"At ICE London, we were able to show customers an integrated company"

"We were able to show customers an integrated company, with Inspired, Astra and Bell Fruit gaming content configured on a wider range of hardware and across all our product lines," Brooks Pierce says.

2020-02-20

United Kingdom

Reading time 3:19 min

Pierce tells Yogonet the ability to leverage top-performing Inspired and Novomatic UK's Gaming Technology Group game titles and Virtual Sports online/mobile content worldwide has made their Interactive business a "great growth driver for customers." He underlines the launch of V-Play Soccer 3, the first Virtual Soccer game that provides an option to pick women's teams and the first Virtual Soccer product to feature markets for individual goal scorers in the match.

Could you share your overall assessment of Inspired’s participation in ICE London 2020? What were the highlights in your opinion? Have you met your key expectations for the show?

The overwhelmingly positive customer response to the product portfolio and solutions we showcased at ICE aligned with our growth strategies for 2020 and beyond, so I could not be more encouraged and proud. The Valor, Prismatic and Flex cabinets with their expanded gaming content echoed my main mantra to our design teams, “Make Great Games.” We launched V-Play Soccer 3 at ICE, which reinforced our Virtual Sports leadership position —and being able to show the extensive Gaming and Virtuals content that is now fueling our Interactive business was another big highlight of the show.

How was the combination of Inspired and Novomatic UK's Gaming Technology Group reflected in your exhibition and throughout the show? What specific changes, effects or contributions has it brought to this year’s edition?

The acquisition of NTG has multiplied our talent, resources, game design, hardware and technology, and this year's ICE tradeshow was our first opportunity since we began the integration to showcase our complete range of products and services. We were able to show customers an integrated company, with Inspired, Astra and Bell Fruit gaming content configured on a wider range of hardware and across all our product lines. ICE showcased an expanded company that is working extremely well together within a short period of time, and has implemented product and branding strategies that are resonating with our customers. Inspired now offers one of the most comprehensive product portfolios in today's competitive marketplace.

What about your new V-Play Soccer 3 game?

We introduced our trailblazing V-Play Soccer 3 game at ICE. Customers were impressed with the ultra-realistic graphics and animations, player models, stadium environments and dynamic camera angles. This product is setting a new standard through its graphics and animation, but it’s also the first Virtual Soccer game that provides an option to pick women's teams and the first Virtual Soccer product to feature markets for individual goal scorers in the match. We’re as eager as our customers are to launch this unmatched player experience into the market.

Your Virtuals content was on display at other booths, such as SIS, Novomatic, Intralot, and Vermantia —what can you tell us about these partnerships?

Providers of sports betting technology and platforms are realizing how much Inspired’s Virtuals can complement their products, and we are growing our global reach across land-based and interactive channels through distribution with these key partners. You’ll be seeing more new and expanded distribution deals with other major players in the gaming industry.

How would you assess operators’ interest in Inspired's V-Play Plug & Play solution?

Our Virtual Sports are proven to drive incremental revenue, so there is a huge demand for a complete end-to-end online virtual sportsbook product that allows operators to offer their players Inspired’s award-winning scheduled Virtuals without spending a lot of time and money on integration. Our V-Play Plug & Play solution is just that: it’s simple and quick to install, and it makes Inspired’s proven Virtual products available with no sportsbook integration needed. A full bet management tool is included, delivering a complete sports betting experience with custom branding options available.

Your interactive product line seems to have hit a strong stride in the last 6 months —can you tell us how it was received at ICE?

You are 100 percent correct — in fact, our Maximus Soldier of Rome game was just nominated for the Top Performing Online Slot for the EKG Slot Awards. With the proliferation of online gaming through multiple channels, the ability to leverage top-performing Inspired and NTG game titles and award-winning Virtual Sports content online and on mobile devices worldwide has made our Interactive business a great growth driver for customers. Not only did we launch new interactive content at ICE, but we were able to share a wider interactive portfolio of top-performing content. ICE was a great opportunity to see the company's newest strong performing games such as Rainbow Cash Pots, an Irish themed cash collector game; Elemental Beasts, a fantasy-themed slots title with a unique bonus round; Jagr's Super Slots, an interactive game that features legendary hockey player Jaromir Jagr; Desperados Wild, Inspired's first-ever Megaways branded game featuring two exciting and highly volatile bonuses. Inspired’s interactive portfolio has reached that inflection point that makes it essential for customers, and our interactive team was busier at this ICE than ever before.