market challenges, such as Argentina’s restrictions on importations, which are clearly chipping away at the health of the region’s gaming industry. For Konami, Latin America remains to be one of our key markets, even though overall business volume for Argentina in particular has decreased, as many have seen. But in the midst of market uncertainty, Konami is here to support the industry regardless. It will improve in due time.

There are a lot of changes occurring in the online gaming market at a global level: acquisitions, mergers, etc. How do you see current situation of the global gaming industry? 
With the recent mergers and acquisitions in our space, customers are definitely experiencing some level of uncertainty, and in that regard, they’re assured that Konami is firmly established to provide leading solutions to meet their long-term needs. There are many unknowns, especially from an international perspective, but our strategy for Latin America remains the same: continued product development and market growth delivered by our exclusive distributor partnerships. Our customers choose Konami because they know their investment is backed by the highest quality and long-term sustainability. 

What are Konami strategies and goals for the near future?
Konami is always working to supply its customers with an expanding array of reliable new games and technology. It’s one of our major strengths as an organization, and we will continue investing the necessary R&D resources to deliver products which are designed to perform internationally. In the coming months you can expect Konami to continue broadening its international portfolio while remaining true to proven game mechanics that have made our products hugely popular for players across the globe. We’re not going to wander away from those components that people love and enjoy about our games, but we nonetheless seek to deliver and explore new innovations to attract and retain new audiences.