Culture Club
Culture Club
Casino operators and slot manufacturers look toward culturally-themed products to entice play and patronage from Hispanics and other growing demographic segments
By Andy Holtmann
As commercial and tribal gaming expands across the United States, casinos find that their customer base now extends beyond the traditional core of tourists and Caucasian baby boomers with disposable income. Minorities and gamblers from a wide array of cultures are becoming commonplace on gaming floors-a fact not lost on casino operators who, in response, are seeking ways to grow and retain the new consumer trade.
This has led to a demand for gaming products that appeal culturally to these nascent groups of players-Hispanic-themed slots for Hispanic players, Asian-themed games for Asian patrons and so on. And while slot manufacturers are largely hesitant to call this development an industry-changing trend, they're not denying the amount of research and investment now devoted to creating slot titles and themes aimed at attracting a specific demographic segment.
"We think there's more and more games being developed to target different end-user segments. Certainly cultural segmentation is one," said Kent Young, vice president of marketing for Aristocrat Technologies. "It's not really a core market for us, but it's certainly a niche product."
But while developing such games and themes would seem to make sense, manufacturers and operators alike agree that doing so takes more research, more balance and more sensitivity than with traditional slot themes.
"It seems like a no-brainer that if you had a growing Hispanic crowd or a growing Asian crowd, that you should put machines in your casino that those audiences like," said Buddy Frank, vice president of slot operations for the Viejas Casino near San Diego, Calif. "But I think the mistake in the industry has been making the assumption that an Asian would like a machine with Asian symbols on it, or that a Hispanic would like a machine with a Mexican, Latin American or traditional Spanish theme. I think many of us over the years have tried. I have certainly tried by using custom glass and custom reel strips to switch things to more (cultural) themes.
"In reality, I haven't found much traction for that. But I continue to try because I think we all think it's the right thing to do-to offer products that would appeal to those demographics. I think the magic has been that in slot machines, a product that appeals to one culture is just as strong as in another, with some small, but notable differences."
Connecting with Hispanics
The user-end segment that currently garners the most attention among both operators and machine manufacturers is the Hispanic audience. Indeed, it is no secret that Hispanic populations across the United States have boomed, especially in urban areas (see sidebar).
Noting this growth, slot manufacturers have begun developing games they hope appeal to Hispanics and Latin Americans. One company, Las Vegas-based Progressive Gaming, has been very active on this front, releasing games that feature Latin icons like Tito Puente ("Rey del Mambo") and Celia Cruz ("La Reina de la Salsa").
"I think some of the market has started to wake up and realize that the Latino community is a bit underserved," said Tim Richards, vice president of global marketing for Progressive. "There's a trend toward providing a product that's in Spanish and English and is attractive to the Latin culture and the icons within that culture. Celia Cruz is a fantastic icon within the Latino community. When I look at her within that community, I don't see an artist in any other demographic that compares to her status. She's up there on the level of Elvis or a group like The Beatles."
Indeed, it appears that "star power" is an essential ingredient for a successful minority-themed slot. Aristocrat Technologies has embraced this strategy with their own penny-progressive game titles, including "Pele Legendary Goals" and "The George Lopez Game."
Meanwhile, Reno-based International Game Technology is looking to another popular Hispanic comedian to fuel its Latin slot titles as well.
"We're doing a new game and trying it with Paul Rodriguez, who is still a very popular comedian," said Ed Rogich, vice president of marketing for IGT. "Our hope is that Paul Rodriguez is a recognizable character. He brings a lot of material to the machines in terms of his comedy and participation in the machine."
An additional reason for using Latin stars, according to Rogich and other manufacturers, is the hope that, as well-known icons, they will also appeal to non-Hispanic players.
"Again, it's one of those that you hope will transcend and be popular across the board. It's a machine I wouldn't go to because it's Hispanic, it's a machine I'd go to because Paul Rodriguez is a funny guy. I see George Lopez in the same light," Rogich said.
Still, there are several "generic" titles being developed to appeal to Hispanics as well. IGT recently unveiled "Latino Machino," part of the company's Mystery Bonus MegaJackpot line. It has also developed "Festival Fantastico" on its Party Time line of games.
