Next Gaming’s CEO Mike Darley remains as optimistic as ever about skill-based games having a big future in the casino business.
While competitors have fallen by the wayside in recent years, Next Gaming, the only manufacturer left that’s dedicated to the promotion and design of the skill-based games, is unveiling new solutions that should increase the popularity of the slots and get them into more casinos nationwide and internationally, Darley said.
Next Gaming is in the process of installing new software at Binion’s Gambling Hall in downtown Las Vegas, where they currently have the skill-based Asteroids, Arkanoid, Bust-a-Move, and Zforce. The Las Vegas-based company is installing the same games with the upgrades at the Four Queens, also in downtown.
Next Gaming’s enhancements to its games make them easier to play, by offering in-game instructions, while modifying the paytables to provide more wins in the easy-to-normal range, Darley said.
“We’re still committed to making these games popular within a wide range of demographics,” Darley said. “We learned from the traditional slot player that this is a very unusual experience for them. The changes we made to the games are important, because it helps our players understand how to play them and enjoy them better.”
When Next Gaming first designed the games, Darley said they knew a group of aspirational players was skilled and wanted to play at a higher level. They also learned that as people were introduced to the game, they were mostly playing the easy-to-normal level, their skill level were to start.
“For those players, we modified the math to award them more frequently and provide them with higher payouts,” Darley said. “That allows them to have more time on the game and enjoy the multiple levels.”
Darley said one reason he remains optimistic about the future of skill-based games is based on the Ticket In, Ticket Out technology introduced to the slot industry in the 1990s.
“When TITO was introduced, it was interesting. The habits of players were so ingrained, they wanted to touch the coins, put them in a bucket, and carry it over to the cashier,” Darley said. “When they accepted TITO, it became very easy. I see the same relationship there. The traditional slot player is used to pressing a button and having the same outcome all the time. Our games are different. They’re interactive and dynamic and have an element of skill. Just from the reaction of the guests, it’s going to take some creative design modifications, which we’ve done, and get them out in the population and have more of an accepted group of players play them. We still believe a younger demographic coming into the casinos will gravitate to them. That’s why we’re still sticking with it.”
Darley said younger slot players, ranging from 25 to 45, are more accepting of a different play experience than older players. That’s the lesson learned from the analytics performed on the machines.
Next Gaming’s slot themes have a long history of being played in arcades globally and have a built-in popularity for thousands of players. In addition, those who play online games are more accepting of skill-based slots, Darley said.
“The casinos that we have conversations with are still excited about those games and we’re being very strategic with the future placements to make sure they’re performing well,” Darley said.
Darley said they will evaluate the data after the modifications to see how they are being accepted by players but expects that to be positive. “One of the issues that everybody experienced is that the performance didn’t meet the expectations of a traditional slot machine, but we anticipate we’ll get close to that.”
In addition to the modifications to the games and their introduction at Four Queens, Next Gaming is also rolling out a new video-reel game, Mayan Thunder, that’s being installed at both properties. The two casinos also have a Next Gaming video-reel portfolio of Grumpy Cat and Sunken Fortunes.
Additional games are under development, Darley said.
Next Gaming is also pursuing igaming applications for its video games and releasing Terracotta Warrior and Katana Warrior in a partnership with Probability Gaming and ZULU Limited, a Maltese game studio and platform, servicing an international market that includes Latin America, Belgium, France, Croatia, and Bosnia. That release is scheduled for the first quarter of 2024; those titles will also be installed for casino play later in the year.
“That segment is important to us,” Darley said. “Igaming continues to grow, both domestically and internationally, and we will work with our team to introduce them to those markets.”
In addition, Next Gaming is pursuing igaming applications with various partners for its Atari and Taito skill-based portfolio. Real-money, social-gaming, and tournament-play applications are all options, Darley said.
“The strength of those two brands is immense. That’s one of the things that excites our potential partners to collaborate with us. We continue to maximize the value of the Atari and Taito portfolios, whether in casino or online applications.
“We believe that the igaming experience is broad and it’s much more manageable to be online in terms of introducing and changing the games in the regulatory environment,” Darley said. “I think if you were playing Asteroids or one of our other games online on a phone or other electronic device, it might draw you into a casino or vice versa, because you now have an affinity for the game.”
Buck Wargo, CDC Gaming Reports ·
