Bally’s largest ever G2E exhibit highlights partnership with customers
Bally Technologies, Inc, a leader in slots, video machines, and casino-management systems for the global gaming industry, will exhibit what the company describes as “an unprecedented array” of systems, games, and server-based technology at the Global Gaming Expo 2009 (G2E 2009). The event is from 17th to 19th November in the Las Vegas Convention Center at Booth 1220.
The company’s theme for G2E 2009 is “Your Partner, Your Bally”. Its stand features products designed to help its customer partners to increase revenue; to allow them to attract, reward, and delight players; and to help them achieve operating efficiencies.
Bally says the 14,400 square foot booth is its largest ever G2E display and is 30% bigger than last year’s product presentation area. This year’s offering features a second-level hospitality lounge overlooking the show with a club-style private area available on an invitation-only basis.
Games for every market
In Bally’s games area, the company will feature approximately 214 unique game titles and more than 300 total games for Class III, Class II, central determination, and video lottery terminal (VLT) markets worldwide. Bally says this is its largest G2E games showcase ever, reflecting its commitment to increase its games portfolio in fiscal year 2010 by 100%.
New Pro Series™ Upright and Slant cabinets feature sleek design
Bally will introduce two new cabinets at G2E from its Pro Series family. They feature Bally’s first dual-screen Slant cabinet as well as a sleek new Upright cabinet. Key enhancements include lowered button decks with integrated armrests for player comfort and new programmable and power-efficient OLED [organic light emitting diode] video buttons for ease of play. The cabinets also have redesigned bill acceptor/ticket printers that use the same access slot. This allows for easier service and maintenance (Pro Series Upright only). Bally’s Pro Series cabinets are fully ‘back compatible’ with Bally’s existing library of game titles, says the vendor.
On the Pro Series Upright, two 22-inch, high-definition LCD [liquid crystal display] video displays stacked above the button deck are positioned for optimal viewing. A custom-designed stereo ‘sound bar’ positioned above and across the width of the lower display provides an extraordinary range of sound to satisfy any audiophile, says Bally. The high quality sound output also has the ability to cut through noisy casino environments, adds the company.
Bally’s Pro Series Slant provides video slot and video poker players with a new level of comfort and engagement, says the supplier. The video display and armrests are slanted for optimal player comfort. Bally says this reduces player fatigue and enhances player enjoyment. A 26-inch display eliminates traditional top glass, and is perfect, says the company, for progressive and other top-box features. Bally’s Slant also features dimensions designed to improve sight lines on the casino floor.
Spinning wheel games a big attraction
A highlight of the G2E display is Bally’s new Spinnation™ series of spinning-wheel video and mechanical-reel slots. These games feature a mystery or symbol-triggered spinning-wheel bonus top box designed to add an extra level of anticipation to the game, explains the company. Games featured in this series include Hot Shot Cash Wheel™, Monte Carlo Royale™ (in several different titles), and single-line and five-line versions of Cash Wheel™.
Cash Spin™ With USpin™
Bally says one of the most exciting games in its Wheel series is Cash Spin, which the vendor describes as an industry first and a ‘breakthrough game’. The product, on Bally’s V32 slot platform features a spinning wheel on the top two-thirds of the video display above the mechanical reels. In the bonus round, the player actually spins the wheel on the touch-enabled screen, providing what the vendor describes as a new level of player control and interaction. Bally adds this USpin feature will also be available on Cash Meteor™ and a number of new titles currently in development.
Reel Image™ Video Slot
Also on display will be Reel Image, which Bally describes as another industry innovation. Reel Image uses proprietary software and hardware to present a series of three-, four-, or five-reels in video format that actually curve to resemble the look, feel, and play dynamics of a mechanical reel-spinner.
Digital Tower™ Series
Following on the success of its first two Digital Tower games—Fireball™ and 77777 Jackpot™—Bally will introduce three new Digital Tower games at G2E led by Vegas Hits™, a stacked-wheel video slot with a dual spinning-wheel top box. Other Bally Digital Tower innovations that will be on display include Ultimate Tower of Power™ on Bally’s US$250,000 multi-area progressive link; and Draw, Match, Win™.
Community and group play games add on-floor excitement
Bally says its innovations in community and group play include Blazing Hot Tournament™, a new community-based gaming product with a unique ‘thermometer-style’ on-screen bonus meter that the supplier says promotes an up-tempo rhythm of play.
The company is also showing two game titles on its DualVision™ cabinet, introduced as the industry’s first two-player cabinet featuring comfortable bench seating for a unique cooperative play experience.
New multi-area progressive titles deliver big jackpots
Bally will also present two new penny-denomination multi-area progressive (MAP) titles on the company’s US$250,000 link. They are Ultimate Tower of Power™, a Digital Tower™ series game and Instant Fortune™, featuring three oversized reels.