Atronic International and its subsidiary Atronic Americas have developed a couple of Hispanic-themed games in "Ole, Ole" and "Golden City," which is based on a mythical Latin American culture.
Aristocrat also has "Loco Loot," a game that Young said targets the Mexican market.
At least one casino property has also jumped heavily into the Hispanic-themed mix. The Plaza Hotel & Casino in downtown Las Vegas, operated by Barrick Gaming Corp., is introducing Hispanic-themed slot machines, Spanish-speaking table game dealers, and will showcase soccer in its sports book-all part of a larger effort to lure Hispanic customers.
"Other casinos have brought in Latino pop stars on a one-off basis or had a Latino (boxing) card or a salsa nightclub on a one-off basis," Barrick President and co-founder Stephen Crystal told the Las Vegas Sun in April. "We view this as a long-term effort. The entertainment will be the outgrowth of making the commitment to be a part of the Latino community."
Crystal said that over the next couple of years, Barrick will also redevelop about six downtown city blocks and about 15 acres surrounding the company's nearby Western Hotel & Casino into a "Latino corridor" that will include commercial and residential buildings. The Western will be re-branded with a Hispanic theme within three to five years, Crystal said.
Viejas' Frank said his property is also working on Hispanic marketing and product efforts."
"We're working on a Hispanic-themed machine right now in cooperation with a local Spanish-language FM radio station," he said. "I have in the past produced machines that had strong identification with white, red and green-the colors of the Mexican flag. But I've not found them to work particularly strong yet. It's something that I honestly think about a lot, but I don't know if we've achieved any success in that model yet though."
Asian strategy
Another cultural segment garnering slot attention is Asian, or eastern cultures. Fueled by the emergence of Macau as the next multi-billion-dollar gaming market, Chinese-themed slot machines and titles are becoming popular.
Atronic's "Xanadu" has become a hot-ticket item, and one that was especially created with Chinese culture in mind.
"Our approach, which we feel is unique, was to first of all make sure all the symbols were culturally appropriate by using Chinese consultants and artists," said Katie Stage, marketing manager for Atronic Americas. "We actually used some Chinese characters in the machine. To people who can't read Mandarin, it just looks like a decorative Chinese backdrop. But to people that actually can read it, it adds another level of meaning to the game because the symbols represent things like wealth, fortune and happiness. If you're actually from that culture, you get a little bit more out of the game."
While Macau is the hot market, Stage said the game also attracts Asian players in markets like Southern California, where there are bustling Asian-American communities.
Aristocrat has developed game titles like "Choy Sun Doa," "Golden Dragons" and "Five Dragons." The Macau market is one that Aristocrat is focusing attention on as well.
"We've been catering to that style of end-user for a long time, with us being based in Australia. There's a large Asian end-user base," Young said. "So we have about 40 percent of the Macau market now and we see that growing into the future."
Meanwhile, IGT recently unveiled a game called "Ancient Chinese Secret," a product that unites Asian symbols and art with the latest in bonusing technology. Other IGT game titles, like "Fortune Cookies" appeal to a more general Asian/Chinese cultural theme.
"There is a little bit of experimentation in the Asian market," Rogich said. "For us to try to change the habits of what is primarily a table games demographic and introduce popular slot themes-I think we are going to have to change our graphics, themes and approach. Obviously the '7' symbol, which isn't necessarily a favorable symbol in many Asian markets, opens your eyes a bit and tells you that you can't just put out machines made for America in Asia and expect them to translate the same."
Frank said that Asian gamblers still tend to be more of the table games-sort, gravitating to games like Pai Gow, Sic bo and baccarat. At Viejas, he hasn't found an Asian-centric slot theme that has really pulled in Asian players.
"I have certainly tried by using custom glass and custom reel strips to switch things to more Asian themes," he said. "You might take a very popular machine like "Blazing 7s," and knowing that one of the greatest attractions of that machine was the lucky number seven, but realizing that in the Asian culture, the number eight might represent what seven means for us-so you switch the game to "Lucky 8s" or something like that. In reality, I haven't found much traction for that."
Language barriers
On many slot titles culturally geared for Hispanics and Asians, language is an important element. Having not only Mandarin graphics, but also Asian sounds and languages brings added appeal to Chinese gamblers; while Spanish language options have proven very popular on Hispanic-themed games.
