Microgaming gave us some pretty mixed signals this year at ICE, drawing a fair amount of attention for all sorts of reasons. To begin with, they kicked off the show with a new product which has drawn quite a bit of negative press as well as some raised eyebrows, their Playboy-themed slots game.
Now, the gaming industry might say – and justifiably, some might think – that if they’re not allowed to use content that might appeal to children in games or advertising, and they’re not allowed to use any salacious or adult-oriented content, either, that that is unreasonably restrictive. Nonetheless, Microgaming were swept up in some general criticisms levied at the convention by the CEO of the UK Gambling Commission (UKCG), Sarah Harrison, and reported by CDC Gaming elsewhere. The infamous nature of the Playboy brand, and the spectacle of Microgaming’s opening ceremony at the ExCeL Centre, made this association by the press coverage almost inevitable.
The opening ceremony featured a dance show from Microgaming celebrating the launch of the Playboy game, which Microgaming commissioned exclusively from Triple Edge Studios. The dancers in the show, you might have heard, wore sparkling body suits and dangled from hoops suspended from the ceiling.
A less controversial – but equally compelling – display, by Triple Edge Studios themselves, was the 360-degree photo experience that had pride of place in the central thoroughfare between the two massive halls where most of the show’s stalls were located. This allowed visitors to enter the chamber and move about or jump or dance to create 3D 360-degree video footage of themselves to be sent to their mobile phone for later use. A crowd pleaser, indeed.
Probably the most worthwhile thing seen from Microgaming at this year’s ICE convention, however, was their playitforward initiative. This focuses on four social pillars: health, education, charity and sport. It was launched four years ago and has, in that time, sponsored sports stars, assisted in students attending University, and raised funds for many charities.
In terms of number crunching, Microgaming has had many smaller events raise three figure sums, but the larger project seems to be their Gift of Giving event, which has raised over £120,000 for charities over the years. It may be a drop in the ocean compared with their profit margins, but it’s more than many other operators seem to be doing.
