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IGT Building the Next Big Thing

NEVADA– As reported by the Hartford Courant: "Deep within a sprawling factory complex, where mathematicians, engineers and computer programmers toil like A-bomb scientists behind locked doors, they are building a device they hope will succeed like nothing before.

"…It is a slot machine based on the 'Star Wars' movies, but it is more like a multimedia extravaganza, deftly molding pop culture, movie clips, video games and gambling into a throbbing microprocessor. International Game Technology hopes to lure in a new computer-savvy generation of casino gamblers -- or at least keep the old ones playing feverishly.

"…If they do play, the numbers can be astounding. The quarter machines alone at Mohegan Sun casino brought in an average of $1.25 million a day in profit this February.

"The designers at IGT use every technological trick and enticement to induce gamblers to play longer and faster. In video poker, gamblers may play dozens of hands at once. Some slot machines let players bet 30 or 40 coins at a time. The number of pay-lines -- where cherries or diamonds might line up to indicate a win -- can be dizzying.

"…The Next Big Thing In a boardroom designed to mimic the set of a 'Star Trek' spaceship, IGT's game designers munch free snacks from a faux candy counter while searching for that next big idea.

"It isn't those three-reel slot games with the quaint cherries, diamonds and 7s they are looking for. Instead, these are 21st-century games that talk back to the player, with multiple video screens, bonus rounds and booming music in surround-sound. Designed with video clips from popular movies and television shows, these machines also offer players the chance to pilot spaceships in simulated outer-space warfare.

"…Inside the Reno factory complex nestled at the base of California's rugged Sierra Mountains, IGT does everything from math calculations to cabinet-making to recording the music that is such an important part of every slot. A massive, fieldhouse-size factory floor turns out up to 500 slot machines a day, some of which can cost $15,000 or more. It takes about seven hours to build a machine.

"Last year, IGT spent almost $95 million on product development, employing 900 people who just work on some aspect of creating new games.

"…IGT has a history of similar groundbreaking moves: pioneering the first video poker games in the late 1970s and later bringing the microprocessor to slots in the 1980s.

"…Proliferating Indian casinos and burgeoning European and Asian markets all mean it's a great time to be building and selling slot machines, said Marc Falcone, an analyst with Deutsche Bank who closely follows the slot-machine industry…"

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