New manufacturer enters state market
Paul Tash
Montana Tavern Times
Montana gaming operators and players later this year will get an opportunity to experience some new games in a new machine developed by a brand new manufacturer.
“We're focusing on providing quality games, not only for players, but for operators,” said Brian DuVal, president of the gaming division of Billings-based Epic Software.
Epic Software is creating a new cabinet with a suite of five poker and six keno games, which could be available as early as this spring. The machine will be available to all licensed operators in the state.
“We want to bring some fun into the market,” DuVal said. “Our goal is to create exciting games to keep players playing longer, which will help keep money in operators' pockets.”
Epic software formed in July 2010, DuVal said, and a staff of 12 full-time employees has been nose to the grindstone developing the games and cabinet.
“It's been a lot of work,” DuVal said. “It takes an experienced staff to create a product from scratch. It's a huge undertaking.”
DuVal said the process has been exciting, as staff members work on individual tasks that are then incorporated into a single product. Epic Software has listened to players and operators, he said, to help engineers develop a machine that offers features they want.
The games will come in a sit-down cabinet featuring a 22-inch monitor and dual displays (top and bottom screens). The cabinet will feature some unique lighting to draw players in, with the highest-quality graphics and sounds, DuVal said.
“We pride ourselves on the sound and graphics.”
DuVal said Epic has been working on some new concepts for improving play time to distinguish itself. That's especially important, he said, because “every manufacturer in Montana does a great job with keno and poker.”
The new machine and suite of games will be aggressively priced, DuVal said, increasing its affordability.
“We want to help out everybody,” he said. “Just because they have a small operation doesn't mean they shouldn't have the latest technology.”
Epic Software can be reached at (406) 281-8302.