“ Ensuring that players can understand and enjoy a game is another design complexity that we must consider throughout the entire product design process .”
— Luigi Cacciapuoti , Vice President , Specialty Products and Electronic Table Games , IGT
The game also features a triple progressive . Players win if either their hand or the banker hand has three dice with the same value . If both hands have triples , it opens up the chance for the jackpot .
The second most popular baccarat game is EZ Baccarat . ( Galaxy ’ s version is called Rising Phoenix ). “ A game I launched for DEQ Systems Corp . back in 2007 , EZ Baccarat combined side bets with a commissionfree method ,” Omohundro says .
The side bets include a banker winning hand of a three-card total of 7 and player winning hand of a three-card total of 8 . The commission-free method was based on the same winning banker event of a three-card total of 7 , known as the Dragon 7 . When this happens , the banker and player hands push . This is how the house gets it edge . Players became comfortable with this push because of the side bet , which pays 40-to-1 .
Due to competing ownerships , these two games were never combined until Galaxy released Rising Phoenix with Golden Talons . “ The only problem with the EZ Baccarat side bets are that they are low-action wagers , meaning they don ’ t hit very often , so players don ’ t wager on them very often . So , Galaxy and others developed a series of ‘ action ’ side bets with a high hit frequency .”
Despite the obstacles , new games are developed . “ It is no easy task ,” Omohundro says . “ It takes a village . You have to have a buy-in across the organization , and the same passion and vision across the organization . From game concept , to running the math and making it work , developing the rules of play , naming the game and creating a logo and layout , to trademarking the name and logo and patenting the design of the layout — once all of these have been checked off , you move to the compliance phase of submissions , field trials , and eventually , full commercialization .
“ There are internal and external roadblocks throughout the process ,” Omohundro says . “ We recently had to change the name of a new game three times because of trademark issues .”
In advance of bringing a new product to market , IGT conducts extensive internal and external focus group testing to ensure it will meet the needs of today and the opportunities of the future , Cacciapuoti says . “ This is an exhaustive process , as we need confidence the solution has real appeal for the players and that the user experience is compelling . Ensuring that players can understand and enjoy a game is another design complexity that we must consider throughout the entire product design process .”
When all is said and done , however , getting a new game to market is straightforward , Walsh says . “ Once we have created the game — name , rules , layouts , payouts , dealing procedures , etc .— we submit the game to the testing labs to verify that the math was calculated correctly and that the game is compliant with the regional regulatory requirements . Since these games are physical , as opposed to digital software-driven games , the testing process is quick , and we can get a new game onto a casino floor very quickly .”
Step-by-Step Improvement
Innovation is always a critical driver of growth in any sector . However , specific to electronic table games content , incremental innovation is often more impactful than disruptive innovation . Within the online gaming industry , the best example of disruptive innovation is the live-dealer casino game , Cacciapuoti says . These games are conducted in actual casino settings and relayed to the players ’ devices via fast-speed internet . “ The experience is so realistic that the simulated roulette and blackjack games at online casinos have become relics of the past ,” he says .
The pressure to innovate is more commonly related to serviceability , signage , aesthetics , ergonomics and other factors that influence the player and operator experience .
JUNE 2023 www . ggbmagazine . com 15