But the language translation doesn't stop there. Manufacturers, most with extensive business and sales to international markets, are adding an array of languages to their popular game titles, whether "culturally themed" or not.
"Besides (the Tito Puente and Celia Cruz themes), on our server-based platform, all of our games will be multi-lingual," said Progressive's Richards. "There's a strong push in that direction."
Manufacturers with strong international business like Aristocrat and Atronic have been pursuing multilingual options on its games for years.
"From the early stages, we designed all of our machines in four languages-Portuguese, Spanish, French and English. For the last few years we've also been doing Russian and we're implementing Mandarin as well," Stage said.
Aristocrat has added Spanish, Portuguese and Mandarin languages to games titles being shipped to markets where those languages are prevalent.
Rogich said that while sweeping language translation is something that's in its infancy with IGT, the company has also done translations on games for years.
"Historically, we have translated slot machines for various markets. When I started with IGT 14 years ago, I would see the Red, White & Blue machines for France that were translated in the glass. They were very simple. You could change the graphics on the glass and that would translate the whole game. Obviously today it's a lot more complicated when you talk about video slots," he said. "The nice thing is that technology today makes it an easier job to do translations in the business world. In the games that we've been experimenting with, we offer what is basically a touch to change the language. You can change from English to Spanish. It's built into the game software."
Other cultural considerations
While a lot of culturally themed slot titles have been aimed at non-English-speaking demographic segments, other cultures and races within the North American market are also under consideration for dedicated slot product.
According to the 2000 U.S. Census, African Americans accounted for 36.4 million, or 12.9 percent of the nation's population. And "urban" culture-including black media, music, film and entertainment-has exploded into the mainstream. So what are the odds that slot manufacturers could soon develop hip-hop-themed titles?
"Possibly," said Aristocrat's Young. "We'd look to see what the demographic fit was and whether it had application for a slot game. But it's something that would obviously need to make commercial sense. We're open to looking at those types of niche markets though."
At least one company-Progressive-has already been approached with a hip hop theme.
"We've been approached with some African-American brands, but we think they've been the wrong brands for the demographic," said Richards. "We've been approached with concepts like Jay-Z and people of that nature. The thought was that might be too young of a demographic for a slot machine. Now, titles like Bally's 'Ray Charles' and IGT's 'Soul Train'-those are obviously for the older demographics that are slot players with more disposable income. They are more attractive to casinos than players at the Jay-Z level."
IGT's vice president of engineering, Joe Kaminkow showed his company's "Soul Train" machines at last year's Global Gaming Expo, noting they'd be ideal for urban markets like Chicago and Gary, Ind.
"Isn't this a great game for those markets?" he asked.
"I think Soul Train is an experiment that is going to answer Joe's question as to whether there is added appeal to market segments," Rogich said. "The reality is that 'Soul Train' is really more of a period piece. It's really based on the 70s era. I don't think it's just specific to the African-American market. I think it has very broad appeal through the music that it offers and through the time that it was born-a time there was limited television viewing for any audience to look at. We're all familiar with it and grew up with it. Don Cornelius, our icon, I think transcends any specific demographic."
Like with Hispanic- and Asian-themed games, there are a number of "generic" titles manufacturers hope will have an element of cultural appeal. Aristocrat has games themed around Mardi Gras, like "Razzamattaz" and "Party Gras." Atronic has a game called "Secrets of Africa," that while not based on any urban African-American culture, Stage said might appeal to those who enjoy the specific cultures of that continent as a whole.
Frank, who worked for years as a marketer in Reno, said he used a number of casino promotion themes that drew well with African Americans, including the holidays Kwanza and Martin Luther King day, but that he's yet to see anything similar be successfully worked into a slot product.
Native Americans are another demographic receiving attention. Though unlike other culturally-themed slots, there is no one defining Indian personality or icon.
"We have a machine called 'Dancing Spirit,' which has a Native American theme," said Atronic's Stage. "It's actually a mix of various Native American cultures, so there's some symbols based on the northwest cultures and there's also some influence from the southwest cultures."
Frank said that most Native Americans seem to be representative of the gaming populations as a whole-playing all types of slot games rather than gravitating to any one game.
