Slot Machine Designers?

Greetings,

Please do not consider this message as Spam as I am a regular poster (though relatively new) to this site.

I am interested in creating a Scrabble-based slot machine and would like to know if anyone would be interested in handling the programming and graphics. The machine would include a jackpot, Scatter Pay and Bonus Game. In fact, I am almost done with the payout schedule, probabilities and ER%, with exception to the bonus game. I should be done with bonus game details in another week, or less.

I would imagine that such a machine would already be ready for a sale to an on-line casino(s) slots game provider upon completion of programming and graphics. The only detail that would have to be handled there (other than the actual sale of the machine) would be to achieve licensing from Hasbro. I am not familiar with the ins-and-outs of such licensing, so I don't know if I would be the one to handle that or whether it would be the slot provider.

It is also possible that the game could be sold to a manufacturer of physical slot machines for use in a land-casino. I should imagine that this would be the most lucrative prospect as it would, presumably, include an upfront fee for the design/programming as well as some measure of royalties per machine sold.

I readily admit that I am not experienced in this realm whatsoever, but I think that this machine is a good idea that could prove very lucrative if we were successful in selling it.

If anyone is interested, I would be willing to split the money with the programmer/graphic designer 20/80 with the programmer/graphic designer receiving 80% of all money made. Upon completion, I will attempt to acquire the licensing from Hasbro as well as to market the machine to on-line casinos as well as physical slot machine manufacturers...beginning with the latter. If there happens to be anyone experienced in this regard, however, then I might also suggest that they could get in this partnership with the consent and agreement of percentages with the programmer/graphic designer.

Having perused the Forum Rules, I do not believe this post violates any of them. If this post is violative of the Rules, it is due to my own misunderstanding of the Rules, hence, if the post is deleted, I will not complain.

Thank you for your kind attention.

-Mission146

Lightning Gaming already sells one, license from Hasbro and all.

I wonder if there is a slot machine industry exclusivity written into the Hasbro contract...

The design/pays of my slot machine is totally different than that one (I just looked). That machine is much closer to the actual game of Scrabble, whereas my machine more closely resembles a standard slot machine in terms of play. The only true element that has to do with Scrabble is what the stops are called, "Double-Word Score, etc."

The bonus game feature bears a little bit in common with Scrabble, but I don't want to get into too much detail.

In any event, if there is such an exclusivity, it might still be possible to persue Lightning Gaming with a packaged and ready-to-go design and payout table, since the games are going to be so much different.

I will attempt to determine whether Lightning Gaming has an exclusivity clause with Hasbro. I would be darned surprised if they did not. If I find that they do, I might attempt to gauge Lightning Gaming's interest in another Scrabble design. It really is a totally different machine, not even close to theirs. This machine would probably be most similar to QuickHits Platinum, but with totally different pays, symbols and a Bonus Game instead of Free Games.

Bonus Games are better, anyway. I consider, "Free Games," a misadvertisement, of sorts. If you have to pay to have any chance of getting them, then how are they free? Maybe they should be called, "Extra games."

Good luck with Hasbro. My understanding is that they are very difficult to do business with unless they can immediately grasp that your idea represents huge profits (think: how much $ do they make from selling Monopoly in Walmarts every year to see if your idea might pique their interest). I would also think that licensing a well known "brand game" would be a long shot at best (licensing well know property seems to be somewhat of a specialty for Lightning Games, so I wouldn't take their success as any sort of indicator of Hasbro's general willingness to entertain your licensing idea). As far as who would negotiate the deal with Hasbro... you'd probably want to look at getting an attorney that specializes in intellectual property matters to look over any proposed contract and suggest changes, etc. at a bare minimum. I also think that your hunch that there may be an exclusivity clause is a good one, but let's set that aside for now and just look at what you're asking for.

As for artwork, if you're dealing with a licensed property you're probably going to have to either get the art from the property owner, or have it approved by them. For a property like Scrabble I'd imagine that the "look and feel" is so well established and so important that it would probably make the most sense to acquire the assets from the property owner.

As for programming... wow, where to even start?
Physical machine:
I'm pretty sure if you wanted it to run on a Windows PC someone like me could probably handle it, given that you'd very clearly defined how the game is supposed to work. But what platform do most "slot machines" run on? (I've seen machines at the casino I work in rebooting and was surprised to see they were running Linux). What methods of player interaction are available and how do you interact with them from a programming perspective? (buttons, coin slots, payout ticket reader/writer, etc.?) Without access to this hardware to test the game on, how do you know it will work when it's installed on the target platform?

Online game:
Probably much, much easier, but you'd still need to find someone with serious Flash ActionScripting skills and a good knowledge of how to protect the integrity of the game. You might also pull it off with HTML/CSS/JavaScript (and possibly some AJAX) but that would, I would think, be even more vulnerable to various hacks and would certainly need a huge amount of testing and such to make sure it would work on all modern browsers as well as fail elegantly (i.e. without exposing any potential exploits) with more antiquated browsers.

If it were me, I'd look at devising a "similar yet different enough to get my own patent" kind of Scrabble game (and brace for the possible backlash from Hasbro) and look to license my own game to a company capable of developing it. However, you may be somewhat put off when you see what acquiring a patent entails. Check out the Game Inventors forum here for some good reading on the subject.

