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发表于 2008-1-26 10:53
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I.C.E.i Top Online Gambling Creativity
Thursday, January 24, 2008 mgowanbo.cc
A resilient industry shows its stuff
You can't keep a good industry down, and despite a turbulent and difficult year, the interactive section at the 2008 International Casino Exhibition in London proved the point, showcasing an impressive range of new products, technologies and creative ideas.
Last year 25 000 visitors from nations around the globe flocked to the Earl's Court show, and judging by the crowded walkways this year that number has probably been exceeded as businessmen and women crowded in to visit a total of 280 company stands, 69 of them in the interactive section. The diverse products, bright colours, flashing lights and the dynamic hum of business on steroids created an inescapable feeling of energy and optimism.
Reporter was almost immediately sidetracked into the general land casino section by the crowds surrounding the Nova presentation of rows of console machines carrying the larger than life interactive game Big Tony's Texas Hold'em. Visitors impatiently awaited an opportunity to seize a vacated seat and pit their skills against the goatee-bearded Tony avatar, which made the AI moves with extraordinarily well nuanced "tells". See this one at www.big-tony.com.
Further along, we were taken by Electrocoin's new dart board, which does away with the need to do mental arithmetic, especially after a few lemonades! This computer based game does it all for the player the instant the dart hits the board, and can provide detailed stats on each game on demand. Branded Wild Bull, the product was being demonstrated by a UK darts champion, playing against members of the public.
Our first stop in the interactive section had to be at the imposing Partouche Interactive stand, where this major French land casino operator had pulled out all the stops on a large and attractive display of its products in the online gambling, interactive television and mobile sectors.
Sylvain LeBreton told us that the anticipated liberation of the French online gambling market was keenly awaited, with several products ready to go as soon as the market opened, hopefully this year. Partouche has recently executed a soft launch on its Partouche online backgammon product, which features crisp, well executed graphics and a fast, easy to use player interface in its proprietary software package. The site to see it is at www.partouchegammon.com, for which the company has ambitious plans. Casino 770 has been shelved temporarily by the company, and software changes are likely.
Net Entertainment’s stand was to the firm’s usual minimalist high standard with a full range of the latest offerings on flatscreen displays. Since our report from Barcelona last October, NetEnt has released new 5 reel, 30 pay-line feature-rich progressive slots in December titled Icy Wonders and Tiki Wonders, carrying respectively polar and tropical themes. Up to Euro 250 000 wins can be achieved. New poker games include Oasis 5 Card Poker and TXS Hold'Em - all with impressive graphics and smooth delivery. NetEnt’s Mitko Mitev told us that the funky slot Superlucky Frog, also released in December, was proving very popular. The company's elegant console-based Cafe Casino software for use in bars and restaurants was attracting much attention whilst we were there.
Look forward to more new games out in February from this Swedish supplier, including 4 Asian-targeted offerings which are still under wraps but promise to provide significant impetus for NetEnt's Asian-facing licensees. But the big one will be what is branded Relic Raiders and looks like a cross between Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider/Lost City. This is a multi-bonus and featured game with 5 jackpots and a mega-jackpot that could reach over Euro 1 million. The graphics are stunning and colourful, and the gameplay fast and silky smooth.
Entraction, the newly re-branded former 24hPoker company from Scandinavia was displaying a wide range of games from its two major no-download gaming software suppliers, Net Entertainment and Wagerworks, offering operators variety and quality for online casino operations in addition to its better known online poker activities, which now provide ten different varieties of poker on a growing network. The company is about to add its latest new poker game, Caribbean Stud to the network.
Sweden's Boss Media was at ICE in force, with a large and professionally presented exhibit. The company's new player-centric Gaming Management System was being pushed as a major achievement and the culmination of extensive investment and innovative development efforts.
The key to the new product is its transparency and flexibility, which enable it to be used as an open system that eliminates the risk of operators becoming locked in and restricted to a finite selection of games by a limited platform. Integration of software from multiple game vendors is made easy, along with multiple currencies capability. Running parallel to the GMS is Boss's Games Development Partner Program, which gives third party developers access to the Boss Media Games Development Kit, thus expanding the potential for variety and new ideas from outside the company to the ultimate benefit of the players.
Along with most other providers, Boss sees bingo as a major business trend as the online pastime grows with a potential global audience of millions, so it’s likely that new products and refinements in this sector will soon be forthcoming in terms of both games and network. On the online casino and poker front the company has energised its approach with new ideas and new games boosting its respected reputation for quality download and no-download gaming software for a licensee list that includes many blue-chip names.
Topping the recent games release list are multi-featured slots like Amber Sky, Bonus Madness, Hot cash, Money Miner, Lost City, Space Tale, Fortunes of Egypt and the enchanted forest-themed Tumbletons. New card games feature Casino Hold'Em, French Roulette, Blackjack Super 7's and Bonus Poker, whilst in collaboration licensees are being offered four probability games, adding to a fast growing and diverse games inventory.
Probability Games, the UK mobile games provider, has entered profitability in its business cycle and provided an amusing presence at ICE based on its latest game Camel Race. Mobile users can while away the time betting on whether their camel will win. The exhibit featured Arabian furnishings....and a free ice-cream to visitors parched by the desert sands!
We were once again impressed with Gextech's "Fantastic League" virtual football product, which seems to be taking more time than anticipated to gain traction in what one would expect to be a voracious European soccer-mad market. With an ability to choose teams, strips and even famous stadia and then bet on the resulting league games, this one should be a winner and on large flat television screens the quality of the graphics and smooth flow of the competing players is awesome.
Nearby was the latest virtual horseracing product from Abeta.co.uk.
Taking a break from the technology providers, we stopped by the stands taken by major licensing jurisdictions, which this year included professional and informative displays by the Isle of Man, Alderney and Malta, making the most of the UK government's advertising white-list requirement that has effectively excluded operators licensed by jurisdictions outside the EEA from advertising in the UK market. The UK government's Gambling Commission presence was disappointingly low key after its sterling work on regulation culminating in the commencement of operations last September. The small stand had little that was enticing or informative about it, and the Commission has the "product" and the potential to do far better.
Playtech's stand was as usual slick and well presented, with the emphasis on Asian and South American-facing efforts. Multiple platform crossing capability has been achieved with the new console games from Videobet which feature Playtech faves like Bling, A Night Out, Joker Poker and Gold Rally cleverly tweaked for the new and larger application. Playtech continues to invest major effort and resources in improving its business in Asia in partnership with major companies in the region. Staffers were coy about new games in the pipeline, but players can expect to see a continuation of regular game releases from this provider, and more poker action from its giant iPoker network.
Over at the Microgaming stand the crowds were watching colourful displays of the wide range of products this Internet gambling pioneer has available, embracing poker, casino, bingo, mobile (through Spin3) and consoles (through Betsone) Top player favourites like The Osbournes, Hitman and Lara Croft Tomb Raider were prominent on the display, and players can expect the latest iteration of the Lara Croft story - the Secret of the Swords - soon. Spin3 staff was proudly showing off their ground-breaking adaptation of the Pub Fruitie slot to the mobile milieu, bringing their mobile games inventory to 12. MGS has maintained a punishing games release schedule of 4 to 5 games a month for more than a year now, putting its competitors under pressure and building what is probably the largest games selection in the industry at over 300 offerings.
Ongame, the Swedish online poker specialist played the numbers game in its ICE presentation, displaying the statistics that have made it one of the leading poker companies in the business. |
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发表于 2007-12-20 06:44
