US-based games and systems developer Bally Technologies has built an enviable presence on gaming floors throughout the world.
As one of the oldest, yet most dynamic slot manufacturers, its games have become industry staples - instantly recognisable but always fresh and entertaining. One area it is keen to develop further, however, is Asia, regarded by many to be the world’s fastest growing marketplace.
Charged with the task of leading this drive to increase its presence in Asia is Srini Raghavan, who holds the dual responsibilities of senior vice president for Asia Pacific and managing director of the company’s Indian operations.
“Asia is extremely important for us because the largest market in the world – Macau – is here,” he tells InterGaming. “Of course, the Philippines is now being touted as potentially becoming the second largest gaming market in the world, so for our future growth strategy this region is key for us. We are very excited to be here and we hope to increase our market share in this geography.”
Before joining Bally, Raghavan served nearly four years as vice president and managing director of Manhattan Associates India, a company serving the multi-national supply-chain industry. He joined Bally in 2005 to oversee its operations in India, which included establishing the company’s Indian Development Centre and growing its base to around 1,000 full-time employees. He has also led the delivery of various product releases across games, systems and information systems; and established Bally’s systems sales and support operations in South Africa. These accomplishments have provided Bally with a strong foundation from which to deliver cutting-edge gaming solutions to the whole of the Asian marketplace.
“Our strategy for the next year and beyond centres on our new region-specific development studio,” he explains. “We established it just under two years ago and it has already started churning out games. I believe it is the only one of its kind, developing games specifically catering to the one geography. Our primary aim – and the job of the studio - is to focus on delivering game content that meets the requirements of the market.”
Raghavan says he is seeking to further strengthen the team by recruiting a game design expert who will spend a great deal of time with Bally’s operator customers to better understand their requirements and analysing their patrons in order to develop games that satisfy those needs.
This, of course, will be in tandem with the carefully managed release of Bally’s premium licensed titles, such as Michael Jackson and Grease, which are expected to prove universally popular. These, Raghavan suggests, may be made bilingual for the Chinese audience.
This feature can be read in full in the July 2012 issue of InterGaming magazine
