Damon Gura, senior director for games and product operations at Williams Interactive, talks to Stewart Darkin about the company’s latest blockbuster release, Kiss: Shout It Out Loud!, and what the future holds for WMS Industries’ online subsidiary .
DAMON Gura sits in the WMS UK offices at Bedford Row, having swapped the damp spring days of Chicago for the even wetter, cooler climate that is London in May 2013. But nothing, it seems, can dampen his enthusiasm for life at Williams Interactive and its latest branded game, which features the US rock giants Kiss.
“I’m 41 years old and, in the US, Kiss are really big,” says Gura. “Many of us were brought up with Kiss. I tend to fall in love with all of our brands but this one really struck a chord.” The unintentional pun isn’t lost on the American.
But why Kiss? It’s all make-up and sticking your tongue out, isn’t it? “We had been talking about Kiss for a long time with our land-based teams. We never really jumped on it in the past and it was only recently that we did a lot more market research and reaching out to customers to see if they’d be interested in a rock brand - something centred around music and the excitement that the music brings to the game.”
Kiss’ credentials are not in doubt. A skilful blend of style and substance has propelled the band to global success with estimated album sales of around 100 million – comparable with those of the Beach Boys or The Who. But how does it translate to i-gaming? “Our land-based business is where Kiss featured initially, where it comes with a Bose sound chair attached to the game, with 3D audio. That brings a brand – and band - like Kiss to life in a meaningful way for a player.
Read the full article in issue 3 of iNTERGAMINGi.
