Curves are in. That’s no surprise to casino operators, who’ve seen great results from almost every manufacturer in this category. For Novomatic, the 2018 Las Vegas NIGA tradeshow marks the U.S. debut of two new curved-screen cabinets: Panthera Curve and the V.I.P. Lounge Curve. They are also unveiling the Panthera 2.27 cabinet at this year’s show.
According to Rick Meitzler, president and CEO of Novomatic Americas, “We’ve looked forward to this year’s show because it gives our tribal customers a chance to see what we’ve been working on over the last year.” He added that these new boxes will be paired with licensed content like MacGyver and From Dusk Till Dawn, along with a new linked jackpot product called Enhanced Fortunes.
The non-curved Panthera features twin 27” LCD screens and a 15.6” TouchDeck button panel. The curved version is the most impressive, with a 43” vertical LCD screen running 4K video. This design combination has worked well across the industry.
Novomatic, which has been dominant in Europe, struggled to make headway in the U.S. until two years ago, when they broke through with their strong Asian Fortune theme. Those games, along with VooDoo Fortune, Vampire Fortune, Goddess Rising, and Pyramid Fortunes, are now being offered in a linked progressive format that looks to continue the success. Like the curve phenomenon, linked progressives are also on everyone’s current must-have list. They’re now part of the Novomatic lineup, too.
Another strong Novomatic product is the dramatic VIP Royal cabinet, with a 65” vertical main screen and a 27” LED touchscreen. This package also includes a Crown VIP chair that is incredibly comfortable and features built-in bet buttons and stereo speakers. Based on that slate of features, most operators naturally assume this package would be one of the most expensive in the industry. Instead, Novomatic is leasing the game at a very competitive rate for a featured game (probably another reason for its good casino floor placements).
Speaking of chairs, the V.I.P Lounge package also has a great seat that both rocks and swivels. The fabric is leather-like, the arms are wide and welcoming, and the entire seat slides in and out with ease. If a game is good, a comfortable seat can make a major contribution toward increased time-on-device.
“We’ve grown thoughtfully, intentionally and with a great commitment to offering the latest in cabinets, content, systems and performance for all our customers,” Meitzler said. He has been a familiar face at NIGA’s tradeshows, and every other industry trade show, for virtually two decades. He broke that string here in Las Vegas; a knee replacement operation sidelined him for NIGA ’18. But he was here in spirit, represented by a smiling 6’4” cardboard cutout. And although he was a bit thinner than normal, he was still smiling about the new lineup of Novomatic games.
