Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING | December 2011 18 Aruze O nce in a while an industry produces a standout personality—someone not only capable of organising the finance of a business, but also with a passionate belief in and understanding of that company’s products. Kazuo Okada, the Chairman of Universal Entertainment Corporation and ultimate boss of its unit Aruze Gaming America, is one such person. He has worked his way up from the parlour floor of the amusement and gaming sectors—initially via the highly competitive world of Japan’s pachinko industry. It shows in the innovation achieved by Mr Okada’s electronic casino games manufacturing unit Aruze Gaming America in just six years of its existence. It would do a disservice to Mr Okada to draw too close a comparison with Steve Jobs. History hasn’t yet had time to sort hype from hyperbole when it comes to the late co-founder of Apple Inc. But both men have demonstrated a passion for product innovation borne of close observation and understanding of their respective markets. And both have put great emphasis on gathering around them the best possible research and development team who share that passion. “Some people thought those games wouldn’t work in Macau. They thought they were too fancy, too loud, and too bright—or had too much cartoon animation. But the market took to our ideas and these games were successful beyond our expectations.” The passion in Aruze’s case has given birth to gaming industry products that Mr Okada’s rivals often wish they’d thought of first. They include the now-famous ‘bash button’ on Aruze’s electronic table game Lucky Sic Bo. It gives players the feeling that they—and not an electro-mechanical wobble plate—are in charge of the dice. “Mr Okada is a genius,”saysTakahiroUsui, Senior General Manager for Aruze Gaming America, with responsibility for major Asian markets including Macau and Singapore. Japanese people are not noted for their fondness for either giving or receiving over- elaborate compliments. SowhenMrTakahiro uses the ‘g’ word, it makes an interviewer sit up and pay extra attention. “He has a technical background in hardware and software and of course has deep knowledge of managing the company,” adds Mr Takahiro. He also points out that Mr Okada is good at applying cultural lessons across product categories. An example was Passion Play Aruze’s rapid rise as a casino game supplier isn’t an accident Kazuo Okada—leading from the front The harder you work at development the luckier you get—Aruze’s Lucky Sic Bo