Skill-Based Gambling Video Games Based On Iconic Films Coming To NJ Casinos Soon
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Video gaming machines + movies = ?
Video game gambling machine (VGM) manufacturer GameCo recently inked a deal that will allow the company to produce new games based on popular Paramount Pictures films.
The patented VGM gambling platform, which is being used for development of these games, allows players’ skill to determine their payouts. VGMs maintain the same casino economics as slot machines, however.
GameCo is an innovative new company spearheading the development of the world’s first skill-based gambling terminals. The company has brought together executives from Scientific Games and IGT, as well as award-winning producers for gaming giants, such as Blizzard Entertainment, WarGaming, Ubisoft and DreamWorks.
What VGM games are in development?
Paramount Pictures’ President of WorldWide Marketing Partnerships and Licensing LeeAnne Stables recently said the new licensure will allow GameCo to develop three new offerings.
“We are always seeking ways to bring our iconic film properties directly to fans,” she said. “These new products bring them to life in classic arcade gameplay formats.”
The games include:
- A racing game based on Mission: Impossible
- A hidden object game based on Paranormal Activity
- A platformer based on Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
VGMs in New Jersey
Danger Arena, currently GameCo’s only product available to the public, is a first-person-shooter-style game in which players have 45 seconds to kill as many robots as possible. Depending on how many robots the player takes out, the machine will distribute winnings in the mode of a traditional slot machine.
Although film-based VGM titles are still a ways off, GameCo has placed machines in prominent locations at Bally’s Atlantic City, Caesars AC and Harrah’s AC.
How will VGMs impact casino gambling?
Casino executives are hoping these new games will attract a younger crowd to the casino floor. According to the American Gaming Association, more people in the 21-to-35 age group visit casinos than any other demographic. However, very few young people play slot machines.
Slot machines have become more and more visually appealing over the years. But for a new generation that has grown up with video gaming consoles at home, slots don’t have the same appeal. Casino executives are hoping that the challenge and novelty of skill-based games will create a niche market for millennials that has yet to be tapped.
“We’re thrilled to be working with Paramount to bring these brands to the casino floor,” said GameCo CEO Blaine Graboyes. “Video game gambling addresses the largest opportunity for casinos and studios in attracting the next generation of gamers.
“At GameCo, our vision is to create a VIP experience for gamers. Brands like Mission: Impossible, Paranormal Activity, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off speak to my generation that grew up with these films and love playing video games.”