G2E 2016 Preview - 6 - IGT

Anyone who has been attending G2E these past 5 years knows where to find the booth for slot manufacturer International Game Technology and what it looks like.  This year, however will be different. IGT's booth will be different and will be in a different location. Shaped like an L it will occupy a prominent corner of the Sands Expo Center. The display will look different because the company is different. IGT's merger with slot and lottery giant GTECH which included the former Spielo International Games has resulted in a a more diversified supplier, one ready to recapture market share.  IGT says they will be showing new premium cabinets, never-before-seen licensed brands, and updates of existing ones. Working around the clock, the company is on a mission to bring IGT back to the top position it once enjoyed.

International Game Technology

Booth 3659

The company says it will be bringing 400 different products to G2E, marking the best in the company's history. The company is not making life easy for the videographers who film slot games and post them on YouTube. Heading the list of new cabinets is CrystalCurveUltra, featuring huge monitors in a unique configuration. The main screen is a 32 inch monitor situated horizontally rather than the usual vertical style, topped by a super-size curved vertical monitor, a full 50 inch screen.The company will launch new titles for the CrystalCurveUltra -- there will be a new version of the popular Ellen franchise and a game based on the Goonies, the 1985 adventure comedy film, IGT will return to the stepper slots, a staple of IGT for many years,  Modernized versions of old games like Top Dollar will be shown alongside new titles starring Marilyn Monroe: "How to Marry a Millionaire" is one and "Gentlemen Prefer Blonds" is the other.  There will also be a new version of the Mega Bucks wide area progressive. The large format mega tower Crystal Wheel + Stepper cabinet will also house Wheel of Fortune Gold Spin and  Double Diamonds Deluxe.

This year marks the debut of Wheel of Fortune in 1996. To celebrate its 20th anniversary of the game that ushered in the era of themed games, IGT is releasing a a complete lineup of new entries in the Wheel franchise. Besides Wheel of Fortune Gold Spins, you might look for Wheel of Fortune New Orleans.  Gold Spins uses a three-reel base game in 25 or 50 cent denominations. It offers incentives for raising the bet beyond 3 credits. Betting 5 credits or 10 credits per spin increases the frequency of the signature wheel spin up to an average of a wheel bonus every 36 spins.  There is also a wide-area progressive jackpot - a bonus spin on a video wheel with a jackpot slice.  To celebrate the brand's 20th anniversary, there will be a booth visit from TV co-host Vanna White.  I have not yet seen the specifics of date and time.

Double Diamond is also celebrating an anniversary this year -- its 25th -- and the new Double Diamond Deluxe will be a new version of the classic three reel game including a nudge feature to increase the overall hit fequency.

Other titles to look for will include a new game based on Sherlock Holmes, Baywatch, and Treasures of Olympus based on the Spielo game Icarus. IGT hopes the new Betty White game proves to be as popular as the actress. The new ZUMA 3D will be joined by Jurassic World 3D.  The true 3D technology, developed by the legacy GTECH team produces a glasses-free 3D effect unmatched by any other slot maker since its introduction with Sphinx 3D three years ago. Another feature to look for when you visit IGT is the ZUMA 3D "Dynamic Attract" sequence that actually beckons passing players inviting them to play.

At G2E IGT will have a special section of games now ready for placement after successful field trials.  Among the core offerings are Valley of Gold which includes a "must-hit-by" progressive that features a mystery reset, not always starting over at the minimum level. Also Ocean Magic with the Bubble Boost feature activated with an ante wager. And Keystone Kops an entertainment slot built around silent film slapstick police. There is also be a new type of cascading reels game with symbols on the second and fourth reels cascading and disappearing when stacked called Kayo Dragon.

Last year at G2E the company showed TMZ Video Slots with the photo booth feature letting players include their image in the game. The feature is starting to appear in casinos and has been well-received by players.

There is much, much more to talk about but you will have to visit the IGT booth and see it for yourself.  The last thing I will mention is not a game. It is their new Cordless Connect technology.  Already being implemented in Vegas, Detroit, and Australian casinos, cordless connect replaces the mag-strip loyalty card with a smartphone app that permits loading credits on a machine to earning loyalty points to be handled via smartphone.  The other new bit of mobile technology is called On Premises which allows players to take slot games and other features with them to any approved location within a casino property - and beyond, in approved jurisdictions.  I'm not sure I want to think too much about the implications of that bit of technology.

