During the recent Indian Gaming Association Tradeshow & Conference in Anaheim, California, the tradeshow floor was chock full of displays, a cacophony of lights and sounds. Vendors and manufacturers brought their latest games and innovations to IGA to be examined, tested, and discussed.
In the middle of the tradeshow floor, IGT’s Phil O’Shaughnessy was beaming despite being surrounded by competitors.
“Everyone’s pushing each other to innovate, and I think that’s just for the greater good,” said O’Shaughnessy, IGT’s Vice President of Global Communications, Events, and Sustainability. “I think that we’re all invested in this for the sake of gaming and entertainment, and I think competition breeds innovation.”
It seems that IGT has embraced the development of new titles while paying attention to its past. At IGA, the company’s Whitney Houston-themed slot game was prominently featured. But their booth also showcased longtime IGT staples such as Wheel of Fortune, Wolf Run, and Kitty Glitter games.
“These are great themes that started out many, many years ago in entirely different presentations and different cabinets,” O’Shaughnessy said. “As we’ve grown technologically and we continue to introduce new games – Wolf Run Eclipse, for example — it’s adapting those player favorite themes to new technology and hardware over time. It’s really a winning proposition because the players love the games, so why not make it more compelling with new hardware and new elements and software and a more immersive play experience.”
The latest to get the IGT treatment is the Whitney Houston slot game. O’Shaughnessy said the opportunity to reach a licensing agreement with Houston’s estate follows the pattern of other games with pop culture resonance, such as Wheel of Fortune and Ghostbusters.
“With Whitney Houston, you’re creating an immersive entertainment experience. You have a lot of great video and visuals and elements that fit nicely on the slots, like Grammys and things of that nature, and it creates the right experience.
“It’s an art and a science when it comes down to license branding. It has to line up with the player demographic. Players love that. But if you look at the entire IGT portfolio we have a selection of licensed brands, but we also have extremely popular homegrown brands.”
O’Shaughnessy mentioned Megabucks, Mystery of the Lamp, and Prosperity Link as examples of IGT-developed titles that have found favor with players. He also said that the Wheel of Fortune slots will always be “the heart and soul” of the company’s tradeshow presentations.
While IGT’s slot games are the focus of the tradeshow floor, the company’s portfolio includes other useful products for operators. O’Shaughnessy highlighted cashless gaming and IGT’s advantage system as relatively new technologies that the company is promoting.
“As much as the games are who we are and what we do, the systems and solutions around those games are equally as compelling,” he said.
