When AGS announces a new cabinet, others pay attention. They’ve been getting a lot of notice lately as they seem to have cemented their position as one of the strongest and fastest-growing players outside of the Big Four manufacturers (Aristocrat, IGT, Konami & Scientific Games). Their “Orion” cabinet line scored some impressive results recently. The “Portrait” was ranked third overall in the Eilers & Krejcik Cabinet Performance Report for March 2019. And even better, the “Slant” version came in at No. 2 in its category. No wonder, there’s a lot of anticipation about the NIGA debut of a new “Orion Upright.”
NIGA is particularly meaningful to this company as their early roots are strongly in the Class II world. They’ve achieved solid success for years in Oklahoma and other Native American properties. AGS President and Chief Executive Officer David Lopez said, “NIGA is a show we look forward to every year because it gives us a chance to meet with our tribal operator-partners in an intimate setting and highlight our newest and most exciting products. We are very excited about our new Orion “Upright” because it fills a need on many casino floors for a differentiated, attractive, and sophisticated core cabinet with great content.”
Both the “Portrait” and “Slant” Orions have been classified as premium and “core-plus” cabinets respectively; however, at AGS the term means top-of-line, rather than a leased or shared-revenue participation product only. All AGS games are available “for sale;” something operators appreciate because of the flexibility in the pricing model. 
Their base model, or the so-called core cabinet, is the “ICON.” The cabinet featured several innovative design elements first that others have now made standard: angled dual-LCD monitors, a slim, flat button deck, and dual spin buttons. These are traits that virtually every other slot supplier has now copied or made standard. As an AGS offering, the “ICON” has had strong success in Class II, and has built a solid footprint in Class III, despite getting licensed late in jurisdictions like Nevada.
Just prior to the show, the company announced that it had signed a long-term contract renewal with the Chickasaw Nation. The deal boosts AGS’ installed base to approximately 3,200 recurring revenue games across the tribal gaming operator’s 22 casinos in Oklahoma. The deal represents a significantly larger installed base of Class II games than in the past.
This new “Upright” cabinet combines some of the best features of the “ICON” and builds heavily on the design language of the Orion line. Brett Vela, AGS’s Games Product Manager, can’t contain his enthusiasm about this new offering. “The top 10 performing ‘ICON’ themes will launch on this new cabinet when it is released in 2019,” he says. AGS is thus avoiding a major mistake that many suppliers make of offering only new titles on their latest platforms. But he notes, “we’ll add four to six new themes following the launch to continue to build on the depth of the library. The “Orion Upright” will be available for both Class III and Class II jurisdictions. AGS also plans to add top-performing games themes from its “Orion Slant” platform and make them available for the “Orion Upright”.
Although the “Orion Upright” will be AGS’ newest core cabinet, a factor appreciated by operators is that AGS isn’t abandoning existing “ICON” owners as they will continue to release new themes for that cabinet through 2020 and provide hardware support to 2025.
At NIGA, operators will see, and get a chance to demo, the “Fortune Blast™” family featuring four brand-new titles: “Luck and Luxury,” “Imperial Luck,” “Goddess Treasures,” and “Blazing Luck.”
Physically, the new platform borrows the eye-catching multi-LED light panels of all Orion platforms. There’s no missing this distinct design feature from any distance. Unlike the other two premium boxes (“Portrait” and “Slant”), the “Upright” features dual 27” high-def monitors (up from the 23” displays on the “ICON”). The display gets even more impressive when adding the optional 21.5” LCD topper. There are also dual “spin” or “bash” buttons which have become standard on AGS offerings.
Many game titles will feature AGS’s successful multi-level progressive controller. The four-level meter version is their most popular setup, but they also have some “must-hit-by” progressive variants.
Operators will also appreciate some nice accommodations that AGS has built into the “Upright” for those servicing and maintaining these platforms. There’s nothing more irritating than a slot attendant opening the door of the machine next to you (usually on your right) and having your game blocked by the swinging door of your neighbor’s machine. AGS has made access to the interior components available through the LCD screens, which lift upward, rather than a standard door swing. The same applies to the bill validator, which comes out directly forward with no obstruction to nearby play.
AGS plans to begin field trials of the new cabinet across the country later this spring, with the official launch set for early August. You can preview the new Orion “Upright” in the AGS booth (#1651) at the San Diego Convention Center.
