GGRAsia – Konami Asian-theme new games ‘big step forward’: John Gomes

Konami Asian-theme new games ‘big step forward’: John Gomes

Konami Gaming Inc is busy refreshing its product portfolio for Asia as part of a long-term regional realignment for the company that began in 2012.

The slot machine maker has what it describes as several new culturally attuned products in the pipeline – currently awaiting regulatory approval – for the Macau and Singapore markets.

Visitors to the Macao Gaming Show – that ended on Thursday at Macau casino resort Venetian Macao – were offered a sneak preview.

New slot game themes such as ‘King of the World’ were on display, featuring Konami’s new 3-4-4-4-3 reel configuration. The firm says the product also gives the players the feeling they can influence their destiny by choosing different mixes of free games and feature multipliers.

“The difference of what we call ‘Asian-style games’ is that they are really aggressive games, with strong combinations of free games and multipliers,” said John Gomes (pictured), general manager of Konami Gaming’s branch office in Singapore. He also oversees the Macau market.

“We are really excited about it. We want to put them out in the market,” Mr Gomes told GGRAsia.

U.S.-based Konami Gaming is a subsidiary of Japanese entertainment conglomerate Konami Corp.

The firm began revising its strategy for Asia in 2012. It started by setting up a Singapore branch in September that year and hired Mr Gomes, an industry veteran. That was followed by a strong investment in research and development.

Konami’s original plans foresaw 2014 as a turning point for its presence in the Macau and Singapore markets. But the introduction of new technical standards for electronic gaming machines in both jurisdictions influenced those plans.

Singapore’s Casino Regulatory Authority released version 1.5 of its standards in February. Macau’s 1.1 version of its standards came into effect in July.

Konami Gaming’s strategy aims at making its Asia-focused games top contenders on casino floors, said Mr Gomes.

“From where we were, with the games we had to work with, to where we are now, we have taken not a small step – we have taken a big step, and a big step forward,” he pointed out.

Other Asian-themed games Konami displayed at Macao Gaming Show included ‘Great Luck, Great Profit’ and ‘Red Fortune’, both featuring localised content.