Bally Technologies looks ahead to a new year rich with global brand appeal
Sumo-wrestling kitties, NASCAR heroes and hard-bargaining Pawn Stars headlined a Global Gaming Expo for Bally Technologies that was chock full of games, 300 in all, including 140 unique titles.
One of the most promising entries, and slated to debut soon on Asia’s slot floors, is Sumo Kitty!, which features two cute felines who eventually face off. Available on the ALPHA Pro V32 iDeck, the five-reel, 2,500-credit max-bet game offers 1,024 ways to win and is available currently in denominations ranging all the way from 1 cent (US) to $500.
Sumo Kitty! features Super Hot Zone Free Games with Bally’s popular Hot Zone play mechanics and bet multipliers. Players also may be randomly awarded one of three UWinbonus features played on the iDeck. The free games feature, known as the “Sumo Battle Bonus,” is triggered when three scattered “Sumo” symbols appear on reels 1, 3 and 5. Players select from one of three options: 20 free games with possible multipliers of 2x, 3x, or 5x, 10 free games with possible multipliers of 5x, 7x, or 10x, or five free games with possible multipliers of 10x, 12x or 20x. During the free spins, when the Super Hot Zone overlay appears on the reels, the “Kitty” wrestlers battle and reveal the point multiplier amount.
Bally expects Sumo Kitty! will have broad appeal among Asian players because of its familiar graphics and sounds and its higher volatility, according to Michael Bertetto, manager of international marketing for the Las Vegas-based slot giant. “[Asian players] are looking for more of a risk, more of a gamble,” he says.
Also generating plenty of buzz at the show were two new branded video slots—one based on NASCAR and one on the History Channel’s hit reality show “Pawn Stars”.
NASCAR aims to capture the high-octane excitement of the No. 1 spectator sport in the United States. Housed on the versatile ALPHA 2 Pro Series V22/32 cabinet—it comes available with both a Cash Connection widearea- progressive top jackpot and stand-alone versions for non-WAP jurisdictions—NASCAR features a lineup drawn from among racing’s finest: names like Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson. Players get to choose their favorite driver, and game screens change to reflect that driver’s team colors and branding. As Bally spokesman Mike Trask notes, this feature is one of the coolest things about the game, as is the attention paid to creating an authentic NASCAR experience, from the drivers and their cars to the familiar NASCAR music to the voice of famed announcer Eli Gold.
The game experience features three bonuses—“Pit Stop, Burnout Free Games” and “U-Race”. There is also a NASCAR-themed, systems-based “Virtual Racing” floor-wide community bonusing event. Players select their favorite drivers and root them on as the cars speed around a track, with the action displayed throughout the casino on Bally’s innovative iVIEW and iVIEW DM player-user interfaces and CoolSign-enabled displays. Together with thrilling game play, the ability of iVIEW DM to bring a virtual NASCAR experience to life promises to drive increased coinin, new loyalty club signups and more carded play.
“Pawn Stars” was another crowdpleaser on the G2E floor. The game recreates the magic of the hit reality series by allowing players to “negotiate” with their favorite Pawn Star, including Rick, “Old Man” Richard, Corey and Chumlee.
“It really gives you more of the experience of actually going into the pawn shop. It’s got some potential for widespread appeal,” says Bally spokesman Mr Trask.
The game begins when a player chooses their favorite character from the show. The fun builds with “selling” and “negotiating” during the “Negotiation Bonus,” in which players choose one of five items to sell and then negotiate with the Pawn Stars for credit awards. The exclusive video content might feature Rick delivering familiar lines such as “What are you looking to get out of this thing?” and “Your item’s cool, but not that cool.” He also offers the player a chance to take an offer or to risk double or nothing by calling in an expert to judge the item.
A giant wheel, with 11 “Wheel Bonus” prizes, free games, wilds, “pick ’em” features and innovative iDeck interaction add to the excitement.
Given the series’ global popularity— it airs in 37 languages in more than 150countries—Bally believes Pawn Stars will draw plenty of players in key markets across Asia.
Attendees also had fun, fun, fun checking out a new Beach Boys video slot. Presented on the Alpha 2 Pro Series V22/22 upright wheel cabinet, the five-reel, 1,024-way game, which debuted in the US earlier this year at the National Indian Gaming Association’s show, features U-Spin mechanics, five progressive jackpots and a colorful “Beach Boys Bonus Wheel”. Enhancing the appeal are clips of the legendary band performing five of their classics.