More previews will be coming soon - but there's not enough time before I leave for Vegas to cover it all. You'll want to see everything for yourself anyway.

UPDATE:  I was watching today's subscriber videos a few minutes ago on YouTube and ran across a game by TheBigPayback that you may want to take a look at .  https://youtu.be/yW3ZmSLgr3A

I have read that IGT is going back to their roots with stepper games. The most popular of their old games according to Frank Legato was Top Dollar, a game that IGT fortuitously held onto when it sold Barcrest. My source says a modernized version of the legendary game will be launched on a new cabinet at G2E.  I wish I knew if the new game is the one TheBigPayback was playing today.  Guess we'll know soon.

G2E Preview - Part 5: IGT

This July the Italian gaming equipment company, GTECH, acquired London based IGT for $6.4 billion. Retaining the familiar name IGT, the new company, now officially called International Game Technology PLC after the merger, is sure to draw a large crowd at G2E this month. Look for them at Booth #2139 at the Sands Convention Center. Here’s some of what you can expect to see there.

IGT

igt.com

G2E Booth #2139

When they think of IGT, most people think of Wheel of Fortune. IGT launched the popular Wheel of Fortune slots in 1996. It is said to be the most successful slot of all time, making 1,000 millionaires and paying out over $3 billion in jackpots throughout its history. There are more than 200 variations of the game in more than 200 countries.

This August 30, a new millionaire was crowned at Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas, known only at James M. The anonymous winner’s game, Wheel of Fortune Double Diamond, paid him $1,271,032. No wonder everybody wants to take a chance on the big wheel! The game that James M. won his million dollar prize on combined the popular Wheel with IGT’s long lasting signature game Double Diamonds. Double Diamonds was introduced by IGT in 1989, and it is the favorite of older gamers everywhere.

This year IGT’s will showcase its newest 3D combination of both of its winning concepts in  Wheel of Fortune Double Diamonds 3D.  No 3-D glasses are needed to play this game. The company is expanding its 3D series with two new titles: Wheel of Fortune Gold Spins Double Diamonds, and Wheel of Fortune New Orleans with Mardi Gras inspired game play.

Here’s something IGT has for you younger viewers. The company is continuing its tradition of bringing pop culture’s most touted licensed brands to the casino and convention floor. They are partnering with the number one brand in entertainment news to create TMZ Video Slots. I have to confess I didn’t know what TMZ was, but I’ve looked it up, and you can even watch it on YouTube if you like. TMZ has been a popular source of celebrity news for a decade. IGT claims this interactive theme will introduce never-before-seen gaming technology, putting players in the middle of one of TV’s most famous newsrooms and on tour to several hot Hollywood celebrity hangouts. 

IGT will also introduce Netflix’s most watched series with House of Cards Power and Money Video Slots and House of Cards Welcome to Washington . There are also some new Orange is the New Black and Avatar games to look for at G2E.  Ellen DeGeneres will have a new game too, Have a Little Fun. I hope you do,

Another cornerstone of IGT Success is Video Poker. I have a lengthy post you can link to published on May 19 titled Mega Progressive Video Poker if you are interested in the history of Video Poker and Bally’s big mistake giving away the game. At G2E you’ll want to see Ultimate X Poker Tournament Game in IGT’s dedicated in-booth tournament arena. The company will lead dynamic demonstrations  of its products under IGT’s premium tournament technology line, TournXtreme. If Video Poker is your game, be sure to stop by Booth #2139 and check it out.

Class II games and live and electronic table games (ETGs) from LT Game, a subsidiary of Paradise Entertainment, will also all have dedicated areas in IGT’s booth.

Desktop and mobile gaming are not being neglected by IGT. In addition to the new online poker, casino, sports betting, and bingo platforms, the company will demonstrate OnPremise, an integrated mobile technology solution that enables players to wager via a single mobile app anytime within set boundaries. Their Play-for-Fun solution allows players to play with virtual currency, positioning them for the expansion of the Real Money Gaming segment. IGT will be spotlighting its Double Down Casino. The future isn’t just coming. It’s here.

Still to come are Konami, Scientific Games, and Video King. Stay tuned for more G2E Previews.