"I have noticed that because of the origins of Native American gaming, particularly in California, there's a fondness for bingo and keno products. Those were the limited products they could get-and identify with-very early on," he said. "I don't know if that's indigenous to Native Americans or due to the regulatory environment they were forced to accept here in California."
Sense and sensitivity
Segmentation strategies aside, the common denominator for any successful culturally themed slot machine is that it appeals to both a specific cultural segment as well as a wider audience, manufacturers said.
"The reality is, a successful game is going to be successful across the board in all demographics," Rogich said.
That noted, designing, marketing and distributing games with a cultural theme takes more than just throwing a concept together. In order to ensure that a slot machine does not offend or deter the targeted culture, extra care has to be given to research and testing.
On Atronic's "Dancing Spirit" game, for instance, Stage said Native Americans were brought in to aid the development process.
"We worked with several Native American artists to make sure again that it was culturally appropriate and also beautiful and fun to play," she said. "We also used the Native American recording artist of the year, Brulé, for the music for the machine. That game is doing very well, even in places where you wouldn't expect a lot of Native Americans to be playing."
In some markets, Asian and Native American especially, symbols and phrases can mean a lot to prospective gamblers. Getting them wrong can mean turning players off to your product-and potentially any future gambling.
"They're very unique in their cultural requirements," said Aristocrat's Young. "Things such as colors, certain symbols and even certain sounds may appeal differently to them. Another example is with the Indian market, we don't use things like owls or dream catchers as part of our symbolism because it could have some cultural sensitivity. We certainly don't want to offend anyone."
Rogich said field testing of games is also very helpful to weed out problems or elements of games that might offend.
"The market is going to dictate what's in good taste and whether players like how we've packaged the product. Games have come and gone and you really never know until they get out there," he said.
And changing a popular game title to better match a prominent culture or market shouldn't be feared, Stage said.
"We have a bonus game called "Cash Fever" where you have multi-level jackpots and the hero character is a crazy doctor that awards your different jackpot levels. One of the things we did specifically for Macau was to create a Chinese Doctor Cash Fever for that market. We felt the product would be even more effective with a hero character that was a little bit more appropriate for that culture," she said.
"But I think more than anything, you can't be stereotypical," added Progressive's Richards. "I think you have to treat the icons who you're promoting and the demographic you're trying to reach with a level of respect, class and sensitivity."
Sidebar:
Hispanic population booming
Slot manufacturers, casinos noting growth of Latin culture
According to statistics from the Population Resource Center, Hispanic Americans are the fastest growing demographic group in the United States. Figures from the 2000 Census show their number increased by 58 percent since 1990-a gain of about 13 million people. Hispanics made up 12.5 percent of the population in 2000. In 2000, Hispanics were the largest minority group, numbering 35.3 million individuals, slightly
larger than the African American population (34.7 million). By the year 2025, Hispanic Americans are expected to account for 18 percent of the U.S. population.
"If current demographic trends continue, the Hispanic population will almost triple by 2050; one out of every four Americans will be Hispanic," the Population Resource Center's statistics conclude.
Most of the United State's Hispanic populations are concentrated in the South and West, and a handful of large metropolitan areas like New York City and Chicago. Over half live in just two states, California (11.0 million) and Texas (6.7 million). Five more states have Hispanic populations of one million or more: New York (2.9 million), Florida (2.7 million), Illinois (1.5 million), Arizona (1.3 million) and New Jersey (1.1 million). New Mexico had the highest percentage of Hispanics (42 percent) followed by California (32 percent) and Texas (32 percent). Hispanics comprise over half the population in 50 counties in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Colorado and Florida.
The Hispanic population grew much faster than the national average; 40 percent of nationwide growth between 1990 and 2000 was due to Hispanics. The Hispanic population grew by over 100 percent in 22 states, including North Carolina (394 percent), Arkansas (337 percent), Georgia (300 percent), Tennessee (278 percent) and Nevada (217 percent). The largest numerical increases in Hispanics were in California, Texas and Florida, which gained 3.3 million, 2.3 million and 1.1 million Hispanics respectively.
And most Hispanics prefer to live in larger metropolitan areas-many of the same areas that casino companies look to in developing their customer bases.
