“ We believe in our people , we believe in our process , and it ’ s all going to be evident at the show . The way we ’ re presenting product at G2E with a customer focus is the first time it ’ s ever been done . Our tagline for G2E is ‘ This show is for you .’ Everything we do in our game development is for our ( customers and ) players .”
— Mike Brennan , Chief Product Officer , Bluberi
something like six high-focus quality games a year .
“ What each studio will not be is a factory . We don ’ t make normal core games here ; we try to put a little more love into the process and into every game . So , each one of these studios can be artisanal . They can be creative and focused , and help us increase our output without losing that human touch and affinity .”
The choice of studio locations is meant to tap into the inherent local talent of each location — the location of the Austin studio , for instance , allows Bluberi to tap into the tech talent coming out of the University of Texas . “ We ’ re not going to just go find a city and say we ’ re going to build a studio there , though if there ’ s anyone qualified in Encinitas or Solana Beach , drop us a line ! We ’ re going to go where the talent is , and where we can find the leader . In each city , Moncton , Reno , and Austin , we found a perfect fit of an awesome emerging leader in the industry .
“ When you start a studio , you are maintenance person , head recruiter and executive coach . Starting a studio is hard , especially going from zero to 20 or 30 people . We ’ ve done it three times , and I ’ m so impressed by our leaders and team members there . And , we ’ ve recently kicked off recruiting for the next one — we ’ re going to do it again .”
But the growth spurt didn ’ t end with studios . In May , Bluberi “ unlocked ” its newly constructed 84,881-square-foot corporate headquarters in Las Vegas , followed by a new Canadian headquarters facility in the heart of downtown Drummondville .
Burke says the new facilities make it easier for the Bluberi team members to perform at their maximum capability . “ In Las Vegas , our team had worked in a very small , confined space ,” he says . “ We were just pouring out that location , and we ’ re really pleased to have some new digs . It ’ s really motivated the team . Everybody comes in every day excited about what we ’ re doing , and the collaboration is great .”
In Drummondville , the headquarters had been in the same building for 30 years , on the outskirts of town . “ This new building is right in the downtown area , where people can walk to lunch ,” says Burke . “ It ’ s just great that the team that ’ s been around 30 years gets a brand-new facility in the heart of the city , where a lot of them grew up . It ’ s pretty special .”
Drummondville is the epicenter of the company ’ s recent success , creating technology solutions from an emerging GDK platform , a robust Class
II system , new cabinets and hardware , for high-hit-rate games . “ Our core team in Quebec has poured their heart into Bluberi for years , and to witness a decades-in-the-making christening of a downtown new office was an extremely proud moment for all of us ,” says Brennan .
Beefed up with talent and motivated with the new physical plants , Bluberi ’ s team comes to the Global Gaming Expo with a group of games that represents a combination of innovation that goes way beyond simply trying to come up with the next mega-hit after Devil ’ s Lock — even though there will , in fact , be another sequel to that game highlighted .
“ More content sources means more shots at another Devil ’ s Lock ,” says Brennan , “ because we believe in our people , we believe in our process , and it ’ s all going to be evident at the show . The way we ’ re presenting product at G2E with a customer focus is the first time it ’ s ever been done . Our tagline for G2E is ‘ This show is for you .’ Everything we do in our game development is for our ( customers and ) players .”
Beacon of Innovation
It will all start with a new cabinet — a for-sale follow-up to the Beacon Elite , released earlier this year . According to Brennan , Bluberi has been working on this cabinet family for nearly four years , designing the form factor “ to meet the evolving needs of casino operators .”
Developed through more than 400 hours of research and input from hardware experts , the Beacon + combines functionality with thoughtful design to enhance both player experience and operational efficiency .
The Beacon + features 360 degrees of floor-to-candle accent lighting , including an innovative back-lighting option for what the company calls “ Beacon Tunnel banking .” This design element aims to improve the visual appeal of the gaming environment and support efficient use of casino floor space .
The Beacon + is equipped with a 49-inch ultra-HD monitor offering 600 nits brightness , framed by a narrow bezel to maximize screen real estate . The cabinet also integrates an on-board progressive controller within the main board , and additional features include a maintenance-friendly button deck with gel-capped BQN dual bash buttons , designed for durability and ease of use .
Brennan says content for the new cabinet will be backward-compatible , meaning the new games can be placed on the company ’ s b-49 portrait cabinet and other legacy form factors .
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