Next Gaming showcased its skill-based games at G2E 2017.

The company has IP licenses with the video game company Taito for Bust-a-Move and Arkanoid and with Atari for Asteroids. These were among the four skill-based games at the show, along with the company’s video reel games.

The skill games are noteworthy for being purely skill-based. Mike Darley, chief executive officer said, “People say, ’Is this the bonus round?’  I say, ‘No. Why would I torture you?’ Players want to play the game; I don’t want to torture them with a video reel experience when they’re trying to get to the main game. Put your money in and have fun.”

Darley expressed confidence that the familiarity of video games that consumers have been playing for decades will make them a good fit with traditional slot players. “Many of the operators have told us we might need to incentivize people with some free play and I think we’ll need some of that. But when people start looking at these games, they’ll say, ‘I’ve played that game joystick.’”

Next Gaming brought its skill products to the G2E to fine-tune them and get feedback, and demand at the show was very high, according to Darley. In terms of the approvals process, the company has already been in discussions with the Nevada Gaming Control Board. “We’ve talked about our approach to these games; they don’t have any concerns. We’ll be out and ready to implement in the first quarter of 2018.”