-Andy Holtmann
Casino operators and slot manufacturers look toward culturally-themed products to entice play and patronage from Hispanics and other growing demographic segments
By Andy Holtmann
As commercial and tribal gaming expands across the United States, casinos find that their customer base now extends beyond the traditional core of tourists and Caucasian baby boomers with disposable income. Minorities and gamblers from a wide array of cultures are becoming commonplace on gaming floors-a fact not lost on casino operators who, in response, are seeking ways to grow and retain the new consumer trade.
This has led to a demand for gaming products that appeal culturally to these nascent groups of players-Hispanic-themed slots for Hispanic players, Asian-themed games for Asian patrons and so on. And while slot manufacturers are largely hesitant to call this development an industry-changing trend, they're not denying the amount of research and investment now devoted to creating slot titles and themes aimed at attracting a specific demographic segment.
"We think there's more and more games being developed to target different end-user segments. Certainly cultural segmentation is one," said Kent Young, vice president of marketing for Aristocrat Technologies. "It's not really a core market for us, but it's certainly a niche product."
But while developing such games and themes would seem to make sense, manufacturers and operators alike agree that doing so takes more research, more balance and more sensitivity than with traditional slot themes.
"It seems like a no-brainer that if you had a growing Hispanic crowd or a growing Asian crowd, that you should put machines in your casino that those audiences like," said Buddy Frank, vice president of slot operations for the Viejas Casino near San Diego, Calif. "But I think the mistake in the industry has been making the assumption that an Asian would like a machine with Asian symbols on it, or that a Hispanic would like a machine with a Mexican, Latin American or traditional Spanish theme. I think many of us over the years have tried. I have certainly tried by using custom glass and custom reel strips to switch things to more (cultural) themes.
"In reality, I haven't found much traction for that. But I continue to try because I think we all think it's the right thing to do-to offer products that would appeal to those demographics. I think the magic has been that in slot machines, a product that appeals to one culture is just as strong as in another, with some small, but notable differences."
Connecting with Hispanics
The user-end segment that currently garners the most attention among both operators and machine manufacturers is the Hispanic audience. Indeed, it is no secret that Hispanic populations across the United States have boomed, especially in urban areas (see sidebar).
Noting this growth, slot manufacturers have begun developing games they hope appeal to Hispanics and Latin Americans. One company, Las Vegas-based Progressive Gaming, has been very active on this front, releasing games that feature Latin icons like Tito Puente ("Rey del Mambo") and Celia Cruz ("La Reina de la Salsa").
"I think some of the market has started to wake up and realize that the Latino community is a bit underserved," said Tim Richards, vice president of global marketing for Progressive. "There's a trend toward providing a product that's in Spanish and English and is attractive to the Latin culture and the icons within that culture. Celia Cruz is a fantastic icon within the Latino community. When I look at her within that community, I don't see an artist in any other demographic that compares to her status. She's up there on the level of Elvis or a group like The Beatles."
Indeed, it appears that "star power" is an essential ingredient for a successful minority-themed slot. Aristocrat Technologies has embraced this strategy with their own penny-progressive game titles, including "Pele Legendary Goals" and "The George Lopez Game."
Meanwhile, Reno-based International Game Technology is looking to another popular Hispanic comedian to fuel its Latin slot titles as well.
"We're doing a new game and trying it with Paul Rodriguez, who is still a very popular comedian," said Ed Rogich, vice president of marketing for IGT. "Our hope is that Paul Rodriguez is a recognizable character. He brings a lot of material to the machines in terms of his comedy and participation in the machine."
An additional reason for using Latin stars, according to Rogich and other manufacturers, is the hope that, as well-known icons, they will also appeal to non-Hispanic players.
"Again, it's one of those that you hope will transcend and be popular across the board. It's a machine I wouldn't go to because it's Hispanic, it's a machine I'd go to because Paul Rodriguez is a funny guy. I see George Lopez in the same light," Rogich said.
Still, there are several "generic" titles being developed to appeal to Hispanics as well. IGT recently unveiled "Latino Machino," part of the company's Mystery Bonus MegaJackpot line. It has also developed "Festival Fantastico" on its Party Time line of games.
