SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
London Baby 2016 is set to be the social evening highlight of ICE week once again, with the event returning to Leicester Square’s glamorous Cafe de Paris.
Golden Race, cross platform gaming provider and betting solutions provider, is one of this year’s sponsors and will be at ICE on Stand S2 340.
SBC spoke to Jimmy Bone, Marketing and Client Executive at Golden Race, to discuss innovation, virtual reality and how Golden Race is planning to make Golden Race the buzzword of 2016.
SBC: What new products/services will you have for the market in 2016?
Jimmy: It’s a special year – we’re celebrating our tenth anniversary – so we have many special new products. 2016 will really highlight what we strive for at Golden Race: leading innovation.
The big release is our brand new MMA-inspired fighting game – Real Fighting. This is the best game of its kind, ever. In fact, nothing like it even exists anywhere else in the market! We took 16 professional fighters, recorded a huge amount of video of them, and designed rich 3D fantasy arenas to create the ultimate fighting game. We are really proud to be leading the way with this game, it’s fantastic.
Our 3D Tennis game is another big first for virtual sports. Utilizing the latest and greatest technology to seamlessly blend real video action with 3D backgrounds. Later in the year, we also have an incredible, completely reinvented take on Fantasy Football in an online multi-player game unlike any other.
Scheduled for immediate release are our unique new numbers game Perfect 6, and an exciting new addition to our pre-recorded races line up: Kart Racing. The other new developments are still top secret – we cannot give too much to our competitors!
SBC: What will be the industry buzzword for 2016 and why?
Jimmy: We prefer to focus on taking action and leading the industry, rather than worrying too much about where people say it might go.
That being said, I hear a lot of talk about innovation, and that really is something we strive for. We constantly ask what we can create to further engage players, to deliver enjoyable products in a way that maximizes retention and profit for our customers. One thing is for sure – Golden Race will be a top ranking buzzword this year!
SBC: Which new technology, service or consumer trend will have the biggest impact on the igaming industry in 2016?
Jimmy: It’s hard to avoid the Virtual Reality related news, with the Oculus Rift scheduled for release, and competing products bringing that incredible technology to the consumer.
Combined with the growth of HD and 4k technology, the demand for realistic experiences and products, and those that really engage players in a seamless way, are really going to increase. For the industry, it will be vital to keep up with this trend, while still providing solutions which are cost-effective in delivering those experiences in such a highly-competitive environment.
SBC: Why have you chosen to begin 2016 by sponsoring the London Baby Party?
Jimmy: ICE is the biggest event of the year, and sponsoring the London Baby Party is just a perfect opportunity to do our part in collaborating with customers, other companies, and create relationships that benefit the industry.
The party is great for ensuring face time, and for celebrating all of our successes. We will be unstoppable in 2016 – connecting with partners is a big part of that.
SBC: Finally, what must the igaming industry achieve/undertake in 2016 to ensure its continue growth?
Jimmy: It’s going to be important to develop cross-channel, multi-platform solutions. The traditional betting shop is still important, but with the continued increase of mobile devices and interconnectivity, the industry must keep up and ensure a presence that will stay relevant.
Conversely, we must ensure the solutions we provide can withstand the realities of emerging markets such as Africa, where power and internet are less reliable. Of course, Golden Race are ahead of the curve: we proudly released our Android-based solution for this last year – the only company able to run such high-tech virtual games on Android devices.
