Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING | February 2008 says Mr Thouin. A King Kong-themed game is also coming later this year. Mr Thouin stresses “we have no clone games. No two games will have the same maths model.We want to create a unique look and feel for every game.” Selective provider Although one of CryptoLogic’s priorities this year is “to acquire new licensees, especially in the poker realm,” Mr Thouin says the company wants to work with only the top brands in the industry.“We are a turnkey software provider for some of the top blue-chip gaming brands in the online world,” including InterCasino (the world’s first “play for real” online casino), Playboy, Holland Casino, William Hill and Littlewoods Gaming. “We provide casino and poker software, and all the services to go along with that, from the payment processing to the customer service 24/7 in numerous languages and multiple currencies. We even provide the marketing and management if customers are looking for it.” One of the biggest names in poker, the World Poker Tour® (WPT), turned to CryptoLogic “to take its land-based equity online” through WorldPokerTour.com, adds Mr Thouin. Over 10,000 people “play for real” on CryptoLogic’s poker network. One of the unique internet poker features developed by the company is a ‘headhunter’ tournament concept in which players win cash for every player they eliminate. “Say you knock a lot of peopleout, but get knocked out yourself later.We give you money for good play and knocking people out. No one else in the industry offers that,” says Mr Thouin. The company will also be selective in offering its services in Asia, which is “a massive opportunity, but something we are entering carefully because of the legal issue. CryptoLogic is careful to make sure our licensees are not taking bets from customers who cannot legally enjoy the games,” explains Mr Thouin. Still, in anticipation of overcoming the legal issue, CryptoLogic acquired stakes in two Asian game developers last year. At the beginning of 2007, it bought a stake in 568 Network Inc., a developer and distributor of online casual games to the Chinese market and the Chinese-language diaspora. Then in December it acquired a stake in Mikoishi Studios, a top Asian game development and design company with strong capabilities in the mobile gaming market. According to a company statement: “The Mikoishi partnership will bring CryptoLogic games from one of Asia’s most acclaimed developers, and access to a technology platform that allows games to be ported to wireless devices. Because so many Asian consumers rely largely or exclusively on wireless communications, this opens up new opportunities for CryptoLogic to penetrate a large and thriving segment of the online gaming market.” Sudoku, played by millions of people around the world, has also been adapted for online slot players Online Gaming