Atronic International and its subsidiary Atronic Americas have developed a couple of Hispanic-themed games in "Ole, Ole" and "Golden City," which is based on a mythical Latin American culture.
Aristocrat also has "Loco Loot," a game that Young said targets the Mexican market.
At least one casino property has also jumped heavily into the Hispanic-themed mix. The Plaza Hotel & Casino in downtown Las Vegas, operated by Barrick Gaming Corp., is introducing Hispanic-themed slot machines, Spanish-speaking table game dealers, and will showcase soccer in its sports book-all part of a larger effort to lure Hispanic customers.
"Other casinos have brought in Latino pop stars on a one-off basis or had a Latino (boxing) card or a salsa nightclub on a one-off basis," Barrick President and co-founder Stephen Crystal told the Las Vegas Sun in April. "We view this as a long-term effort. The entertainment will be the outgrowth of making the commitment to be a part of the Latino community."
Crystal said that over the next couple of years, Barrick will also redevelop about six downtown city blocks and about 15 acres surrounding the company's nearby Western Hotel & Casino into a "Latino corridor" that will include commercial and residential buildings. The Western will be re-branded with a Hispanic theme within three to five years, Crystal said.
Viejas' Frank said his property is also working on Hispanic marketing and product efforts."
"We're working on a Hispanic-themed machine right now in cooperation with a local Spanish-language FM radio station," he said. "I have in the past produced machines that had strong identification with white, red and green-the colors of the Mexican flag. But I've not found them to work particularly strong yet. It's something that I honestly think about a lot, but I don't know if we've achieved any success in that model yet though."
Asian strategy
Another cultural segment garnering slot attention is Asian, or eastern cultures. Fueled by the emergence of Macau as the next multi-billion-dollar gaming market, Chinese-themed slot machines and titles are becoming popular.
Atronic's "Xanadu" has become a hot-ticket item, and one that was especially created with Chinese culture in mind.
"Our approach, which we feel is unique, was to first of all make sure all the symbols were culturally appropriate by using Chinese consultants and artists," said Katie Stage, marketing manager for Atronic Americas. "We actually used some Chinese characters in the machine. To people who can't read Mandarin, it just looks like a decorative Chinese backdrop. But to people that actually can read it, it adds another level of meaning to the game because the symbols represent things like wealth, fortune and happiness. If you're actually from that culture, you get a little bit more out of the game."
While Macau is the hot market, Stage said the game also attracts Asian players in markets like Southern California, where there are bustling Asian-American communities.
Aristocrat has developed game titles like "Choy Sun Doa," "Golden Dragons" and "Five Dragons." The Macau market is one that Aristocrat is focusing attention on as well.
"We've been catering to that style of end-user for a long time, with us being based in Australia. There's a large Asian end-user base," Young said. "So we have about 40 percent of the Macau market now and we see that growing into the future."
Meanwhile, IGT recently unveiled a game called "Ancient Chinese Secret," a product that unites Asian symbols and art with the latest in bonusing technology. Other IGT game titles, like "Fortune Cookies" appeal to a more general Asian/Chinese cultural theme.
"There is a little bit of experimentation in the Asian market," Rogich said. "For us to try to change the habits of what is primarily a table games demographic and introduce popular slot themes-I think we are going to have to change our graphics, themes and approach. Obviously the '7' symbol, which isn't necessarily a favorable symbol in many Asian markets, opens your eyes a bit and tells you that you can't just put out machines made for America in Asia and expect them to translate the same."
Frank said that Asian gamblers still tend to be more of the table games-sort, gravitating to games like Pai Gow, Sic bo and baccarat. At Viejas, he hasn't found an Asian-centric slot theme that has really pulled in Asian players.
"I have certainly tried by using custom glass and custom reel strips to switch things to more Asian themes," he said. "You might take a very popular machine like "Blazing 7s," and knowing that one of the greatest attractions of that machine was the lucky number seven, but realizing that in the Asian culture, the number eight might represent what seven means for us-so you switch the game to "Lucky 8s" or something like that. In reality, I haven't found much traction for that."
Language barriers
On many slot titles culturally geared for Hispanics and Asians, language is an important element. Having not only Mandarin graphics, but also Asian sounds and languages brings added appeal to Chinese gamblers; while Spanish language options have proven very popular on Hispanic-themed games.
