Inside Asian Gaming

inside asian gaming July 2016 38 Y ou can understand why talk of a virtual reality revolution might be met with a fair degree of scepticism. It is, after all, the same revolution first predicted 25 years ago when the virtual reality craze was sweeping the globe. Unfortunately the reality of virtual reality has been much ado about nothing with the raft of overhyped products to hit the market throughout the 1990s proving vastly underwhelming. But could that all be about to change? ALEA Gaming co-founder Alexandre Tomic certainly thinks so. One of a number of iGaming companies to recently start dipping their toes back into the virtual reality waters, ALEA unveiled its virtual online casino, SlotsMillion, last October and has received incredibly positive feedback in the months since. “When we began working with virtual reality a couple of years back, nobody believed in us,” Tomic told Inside Asian Gaming. “Now everybody is interested – they all can’t wait to see what we end up doing with it. “The most interesting thing is the reaction of people when they experience it for the first time. I can’t really communicate it – it’s like taking a drug. People put the iGaming Blue Pages goggles on and they’re like, ‘Wow’ – they are totally blown away.” The launch version of SlotsMillion features a virtual casino located on the 80th floor of a fictional skyscraper where players can wander freely, check out the scenery, have a drink at the bar or converse with other players. Gaming is in the form of various slot machines located on the A new reality iGaming in Depth gaming floor. Choose a machine and the game appears on a giant screen, where 3D symbols come bursting outwards in spectacular fashion whenever players spin up a big win. The updated version, scheduled for release in February 2017, will add table games such as baccarat and blackjack to the mix. But more than just another gaming The Oculus Rift headset is helping change the face of virtual reality Having failed miserably during its first coming in the 1990s, virtual reality is making a comeback – and the gaming industry is playing a significant role.