Q.& A. | Brett Dodson

9 October 2008

By Lorien Pilling

One of the joys of attending EiG is that is offers the possibility of meeting interesting people.

Such was the case over coffee on the very first morning of the conference when I chatted with Brett Dodson, a New Zealander and director of the company behind an innovative new product for the online poker industry –- the PokerMouse.

IGamingNews caught up with Mr. Dodson shortly after EiG to learn more about the PokerMouse.

What were your impressions of your first visit to EiG in Barcelona?

I thought EiG was a really good platform to talk to the key organizations. I was very impressed with the technical expertise of the participants in the expo hall, and I learned a great deal more about the science behind the industry’s image.

There are some very smart people, with some very smart technology involved and I do not believe people "on the outside" would have any idea of this when asked about the I-gaming industry. Possibly this is a secret that the industry wants to keep?

What's your background prior to getting involved in the online gambling industry?

My background is in I.T. and business development, using innovation in technology to improve businesses.

I’ve been involved with both large corporations and start-ups in a whole range of industries: FMCG (fast moving consumer goods), music, logistics and distribution, telecommunications, grocery, building and construction -- and even fishing.

I’m bringing the benefit of all of this experience to focus on developing our brand within the online gaming industry.

How did the idea for the PokerMouse come about?

" I’ve been involved with both large corporations and start-ups in a whole range of industries: FMCG (fast moving consumer goods), music, logistics and distribution, telecommunications, grocery, building and construction -- and even fishing."

Originally we started life as a health and safety company combating the threat of repetitive strain injury (RSI) from using the traditional downward pressure computer mouse.

From the focus groups we conducted we knew we had a great product -- simple, but really easy to use as a "new interface to the Internet."

But this was a hard target to market to -- it was just too broad. So, 10 months ago we looked around at what niche market we could launch into.

We realised the demographic for this type of new, innovative, slightly "gadgety" product had a direct comparison to the demographic of the online gaming market.

Given the surging popularity of poker across the world, the PokerMouse brand came into being with the express intention of launching this new, patented product into the online poker market.

So what benefits does PokerMouse give to online poker players?

Very simply, PokerMouse allows players to play for longer, in more comfort and style.

Because you do not need a desk to use PokerMouse, which is wireless, you can now sit comfortably, back from a desk with PokerMouse in a "resting-arm" position. Some people take a little time getting used to it, but for the majority, they pick it up, and then sit back in comfort while they use it.

The fact that PokerMouse is equally easy to use both left- and right-handed is another benefit over the traditional mouse. In fact, I am right-handed, but use PokerMouse primarily in my left hand and find it quite natural.

I was talking to a former professional poker player in London following the Barcelona conference. He said some of his mates still play professionally as their primary source of income. He also told me that they regularly had to change hands with the old downward pressure mouse because their arms got so sore.

If you are playing a long tournament, or just playing online for more than half an hour, you are going to have pain problems with the traditional mouse.

What kind of initial reaction have you had from operators and poker players?

Initial reactions from poker players and anyone who has picked up PokerMouse have been very positive and have uttered phrases such as, “This is REALLY cool!”, “I LIKE this!”, and encouragingly, “You guys are going to do really well.”

We have had one senior executive of a large poker site say he would definitely buy one, and a C.E.O. of another operator pick one up and immediately start negotiating for a deal for all his V.I.P. players!

All in all we could not have been more pleased with the reactions from people across the industry.

The PokerMouse is being manufactured in China. How have you found doing business in China?

We have found doing business in China extremely worthwhile. They listen and work hard to meet our needs, are competitive and very diligent in delivering what we want.

While communication can be challenging when dealing remotely, we always meet face to face when there are important issues to finalize. As a result, one of us is usually in China every three months.

The quality is as good as we can get anywhere worldwide. We were focused on obtaining a quality manufacturing partner and the one we have chosen manufacturers products for a global computer accessories supplier. We are very confident in this side of our business.

What is the poker scene like in your native New Zealand?

Poker is really just getting going in New Zealand. Pub poker was introduced around two years ago and is steadily growing through a National Pub Poker League with regional and countrywide finals in a season that runs every 13 weeks.

Regarding major tournaments, we have our first million-dollar poker tournament (New Zealand dollars) being played at Sky City (Auckland Casino) in mid October with a number of high-profile players -- Joe Hachem, Greg Raymer, Lee Nelson and others -- taking part.

I believe there is a great deal of growth yet to come in this industry in New Zealand with poker not far away from real critical mass and a potential tipping point.

Q.& A. | Brett Dodson is republished from iGamingNews.com.