But the language translation doesn't stop there. Manufacturers, most with extensive business and sales to international markets, are adding an array of languages to their popular game titles, whether "culturally themed" or not.
"Besides (the Tito Puente and Celia Cruz themes), on our server-based platform, all of our games will be multi-lingual," said Progressive's Richards. "There's a strong push in that direction."
Manufacturers with strong international business like Aristocrat and Atronic have been pursuing multilingual options on its games for years.
"From the early stages, we designed all of our machines in four languages-Portuguese, Spanish, French and English. For the last few years we've also been doing Russian and we're implementing Mandarin as well," Stage said.
Aristocrat has added Spanish, Portuguese and Mandarin languages to games titles being shipped to markets where those languages are prevalent.
Rogich said that while sweeping language translation is something that's in its infancy with IGT, the company has also done translations on games for years.
"Historically, we have translated slot machines for various markets. When I started with IGT 14 years ago, I would see the Red, White & Blue machines for France that were translated in the glass. They were very simple. You could change the graphics on the glass and that would translate the whole game. Obviously today it's a lot more complicated when you talk about video slots," he said. "The nice thing is that technology today makes it an easier job to do translations in the business world. In the games that we've been experimenting with, we offer what is basically a touch to change the language. You can change from English to Spanish. It's built into the game software."
Other cultural considerations
While a lot of culturally themed slot titles have been aimed at non-English-speaking demographic segments, other cultures and races within the North American market are also under consideration for dedicated slot product.
According to the 2000 U.S. Census, African Americans accounted for 36.4 million, or 12.9 percent of the nation's population. And "urban" culture-including black media, music, film and entertainment-has exploded into the mainstream. So what are the odds that slot manufacturers could soon develop hip-hop-themed titles?
"Possibly," said Aristocrat's Young. "We'd look to see what the demographic fit was and whether it had application for a slot game. But it's something that would obviously need to make commercial sense. We're open to looking at those types of niche markets though."
At least one company-Progressive-has already been approached with a hip hop theme.
"We've been approached with some African-American brands, but we think they've been the wrong brands for the demographic," said Richards. "We've been approached with concepts like Jay-Z and people of that nature. The thought was that might be too young of a demographic for a slot machine. Now, titles like Bally's 'Ray Charles' and IGT's 'Soul Train'-those are obviously for the older demographics that are slot players with more disposable income. They are more attractive to casinos than players at the Jay-Z level."
IGT's vice president of engineering, Joe Kaminkow showed his company's "Soul Train" machines at last year's Global Gaming Expo, noting they'd be ideal for urban markets like Chicago and Gary, Ind.
"Isn't this a great game for those markets?" he asked.
"I think Soul Train is an experiment that is going to answer Joe's question as to whether there is added appeal to market segments," Rogich said. "The reality is that 'Soul Train' is really more of a period piece. It's really based on the 70s era. I don't think it's just specific to the African-American market. I think it has very broad appeal through the music that it offers and through the time that it was born-a time there was limited television viewing for any audience to look at. We're all familiar with it and grew up with it. Don Cornelius, our icon, I think transcends any specific demographic."
Like with Hispanic- and Asian-themed games, there are a number of "generic" titles manufacturers hope will have an element of cultural appeal. Aristocrat has games themed around Mardi Gras, like "Razzamattaz" and "Party Gras." Atronic has a game called "Secrets of Africa," that while not based on any urban African-American culture, Stage said might appeal to those who enjoy the specific cultures of that continent as a whole.
Frank, who worked for years as a marketer in Reno, said he used a number of casino promotion themes that drew well with African Americans, including the holidays Kwanza and Martin Luther King day, but that he's yet to see anything similar be successfully worked into a slot product.
Native Americans are another demographic receiving attention. Though unlike other culturally-themed slots, there is no one defining Indian personality or icon.
"We have a machine called 'Dancing Spirit,' which has a Native American theme," said Atronic's Stage. "It's actually a mix of various Native American cultures, so there's some symbols based on the northwest cultures and there's also some influence from the southwest cultures."
Frank said that most Native Americans seem to be representative of the gaming populations as a whole-playing all types of slot games rather than gravitating to any one game.
