IGT Announces New Service Window Solution for Legacy Video Games; the Industry's Only GSA-Compliant Player Interface System

RENO, Nev., March 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- International Game Technology (NYSE: IGT) announced today its new Service Window solution for legacy IGT 80960 video machines, furthering the Company's commitment to Gaming Standard Association (GSA) and the Game to System (G2S) protocols. This new Service Window solution, which is scheduled to be deployed in fall 2010, is the only GSA-compliant player interface available for IGT 80960 machines.

"This new solution helps preserve operator investments. Now operators will have access to future technologies on the gaming machines they have today. And, because this solution is GSA-compliant, it gives operators more control and flexibility for the types of content distributed across the network – creating a better player experience," said Rich Schneider, executive vice president of gaming products.

"For the gaming industry, as a whole, to move to the next step in providing a more interactive and entertaining player experience, all manufacturers must be GSA- and G2S-compliant and committed to open protocols. It's just like the Internet – in order to open up a world of innovative applications that evolve the gaming experience, we all need to develop and implement GSA-compliant protocols in everything we do," Schneider said, adding, "With this development, operators can now run Service Window on any G2S-compliant system. Today, sbX™ is the only system available that uses G2S to drive Service Window."

The Service Window provides a unique player interaction experience, right at the slot machine. When the player inserts his players club card, a special "window" slides the game screen over, providing a menu of information and services the player and operator can customize, all designed to improve the player experience.

According to GSA, an electronic gaming machine (EGM) is said to be G2S compliant if the core functionality provided by the EGM is communicated to the system via the G2S protocol only, and in a compliant manner. Similarly, when interoperating with an EGM, a system is said to implement the G2S protocol if the functionality provided by the system is communicated to the system via the G2S protocol only, and in a compliant manner.

Today, IGT delivers the Service Window using a pure implementation of the GSA protocol. With this new solution, IGT will offer a G2S Service Window solution on all IGT video platforms including the legacy 80960 video games.

"For AVP® machines, which includes our popular S AVP® spinning-reel machines and IGT DynamiX™ with Multi-Layer Display (MLD®) technology, the Service Window is included as a feature. IGT's newest games require no additional hardware which saves operators money," Schneider said.

The Service Window implementation on 80960 legacy games will require an upgrade kit that leverages a G2S-compliant interface to insert video into the legacy display. For newer AVP® machines, the Service Window is built into the game. Legacy mechanical reel games will continue to use sb NexGen® devices for player communications.

IGT's Service Window is a customer-centric solution and the only one that is GSA-compliant and available on all IGT games. Service Window was built by IGT using feedback from the community and then donated for all manufacturers to use.

IGT's sbX™ Experience Management system is also built on GSA open protocols, providing the gaming industry with a total GSA-compliant solution.

International Game Technology (www.IGT.com) is a global company specializing in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and sales of computerized gaming machines and systems products.

SOURCE IGT