Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING | April 2011 42 Monopoly Big Event, we always felt that there was a market for players who wanted that excitement of a table game, where everyone could play together and root for some greater good.” The key, suggests Ryan Grant, director of R&D game development at Spielo, is in marrying what the 1’s and 0’s can provide to what the player needs. “When you look at the trending of this, it really flows into how the technology has been trending. There’s always been that sense of group play with low- to no- tech games like poker or roulette. I really think that what you’re going to see with community games as we define them today is that it’s really going to align with how technology advances and how technology can provide environments for players for group play.” And the form those environments will take? We’re seeing only the beginning of what’s possible. Reprinted with permission from Casino Journal. pit, roulette and baccarat. And now there’s Triple Towers, which brings horse-racing action to the slot floor. Players can bet on favorites, underdogs, they can bet to win, place or show, two-horse quinielas and exactas, just like at the track. Then they become a community of cheering race fans, rooting for their favorites from among 300 animated mounts and 140 jockeys. International community gaming “If you go overseas to Europe or South America, or especially to Asia, they’re up to 25-30% of the casino floor,”says Brian Folger, senior product line representative for IGT’s MPS line. That big overseas percentage applies mainly to e-tables like the MPS. But even for community slots that are more slot- like, if you will, the smart money is feeling pretty good. “Definitely it’s going to grow,” says WMS’ Rose. “You can always tell by what your competitors are doing, and they’re all coming out with their versions of community gaming. When we first came out with that once you get into the bonus you’re playing a slot tournament, the overhead display switches into tournament mode, sound effects trumpet the tournament, and players are then competing for prizes. IGT: Move over, Vanna IGT, a player in community gaming since its super-sized Wheel of Fortune Super Spin hit the market, has gone a competitive route with Wheel of Fortune Experience, available in four- and five-machine configurations. Experience is designed to more closely emulate the game show. When one player triggers the puzzle-solving bonus, two more players are randomly selected to pick letters. Each player gets only one pick at a time, so no one can run the board. And everyone gets a bonus. “It basically turns players intocontestants on the show,” says Boris Hallerbach, IGT’s MegaJackpots product manager. “It added not only the puzzle-playing aspect, which we’ve done in games in the past, but it added that community aspect where players were trying to solve the puzzle for themselves.” House of Nine Dragons, with nine progressive levels, also provides a community experience by allowing players to accumulate their own number of free spins then playing them out together as the bonus initiates. Dark Knight, released under IGT’s Batman license, has a nifty little feature for those who come with their own community. If you earn a bonus round entry you can save it to play when your spouse or friend has also earned an entry. IGT’s MPS e-table games also figure here, with their individual betting consoles configured around a central screen flashing computer-generated game images. The first games in the series were those stalwarts of the conventional Putting on a game face—Wheel of Fortune® Triple Spin™MultiPLAY Video Reel Still growing—MONOPOLY™ Bigger Event™ Big Money Spin™ Community Gaming