Also in the spotlight will be Bally’s new Class III version of 1,000,000 Degrees™ on Bally’s million dollar MAP [multi area progressive] link.
Old But New
Mechanical reel classics—familiar titles on a new platform
The supplier is taking advantage of what it describes as “the most extensive library of mechanical-reel titles in gaming” to introduce a new generation of classic three-reel, single-line games at G2E. They are on the ALPHA Elite™ S9E mechanical-reel platform.
This fiscal year, Bally says it will launch more than 50 of these classic titles including such time-tested games as the original Blazing 7s®, Blazing 7s® Diamond Line™, Black & White Five Times Pay™, and Bonus Times 2x, 5X, 10X™.
Towering Ambition
V32 video cabinets deliver high visibility
Bally’s ALPHA Elite V32 platform as shown at G2E promises a collection of new game titles designed to take advantage of this nearly six-foot tall gaming platform. Some of the most significant V32 titles on display include the new Playboy – Girls of Canada™, Hee Haw™, Cash Meteor™, Breeders’ Cup™, Reel Money™, and two new game series expressly made for the V32 platform—Crazy Cash™ and Magic Money™.
The first-to-market Cash Spin also debuts at G2E on the V32 cabinet. Bally says this groundbreaking game allows the player to use his or her hand to spin the wheel during the bonus round via a unique touch-enabled screen above the reels.
Systems for Every Market
Bally will display its full Networked Floor of the Future™ suite, including an array of server-based products. Bally says its systems portfolio offers gaming operators the chance to run businesses even more efficiently. The systems range also allows those operators more ways to reach players than ever before, says Bally. The company says the offer includes tools for innovative marketing, bonusing, and player-communication.
Bally’s systems range includes its new Version 11 SDS® and ACSC™ slot and casino-management systems. SDS, now available on a Microsoft Windows® platform, delivers flexibility, easy maintenance, the ability to adapt the product to multiple markets internationally and much-prized ‘scalability’ for any size of casino operation, says the vendor.
The company says it augments these core systems with a wide portfolio of award-winning technology. Products to be demonstrated at G2E include:
Bally iVIEW Display Manager™ (DM)
New features available via Bally’s server-based, back-compatible iVIEW DM will be prominently displayed at the show says the supplier. Bally will demonstrate how iVIEW DM, described as an “intelligent” controller, enables casinos to present messages anywhere on the main game screen or the top game display and thus enhance customer service. Functions include a new beverage-ordering system via iVIEW DM’s touch-screen.
Bally’s iVIEW DM can also deliver powerful game-in-game bonuses, floor-wide tournaments, banking functions, and responsible-gaming messages—all without interrupting game play—says the vendor.
Bally Business Intelligence™
Bally Business Intelligence allows gaming operators to analyse gaming-floor performance; player and game interaction; player behaviour and trends; and player loyalty and value, states the company. It also enables casinos to deliver more effective marketing programmes and better utilise resources based on powerful data. That data is acquired via what Bally says is a completely customisable dashboard, and via a visualisation tool and Campaign Management Analysis tool.
Bally Command Center™
This server-based product enables gaming operators to view, examine, and manage their floor configuration from a central location. Bally Command Center provides a connection to a wide variety of devices on the casino floor including gaming machines, player-tracking displays, and peripherals. The supplier says it puts a wide range of command, control, and monitoring options at gaming operators’ fingertips.
Bally CoolSign™ media management
Bally CoolSign, another server-based product, is a media management system that Bally says lets gaming operators take control of all digital signage in a property. It has the capacity to deliver powerful and consistent marketing messages and bonusing events on a variety of displays across a casino resort. Bally says CoolSign is the only product on the market to be fully integrated with Bally Systems for all round media management. CoolSign can also run in conjunction with management systems from other suppliers.
Bally Power Card™
New to G2E this year is Bally Power Card, a marketing and promotions tool for gaming operators. This stored-value card system is the first of its kind to enable stored-value cards to be redeemed at any game connected to a Bally system, says the company. It’s an ‘electronic wallet’ for players allowing them to store their gaming dollars safely, rather than carrying cash.
Bally Biometric Recognition™
Bally says this is the first product on the market to incorporate surveillance and player biometric recognition. It has a network of cameras installed in the casino’s gaming machines. Each time a patron activates a game, a camera captures the patron’s biometric identity and compares it to a database of patrons.
The technology enables casinos to track players who would otherwise be anonymous and to track and reward players without loyalty cards or those who didn’t use their player club card during the visit. Bally Biometric Recognition also allows operators to implement responsible gaming policies and implement employee tracking.