"I have noticed that because of the origins of Native American gaming, particularly in California, there's a fondness for bingo and keno products. Those were the limited products they could get-and identify with-very early on," he said. "I don't know if that's indigenous to Native Americans or due to the regulatory environment they were forced to accept here in California."
Sense and sensitivity
Segmentation strategies aside, the common denominator for any successful culturally themed slot machine is that it appeals to both a specific cultural segment as well as a wider audience, manufacturers said.
"The reality is, a successful game is going to be successful across the board in all demographics," Rogich said.
That noted, designing, marketing and distributing games with a cultural theme takes more than just throwing a concept together. In order to ensure that a slot machine does not offend or deter the targeted culture, extra care has to be given to research and testing.
On Atronic's "Dancing Spirit" game, for instance, Stage said Native Americans were brought in to aid the development process.
"We worked with several Native American artists to make sure again that it was culturally appropriate and also beautiful and fun to play," she said. "We also used the Native American recording artist of the year, Brulé, for the music for the machine. That game is doing very well, even in places where you wouldn't expect a lot of Native Americans to be playing."
In some markets, Asian and Native American especially, symbols and phrases can mean a lot to prospective gamblers. Getting them wrong can mean turning players off to your product-and potentially any future gambling.
"They're very unique in their cultural requirements," said Aristocrat's Young. "Things such as colors, certain symbols and even certain sounds may appeal differently to them. Another example is with the Indian market, we don't use things like owls or dream catchers as part of our symbolism because it could have some cultural sensitivity. We certainly don't want to offend anyone."
Rogich said field testing of games is also very helpful to weed out problems or elements of games that might offend.
"The market is going to dictate what's in good taste and whether players like how we've packaged the product. Games have come and gone and you really never know until they get out there," he said.
And changing a popular game title to better match a prominent culture or market shouldn't be feared, Stage said.
"We have a bonus game called "Cash Fever" where you have multi-level jackpots and the hero character is a crazy doctor that awards your different jackpot levels. One of the things we did specifically for Macau was to create a Chinese Doctor Cash Fever for that market. We felt the product would be even more effective with a hero character that was a little bit more appropriate for that culture," she said.
"But I think more than anything, you can't be stereotypical," added Progressive's Richards. "I think you have to treat the icons who you're promoting and the demographic you're trying to reach with a level of respect, class and sensitivity."
Sidebar:
Hispanic population booming
Slot manufacturers, casinos noting growth of Latin culture
According to statistics from the Population Resource Center, Hispanic Americans are the fastest growing demographic group in the United States. Figures from the 2000 Census show their number increased by 58 percent since 1990-a gain of about 13 million people. Hispanics made up 12.5 percent of the population in 2000. In 2000, Hispanics were the largest minority group, numbering 35.3 million individuals, slightly
larger than the African American population (34.7 million). By the year 2025, Hispanic Americans are expected to account for 18 percent of the U.S. population.
"If current demographic trends continue, the Hispanic population will almost triple by 2050; one out of every four Americans will be Hispanic," the Population Resource Center's statistics conclude.
Most of the United State's Hispanic populations are concentrated in the South and West, and a handful of large metropolitan areas like New York City and Chicago. Over half live in just two states, California (11.0 million) and Texas (6.7 million). Five more states have Hispanic populations of one million or more: New York (2.9 million), Florida (2.7 million), Illinois (1.5 million), Arizona (1.3 million) and New Jersey (1.1 million). New Mexico had the highest percentage of Hispanics (42 percent) followed by California (32 percent) and Texas (32 percent). Hispanics comprise over half the population in 50 counties in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Colorado and Florida.
The Hispanic population grew much faster than the national average; 40 percent of nationwide growth between 1990 and 2000 was due to Hispanics. The Hispanic population grew by over 100 percent in 22 states, including North Carolina (394 percent), Arkansas (337 percent), Georgia (300 percent), Tennessee (278 percent) and Nevada (217 percent). The largest numerical increases in Hispanics were in California, Texas and Florida, which gained 3.3 million, 2.3 million and 1.1 million Hispanics respectively.
And most Hispanics prefer to live in larger metropolitan areas-many of the same areas that casino companies look to in developing their customer bases.
-Andy Holtmann
