Having established itself as the world’s largest gaming machine manufacturer, IGT is arguably now also among the leading providers of systems, interactive game technologies and services.
With an R&D budget of around $200m annually, the company continues to drive innovation within each of the gaming segments in which it works. Its slot themes are among the most recognisable and successful anywhere in the world, it is at the forefront of server-based gaming technology and now, with the unveiling of IGT Cloud, it is poised to redefine the way that operators do business.
At ICE Totally Gaming in January, the company’s stand was of course among the busiest at the show. Visitors were lining up to experience its latest blockbuster game releases, which ranged from Elvis The King and Ghostbusters, to Sex and the City Fabulous and Breakfast at Tiffany’s. That such iconic brands license their identities to be used for slot games so enthusiastically is testament to IGT’s track record of delivering entertaining and engaging game play in the spirit of the original themes. At this year’s show, the company demonstrated its IGT Cloud service, along with a host of systems technologies and online gaming products.
For Craig Churchill, senior vice president of international sales, the synergy between all of these strands of technology presents a unique opportunity to deliver unparalleled gaming experiences to players.
“I believe ubiquity of play will soon become a reality,” he tells InterGaming. “Giving players what they want, when they want it, will soon become standard. If you then combine this with the connected, social experience of online play, you have a very powerful combination. Ubiquity and social are two driving forces that will create change in this industry for sure.”
Fittingly, Churchill has a strong background in technology, having previously worked for the likes of Sun Microsystems and Silicon Graphics. He joined IGT over a year ago and suggests that the two are becoming increasingly similar.
“The technology industry runs very, very fast because it’s a dog-eat-dog world out there. If you’re not innovating and if you’re not developing open infrastructures and open architectures then you may as well forget it,” he explains. “The gaming industry is somewhat different when it comes to introducing new technologies. If I was an operator, I would be very reluctant to change something if it was working. It’s the old adage - if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.
This feature can be read in full in the March 2012 issue of InterGaming magazine.
