In September 2013, Aristocrat previewed its new Walking Dead poker machine at the G2E Gaming Expo. Since then, casinos around the world have expressed their desire to install the game, and a long waiting list seems to be piling up. According to Dallas Orchard, Aristocrat’s Vice President of Gaming Operations, the demand for the new Walking Dead pokie is the highest he has seen since he joined the company in 2006.
Casinos have already placed orders for 800 games months before its release. By comparison, Aristocrat’s Tarzan pokie was met with a similarly positive response but did not reach 800 orders until half a year after it premiered at land-based casinos. In the week’s leading up to The Walking Dead’s premiere, the gaming developer anticipates that hundreds of new orders will be placed.
“Typically, over 1,000 games (installed) within six months is pretty good,” says gaming research Todd Eilers. “If you can get over 2,000 games within one year, that is a very good game. Most high-profile games start off strong in placements and performance, and then they tail off around six months to one year.” While Aristocrat is a popular poker machine developer, the company still competes with IGT and WMS.
The best performing poker machine in the land-based casino market is IGT’s Wheel of Fortune and WMS’s Wizard of Oz is a staple at gambling venues around the world. Aristocrat has yet to release a title with this sort of appeal, and The Walking Dead could be the company’s first pokie that can compete with IGT’s and WMSs most popular games.
The Walking Dead poker machine is based on the ground-breaking television show of the same name. The game’s developers spent months perfecting the design and gameplay, creating an innovative and exciting pokies that players in land-based casinos will enjoy. At Online Pokies 4 U, we are eager to give this new game a spin.
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