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Readers Choice Awards
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Best Casino Software: Cryptologic
Justin Thouin, Cryptologic VP Product Management & Business Development
What sets Cryptologic apart from the competition?
The fact that we are solely focused on creating the best casino software in the world. All of our company’s efforts go towards being the leader in the online casino gaming space, and we do not offer other product verticals to distract us from this singular goal. This focus has resulted in us creating what we feel is the most entertaining casino software in the industry.
From a product standpoint, we differentiate CryptoLogic through frequent new innovative games and features, premium branded content and a wide variety of jackpots linked throughout our customer base. We view online casino gaming as entertainment and, as such, strive to create a product that can rival consumers’ other entertainment options like movies, television, or video games. With CryptoLogic’s software, operators can give their players life-changing moments as we offer a broad, diverse selection of jackpots. Jackpots are shared across the majority of our customers and currencies – a feature that has been responsible for delivering one of the largest payouts in online history on our proprietary jackpot game, Millionaires Club. From a brand standpoint, our exclusive partnerships with such tier-one consumer brands as DC Comics, Paramount, Activision, Warner Bros, Marvel and many more is unmatched in the industry.
Furthermore, CryptoLogic consistently delivers innovative casino products, with more than 20 new game releases every year. Every new release strives to push the boundaries of conventional gaming even further, so that our customers’ businesses can enjoy high lifetime player values. With arcade-style interactive bonus rounds, our operators’ players are able to win credits while they smash cars or swing from building to building with their favourite superheroes. Also, innovative slot games like Cubis and Bejeweled are responsible for attracting an entirely new player-base to online gaming. Not only are they two of the most popular online casual games in existence, they also feature spin mechanisms uniquely provided by Cryptologic.
However, the innovation does not stop there – there are a variety of flexible offerings that CryptoLogic brings to the table that can satisfy operators’ unique business needs. From a sales perspective, we make it clear in the market that we are seeking to distribute our leading casino games to as many of the top operators in the space as possible by offering unique and diverse commercial arrangements. Innovation is about more than just creating unique, memorable online gaming experiences for our customers and their players. As a partner, we play an active role in helping our customers achieve the goals that they’ve set for their business. Whether they require a single game integration or a full turnkey casino solution, we’re here to offer support, as well as guidance, every step of the way.
What has been the company’s biggest breakthrough in 2009?
2009 has been a year where CryptoLogic has positioned itself well for future success. We have extended our licensing arrangement with Marvel, and entered into new partnerships with DC Comics, Warner Bros, and Paramount that saw us bringing such games as Batman, Superman, Braveheart, and Forrest Gump exclusively to the market. Further, we revitalized our casino software by creating new versions of each of our top table and video poker games. Finally, we launched an entirely new casino lobby utilizing cutting edge technology that is visually striking, easy to use and has been lauded by our customers and their players.
However, the biggest breakthrough for the company this year has been the number of new, major customers that we have signed. CryptoLogic games can now be found on most of the top operators’ sites in the online gaming space. Operators such as 888, Party Gaming, Betfair, Unibet, Gala Coral, Virgin and Sky launched CryptoLogic games in 2009. In addition to our full casino customers, by the end of 2009 we will have close to 80 games live at 14 or more major operators.
What has been the biggest hurdle you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest challenge has been getting games live and available to players at the major operators that we have signed as partners. Given that these are new partnerships and that we are providing these games through innovative new channels, it has taken longer than anticipated in 2009 for games to go live with some of our clients. However, we are entering 2010 positively and anticipate having more than 200 of our games live at major operators by the end of next year.
As much as you can disclose, what milestones are you striving for in 2010?
CryptoLogic’s goal is to be a leading provider of casino software in the online game space. We aspire to being the first choice of operators seeking to add and/or replace a casino software supplier. By the end of 2010 we project that, outside of our full casino partners, we will have over 200 games live at over 25 partners.
From a product perspective we will continue to bring to the market innovative games and content that improves players’ entertainment experience. This will include more jackpot options, as well as more world-renowned brands and games with never-before-seen spin mechanisms.
Having comfortably dominated in this category for so many years, what is it that motivates you to continually innovate and improve your software?
Whether it’s for the money or the excitement, people engage in online gaming to escape the ordinary – and it’s only by delivering extraordinary experiences that we can hope to enjoy extraordinary success. By combining the science of technology and the art of entertainment, we are able to create experiences for players that are not only unique, but memorable as well. Our desire to continuously develop the most exciting and innovative concepts for the e-gaming world will ensure the success of our operators’ businesses.
To us, innovation is a form of art. It’s alive in everything we do. With more than a decade of experience, partnerships with some of the best gaming and entertainment brands in the world and numerous awards under our belts, innovation has become something that we do very well.
As Oscar Wilde once said, “Success is a science; if you have the conditions, you get the result.”
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