“ Regardless of whether it ’ s going into ETG , or whether it ’ s a video poker game or a VLT game or a core casino game or a premium casino game , we have to make sure we live up to players ’ expectations in terms of the gaming experience that they expect with the Wheel of Fortune brand .”
— Nick Khin , President of Global Gaming , IGT
This is the first time the company has ventured to migrate a theme across all three verticals at once , but what better way to start than with the golden goose ?
New Show , New Games
The decision to launch the Wheel brand into three new segments was made with timing in mind . The Global Gaming Expo , the ultimate stage for new game releases , is right around the corner ; the show itself is also set to enter a new age following the retirement of longtime host Pat Sajak earlier this year .
“ When we were thinking about Wheel of Fortune , we thought that this would be a great time to bring it into other verticals ,” says Nick Khin , IGT ’ s president of global gaming . “ Wheel of Fortune as a program on television has undergone some significant changes itself , as Ryan Seacrest is now hosting . We thought this is just the right time for us to really relaunch Wheel of Fortune into the market , and at G2E this year , a huge section of our booth will be dedicated to it .”
In terms of timelines , Khin says the video poker launch will come first . Players can expect those games to hit casino floors early next year , with the ETG and VLT versions coming in the third quarter .
IGT has long had a stranglehold on the video poker sector — according to July ’ s Eilers-Fantini Game Performance Report , the company holds all of the top 24 spots in the Top Indexing Games for the video poker and keno category . The Cabinet Performance Report from the same period also shows IGT holding the three highest-indexing video poker cabinets . The infusion of the Wheel brand represents an opportunity for the supplier to marry strength on strength .
Khin says his team is “ very proud of our poker business and product lineup ,” including the rollouts of multiple new cabinets and the PeakBar- Top unit in the last five years . When it came time to approach a potential Wheel-poker collaboration , it was essential to “ stay true ” to both the brand and the formula that has made the company ’ s poker division so successful for so long .
“ We wanted to make sure that players could still find their popular poker games , but we wanted to also add Wheel of Fortune to it , and with the game that we ’ re coming out with , I think we ’ ve managed to do that and bring the excitement of the Wheel spin and bring the excitement of solving a puzzle to our traditional poker games ,” he explains .
Overall , the previous success of both its product lines and the Wheel series do not guarantee future success , or at least , that ’ s what the company has embraced in its development process for this latest expansion .
“ Regardless of whether it ’ s going into ETG , or whether it ’ s a video poker game or a VLT game or a core casino game or a premium casino game , we have to make sure we live up to players ’ expectations in terms of the gaming experience that they expect with the Wheel of Fortune brand ,” Khin asserts .
Turning the ( Electronic ) Tables
Whereas video poker is IGT ’ s signature staple , ETGs are a new avenue in which the company is investing heavily . Its GameAce solution and Mesa 4K hardware have expanded greatly , and officials say there are currently close to 100 units in play across the country after installations first began earlier this year .
Luigi Cacciapuoti , IGT ’ s vice president of specialty product and ETG , says the company has emphasized research and development as it continues to grow its presence in the sector . The Mesa 4K debuted as the No . 4 ETG on the July Eilers-Fantini Cabinet Performance Report , behind only ETG specialists Alfastreet and Interblock .
“ We wanted to give a clear differentiation versus the past because this is a completely new offering ,” Cacciapuoti says . “ We rewrote everything . Every line of code , everything is new and we really want to offer something that at the same time would be valuable for our customers . So we made sure that we are answering the need .”
He notes that serviceability was a huge priority for the product line , with the goal of ensuring that “ all of the elements are easy to inspect and work on ” while also “ giving the players something compelling , fun and exciting ” to play .
With regard to the Wheel ETG integration , the company will attempt to recreate the experience of the show in a different way than the slot games can offer . The first crossover product will be a standalone offering , and of course , the wheel will be a prominent feature .
“ We are combining very familiar mechanics with the big wheel , with the most iconic and recognizable elements of the show and of Wheel of Fortune slot games ,” Cacciapuoti says . “ So the first release is a standalone product dedicated to Wheel of Fortune . I can ’ t disclose too much , but I expect it will be a very big one .”
Over time , he explains , the company expects to “ progressively integrate more elements ” into future games . Given that ETGs occupy a big footprint on the casino floor , the new offering could very well be “ one of the most recognizable casino products ” in the near future .
The contingent of slot players who love Wheel games also trumps the
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