G2E 2015: Scientific Games Highlights

If any of you reading this have ever been to G2E in Las Vegas, you know there is so much going on that there’s no way to take it all in and remember it all. When you get back home and look at what you filmed and what other YouTubers have shared of their experiences on their films, you realize there is so much, much more that you could have done and seen - and you wish you could go back and do it all over again.  At least that’s the way I feel. 

Well, I don’t film videos, but I’ve watched a lot of great games and demos by other players on line, and today I want to direct you to some of the best that have already been put up on YouTube to entertain the rest of us. The list will not be complete because as the videographers edit the films they shot at G2E, they add more to their play lists. You will need to bookmark those sites and return every few days to see what’s new to have the total experience. I will also comment on others in the next few days.

If you haven’t watched other players’ games before, you’ll find that the YouTubers generally fall into one of two categories: the ones who film to educate and the ones who film to entertain. Sometimes they manage to do both. If I want to be educated, to learn about different slots and how to play them, the two filmers I turn to are Random$$Slots and ShinobiYT, two of my very favorite YouTubers with very different personalities and very different ways of explaining slots. Shinobi explains what is happening and what to look for in your game as if talking with a friend about the game. He didn’t make it to G2E this year so I won't be showing any of his films.

Random explains not only what is happening, but he frequently explains why it is happening. No matter how much you think you know, you will learn something more if you study his explanations. Random$$Slots is posting his G2E videos at digdia.

Random$$Slots does not talk to you about the slots you are watching as you are viewing them, but he gives you a lot of information anyway. He always films the pay tables, and his comment pages will often have long paragraphs of explanation about the games. He will add editorial comments to the films sometimes and and will point out features to watch for to increase your understanding. He also answers questions posed by his viewers on his comment page. 

If you were a student of game theory, you would want him for your professor. He will give you more than just game play. If you are interested in things like the keynote address at G2E or the other conference discussions on topics such as skill based games that you were not able to attend, you can view his films of them from his site at digdia.com. Random’s slot play films will include a lot of information shared by the manufacturer’s reps he films. You watch Random$$Slots games if you want to be educated while having fun.

If you want to be entertained when you watch the new slot games and demos, there are a number of good sources. I am not able to name them all - there are too many — but I’ll talk about a few who have filmed some excellent video at G2E this year.  If you want to watch someone who can get you excited about a new game, you probably want to watch Brent’s Lucky (& Gay) Slot Channel.  

Brent and Random both have films of the new Cher Live slot machine. The approach to filming this new game illustrates the differences in personality of the two filmers. 

You can watch Random’s game HERE. In his film the company rep explains and illustrates the various features of the game, and you finish with a good idea of what to look for when you play.

Brent, like most slot players doesn’t worry about all that. He jumps right into the game and plays for fun without worrying about the optimal way to play, and he and his viewers all have a great time. You can watch his game HERE.  And that’s the beauty of watching YouTube videos - whatever your style, there’s a filmer out there that will show you what you want to see.

The Cher video is a new one by Scientific Games, which also owns WMS and Bally. Other Scientific Games you might want to look for include the Rocky Horror Picture Show, Margaritaville, and Caddyshack.

One final video from Scientific Games (formerly Bally) that I want to show you before we move on to other companys’ new games is the new Bart Simpson game. Everybody who is a YouTube viewer or a slot fanatic knows and loves Dianaevoni. Diana is friendly and enthusiastic and is always a lot of fun. She has recorded a demo of the Simpson’s game that you can watch. The game has not been released yet, but you can bet Diana will be one of the first to play it when it is.  Be sure and watch how Bart’s hand interacts with the player's during the bonus.