Inside Asian Gaming

inside asian gaming June 2014 30 Feature King Content Aristocrat is on a mission to diversify in Macau—and to grow well beyond it A ristocrat arrived at G2E Asia 2014 confident in its leadership as an innovator across all markets and game segments, and it backed it up with an array of new game titles and platforms, perhaps the most diverse lineup ever for Asia’s dominant slot-maker, and in terms of enhancements to the core portfolio, perhaps its most creative as well. A highlight was the new E*Series. Aimed at the casual player—a lucrative space across Asia and a growing one in Macau— and incorporating maths geared to time on device, it represents something of a strategic pivot for Aristocrat in the region. “I think when you’re looking at the mass market, and you’re looking at someone coming to the machine for the first time, it’s about creating an accessible experience,” says Mark Aubrey, director of Asia Pacific sales and business development whose arrival last year from Warner Bros. Entertainment, where he was groupmarketing director for Asia, signaled a new approach for the New South Wales- based slots and systems giant in building on its redoubtable position in the region. The series was unveiled in two colorful game lines—Sky Rider and Storm Queens— both of which have performed strongly in the US and were released in Asia outside Macau only this year. Developed in partnership with the studio of Dan Marks of High 5 Games fame, it encompasses eight titles in all, each fitted with stacked symbols added to the reels on every spin, with both the symbol and stack generated randomly—a technology that’s all the rage across the region’s slot floors—and additionally spiced for local palates with 5 Dragons-style selectable free games and an Xtreme Mystery three-level jackpot across the top. “We’ve added a bit of Aristocrat DNA into it,” as Mr Aubrey puts it. Regional Marketing Manager Nathan Drane rates the E*Series between “7” and “9” on a scale of volatility, a notable departure from the likes of 5 Dragons, which he places at around an “11”. “So they’re a little less volatile than what we traditionally do at Aristocrat,” he says, “but what that provides is an opportunity for operators to create entertainment banks because they’ll provide higher occupancy on those banks. You put them near an entrance and create foot traffic and flow.” The series hasn’t been seen in Macau yet, but it’s coming. Macau is, after all, the largest market in terms of casino slots in Asia—good for US$1.79 billion in revenue last year. It’s the bedrock underlying Aristocrat’s strength in the region, and the company controls around 60% of it. It’s a market that also is becoming more diverse and complex in terms of tastes and experiences as it reaches deeper into China. “There is an increasing amount of mass- market, average players that maybe have never walked into a casino before,” notes Mr Aubrey. “Aristocrat recognizes that we need to evolve.” It’s a mission for which the company is well-armed with a global reach that is all but unmatched among its competitors and a seasoned global perspective, demonstrated by E*Series and similarly diverse offerings, Developed in partnership with Dan Marks of High 5 Games fame, the E*Series’ Sky Rider and Storm Queens lines will encompass eight titles, each fitted with stacked symbols added to the reels on every spin, plus selectable free games and an Xtreme Mystery three-level jackpot across the top.