I hate to be discouraging to anyone trying to do something new/different/cool/etc but I think you need to look at what you're offering in game design value (keeping in mind that game design is something Hasbro is already good at and has in-house talent for) and how strong your math/actuarial skills are in devising pay tables to see if you really have anything worth pursuing here or not.

On the flipside, I wouldn't take my word for any of this, I'd investigate the possibilities and see for yourself, after all I'm just a dumb kid that's wasting a lot of expensive private school education dealing cards. My best real world skill is being able to pretty effortlessly calculate 5% commission on Banker bets in mini-bacc while being yelled at in languages I don't understand. :)

I do not want to go into too much detail, (of which I have some) but I will say that I had the opportunity to speak to the very congenial Brian Haveson, CEO of Lightning Gaming who was kind enough to give someone he has never heard of a few minutes of his time.

In short, Lightning Gaming and Hasbro do have an exclusivity clause in the contract as it relates the Scrabble licensing for gaming devices. The contract spans a number of years, the exact number is not something I feel the need to disclose.

Mr. Haveson is, however, interested in the general structure of my version of the game (as it works more like a traditional slot machine) and has asked me to send him an E-Mail pitching the basics of the game's operation. He has said that he is not interested in my probabilities, payouts, etc. at this point in time as that is something his development team would handle, but he is interested in my game idea.

I'm going to go ahead and pitch him that idea and see how everyting goes with it. I have considered the possibility that you mentioned of what would essentially be a Scrabble, "Rip-Off," game, and I would not be willing to work on something of that nature. I intend to do a better job investigating existing licensed games, should I ever have another game idea that would require a license, but I mainly intend to come up with ideas for either completely original games, or games that are based on existant (but non-licensed games).

Don't get down on yourself though, there's nothing dumb about you. Being a dealer is an excellent profession, and if you prove yourself to be one of the best, eventually you'll likely graduate to high-roller rooms in major casinos (if you're not already there) or you can go into supervision/management. It doesn't matter what you do for a profession, really, as long as you try to be one of the best at doing it.

Quote: Mission146

I do not want to go into too much detail, (of which I have some) but I will say that I had the opportunity to speak to the very congenial Brian Haveson, CEO of Lightning Gaming who was kind enough to give someone he has never heard of a few minutes of his time.

In short, Lightning Gaming and Hasbro do have an exclusivity clause in the contract as it relates the Scrabble licensing for gaming devices. The contract spans a number of years, the exact number is not something I feel the need to disclose.

Doesn't surprise me at all. Hasbro is known for structuring deals in that way.

Quote: Mission146

Mr. Haveson is, however, interested in the general structure of my version of the game (as it works more like a traditional slot machine) and has asked me to send him an E-Mail pitching the basics of the game's operation. He has said that he is not interested in my probabilities, payouts, etc. at this point in time as that is something his development team would handle, but he is interested in my game idea.

I'd still be careful about protecting your idea before submitting it. Many companies won't accept such proposals for fear of future litigation, i.e. they already have a similar idea in-house and you sue them for stealing your idea.

Quote: Mission146

I'm going to go ahead and pitch him that idea and see how everyting goes with it. I have considered the possibility that you mentioned of what would essentially be a Scrabble, "Rip-Off," game, and I would not be willing to work on something of that nature. I intend to do a better job investigating existing licensed games, should I ever have another game idea that would require a license, but I mainly intend to come up with ideas for either completely original games, or games that are based on existant (but non-licensed games).

Don't get down on yourself though, there's nothing dumb about you. Being a dealer is an excellent profession, and if you prove yourself to be one of the best, eventually you'll likely graduate to high-roller rooms in major casinos (if you're not already there) or you can go into supervision/management. It doesn't matter what you do for a profession, really, as long as you try to be one of the best at doing it.

I don't know if dealing is something I'll do long term, it's fun and I make enough money at it to indulge in the sort of play time I enjoy. I was mostly referring to how my family feels about it. I don't think it's the dumbest thing I've ever done. I think it would be a lot dumber to take a low/non-pay intern type position in the industry I got my degree in. At least this way I can afford a lifestyle that makes me happy.

Quote: MonkeyMonkey

I'd still be careful about protecting your idea before submitting it. Many companies won't accept such proposals for fear of future litigation, i.e. they already have a similar idea in-house and you sue them for stealing your idea.

I'm not worried about that. If they already have the licensing, then I am powerless to do anything to effectuate such a game, anyway. If they already have a similar idea in house, all they need do is tell me. I've already submitted it. They can use my idea, verbatim, if they want to and I would not sue anyone. I cannot effectuate such a machine due to the inability to ever get it licensed (at least not for x years) anyway, so there would be absolutely no damages...even if they took the idea without my consent, I could not prove damages...because there wouldn't be any.

Quote: MonkeyMonkey

I don't know if dealing is something I'll do long term, it's fun and I make enough money at it to indulge in the sort of play time I enjoy. I was mostly referring to how my family feels about it. I don't think it's the dumbest thing I've ever done. I think it would be a lot dumber to take a low/non-pay intern type position in the industry I got my degree in. At least this way I can afford a lifestyle that makes me happy.

The only time it is important how your family feels about something is when they agree with you, unless you're referring to wife/kids, then that is different.