February 2012
Putt Up or Shut Up
I.T.’s PowerPutt LIVE to Feature Six Courses & New Daily Tournament
Incredible Technologies’ mini-golf video PowerPutt debuted in the fall of 2008, charming players with life-like graphics and game play. The video presents a detailed universe of courses and individual holes that emulates real miniature golf in every aspect of the real-life version of the game.
PowerPutt quickly developed a cult-like following by players from coast to coast, according to factory execs. The game’s co-designers said they knew they had something special, but weren’t sure if the game would succeed in the street market alongside Golden Tee Golf and Silver Strike Bowling.
“There were some early marketing materials that referred to PowerPutt as ‘Golden Tee’s little sister,’” a bemused Jim Zielinski said. “We quickly nixed that approach because we knew the game would be a winner on its own without having to ride on Golden Tee’s coattails. We wanted to make sure that the game had its own identity.”
Zielinski knows what he’s talking about. With Larry Hodgson, and more recently with Brian Jandula. He’s the award-winning co-creator of Golden Tee, and he’s known to millions of players around the world as the game’s chief golf course architect.
“I’ve designed nearly 100 Golden Tee courses,” he said. “But I’ve got to tell you – nothing was more satisfying than creating the original PowerPutt courses, and I think the three new courses are even better. My favorite is King Putt’s Tomb.”
The original PowerPutt was designed as a stand-alone, offline game with three courses. I.T.’s new PowerPutt LIVE includes the three original courses plus three brand-new layouts for a total of six.
“We’ve tweaked all the tee and pin positions on the original courses giving them a new look and feel,” Zielinski said. “And when you add in all of the online functionality that players, locations and operators demand from on-premise games today, the end result is a unique, compelling entertainment experience.”
According to co-designer Ralph Melgosa, PowerPutt LIVE is more than just an update – it’s an entirely new game and one that will stay fresh for a long time to come.
“Jim and I pulled out all the stops with PowerPutt LIVE,” he said. “Besides getting to play six courses, players can track their stats, customize their on-screen golfer, check their world ranking and compete for cash in a daily tournament with an all-new format. PowerPutt LIVE is unlike any other game in the field.”
The new daily tournament format is designed to encourage repeat play. Players can compete as many times as they’d like – since a bad game does not hurt their chances of winning – and there is a new tournament every day. The new daily tournament also features an escalating cash purse starting with a minimum of $200. The top 50 players will win and the first-place prize begins at $50. As more games go online, and tournament entries increase, the tournament prize purse will increase as well.
Don Pesceone, senior VP of sales, believes the new tournament format, with its potential for huge cash prizes, will be very popular with players – very fast.
“Once the word spreads among players that there’s a new game in town with a tournament with big cash prizes, interest in PowerPutt LIVE will skyrocket. The key is getting in early and taking advantage of being the first on the block with a hot, new game,” he said. “But it doesn’t start and stop with the tournament alone. PowerPutt LIVE also features FACTS LIVE and AdWiz LIVE. Operators can run their own local contests and promotions using FACTS LIVE, and with AdWiz LIVE they can download full-color ads and messages directly to their games. No more manual installation required.”
Pesceone went on to say that the combination of annual PowerPutt LIVE and Golden Tee LIVE updates will make it easy for operators to forecast cash flows all year long.
“Operators can count on a PowerPutt LIVE new courses update every spring,” he said. “Coupled with a Golden Tee update in the fall, operators who take advantage of our no-money-down, 0% interest, monthly payment plans can avoid the rollercoaster cash-flow rides so common in our industry.”
Pesceone concluded by noting that the PowerPutt/Golden Tee pipeline will be flowing for many years to come.
“We believe in this industry, we believe in our customers and we believe in these two games. Incredible Technologies will continue to support them with updates for many years to come. If you’ve thought in the past that online connectivity was too big a hassle, that it was too expensive or it just wasn’t ‘your thing’, well now is the time to get onboard with us. We’ll show you how easy it is to make more money and to strengthen your relationships with your locations and players. It’s never too late to learn.”
PowerPutt LIVE will be on display at the Amusement Expo and is scheduled to ship in early March.
For more information on PowerPutt LIVE call the PowerPutt sales hotline at 800/262-0323, ext. 106 or visit the game’s official website at www.PowerPuttGolf.com.
The New Courses
Big Foot Bend – Excitement abounds in this wilderness setting where the strange and eerie lurk behind every tree.
King Putt’s Tomb – The tomb of King Putt is cursed! Don’t stray – the desert waits if you hit your ball out of bounds.
Roadside 66 – All the roadside wonders of America are here -- giant lumberjacks, plastic dinosaurs and more.
Dusty Trail – I reckon if you tenderfoots can tame this course, you can play anywhere – just watch out for the coyotes!
Skull Island – Arrr…there be pirates here…Avast ye matey and shiver me timber!
Freaky Tiki – The drums are beating so don’t incur the wrath of the mini-golf gods.
The Incredible Gamble is Paying Off
In November of 2009, Incredible Technologies unveiled its then new innovative brand of video slot, poker and keno casino games called Magic Touch. More than two years have passed since I.T. made its bold announcement and in the eyes of the amusement industry it’s unclear what, if anything, has changed at the company.
While games like Golden Tee LIVE and now Power Putt LIVE bolster its position of strength in the amusement sector, I.T. has already made a name for itself in the casino market as one of the more innovative, emerging slot companies in the business. Their portfolio includes over 25 unique video slot titles and 40 video poker/keno games which have already earned a handful of industry awards in recognition of their level of integrated innovation. In essence, I.T. is building from their amusement roots to establish a unique identity in the Class-III casino gaming sector, no different than the likes of Williams (WMS), Bally Technologies and Konami in years past.
“Since we made our formal announcement in 2009, I can say with conviction that Incredible Technologies is a stronger organization today,” said Elaine Hodgson, president and CEO. “Balancing the complexities of two industries has brought out the best in our people and has forced us to stay on the bleeding edge of entertainment technology.”
As of today, I.T. is licensed to sell its gaming machines in eight US states and 21 tribal jurisdictions. After an intensive period of R&D field testing in 2010 and some of 2011, the factory is now actively engaged in its formal gaming sales cycle and is beginning to gain market share. In addition to the US, the company is positioning itself for growth in Asian gaming markets, as well as iGaming (online) platforms.
It’s also no secret that I.T. sees a large opportunity in the Illinois video gaming sector. The Illinois-based company has decades of successful history working with the very same operators who will ultimately control the purchasing power of the roughly 30,000 gaming terminals projected for the market. With their knowledge of the Illinois market and the trusted relationships of their customers, I.T. has invested in the development of a Magic Touch Video Gaming Terminal (VGT) line made specifically for Illinois. A multi-game device, the Magic Touch VGT will contain upwards of 40 poker/keno games and seven unique video slots, most notably a top-secret Golden Tee slot game.
An iconic brand in the Illinois bar scene, Golden Tee Slots will be made available exclusively to Illinois terminal operators.
“We have an unbelievable advantage on our competition,” said Don Pesceone, senior VP of sales.
“We’re taking the insights that have shaped our greatest earning casino games and marrying them with our successes in the amusement industry. We’re able to speak the language of the Illinois market – its operators and its players – and what we’ve created is nothing short of a perfect storm for success
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