Inside Asian Gaming

IAG JUL 2023年7月 亞博匯 100 FEATURES (Technical Standards 2.0) taking place in Macau and the change from VIP play to, we hope, more mass play. So, I think if we can do it with the right strategy and right product, there’s a lot of opportunity in Macau for slot products.” SSC’s decision to finally make a concerted move not only into Macau but Asia as a whole came after a visit by Maekawa to the Philippines in February – just two months before his promotion to the global role. Immediately recognizing the extraordinary growth taking place in the Philippines, which is renowned as a slot-centric market, he quickly called for a change in the company’s strategy by launching a raft of new products onto the country’s gaming floors. “We were limiting our product line-up to just one cabinet, which is the 43-inch J-Curve cabinet, but in the US we’re focused on the 49-inch portrait screen, so I said, ‘Let’s introduce both cabinets and the slot machines that did well in America’. I’m not saying that the same product works – it’s a totally different market – but right now is the time to put the products out and learn what's going on in Macau and the Philippines in slots. “We have time right now and in the next four years – when Macau has to be fully 2.0 compliant – to adjust to the market, so we’re going to look for the opportunities there for growth. I believe our ETG product is still going to be core and it’s going to be the driving force in Macau, but we’re also looking for additional market share with our slot machines.” According to Maekawa, the Sega Sammy Creation of today is a very different company to the one he first started with back in 2011, with its broader industry experience – backed by the strength of its hardware capabilities from decades spent in the video game industry via Sega – making this the perfect time to focus on Asia. Asked what added benefits he himself brings to the global sales role, Maekawa said, “I think I bring a faster pace and the nimbleness of a small manufacturer. “We’vemade a lot of progress as a manufacturer and keeping up with the demands not just in terms of support but also in terms of development: that high rotation you need to be able to introduce new product to the casinos. “Becausewe’re smaller [than the leading manufacturers], we want to be nimble with the