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Hannah Albrightson, editorial assistant
As one of Casino Enterprise Management’s Global Gaming Expo newbies, I eagerly awaited the show’s opening so I could see for myself what all the hype was about. The enormous scale of the Sands Expo & Convention Center certainly lived up to my expectations. As I experienced the next few days of the show, a few other things stood out to me as well.

As a huge fan of AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” I was especially thrilled to witness authentic zombies roaming the show floor to promote Aristocrat’s The Walking Dead™ slot game. I was lucky to have many close, premeditated encounters with them throughout the day. The zombies’ grisly, bloody makeup and torn clothing was perfect and almost made me wish I was in AMC’s post-apocalyptic world…almost.

Another memorable show movement for me was Aruze’s G-LINK® title SINBAD™. In SINBAD players go on quests to conquer monsters and gain exciting awards. My favorite part of this game involved the head-to-head player interactions, and although my competitor beat me every time, I still had tons of fun floating on magical carpets, battling monsters and finding gems. This game will definitely find its place with a younger generation.

Since I was a first-time visitor to G2E and Las Vegas, I was really thrilled to not only discuss industry trends, but also be given a history lesson at the YESCO booth. It was impressive to learn that the company is responsible for perhaps one of the most iconic Las Vegas signs: Vegas Vic!

Antinea Ascione, senior associate editor
This was G2E round two for me, having attended my first show last year. Although I knew I would be intrigued by the products on display, I also assumed it would all be old hat for me—you know, how many innovations and changes could there really be in a year?

Well, apparently a number of them.

GTECH’s Sphinx 3D™ is revolutionary. I had to tear myself away from it to give the throngs of people around the game a fighting chance to claim an empty spot. Without the aid of 3-D glasses or any objects on my person, I was able to view desert landscapes and tall pyramids in full 3-D, and I could almost feel myself float through the various passages within a pyramid to make it to the bonus round. I couldn’t help but repeatedly touch the symbols on the screen to make sure they were projections—my fingers went go straight through them. This game truly inspires wonder and encourages interaction. Players have to spin, flick and tap the screen in order to play the bonus rounds, and anticipation builds as they wait for potentially large pay-outs to tick…tick…tick toward them. This was definitely one of my favorite games on the show floor.

Another favorite was Casino Data Imaging’s (CDI) iGuide™ Wayfinder plus. I feel that tools such as this may be overlooked amid the sea of new games, Avatars and zombies, but I had recently become aware of the importance of an easy-to-use, interactive wayfinder tool for patrons. CDI’s new tool is just that! Patrons can search for games based on denomination or brand and then watch a path on the screen lead them from their current location to the selected game. Finding restaurants, bathrooms and theatres are equally as simple.

Incredible Technologies’ booth was larger than ever before, and I was pleased to see a number of their popular games on display. I was even happier to leave the booth with a pair of bling stunner shades, in honor of the popular King of Bling® game.

The layout of the floor this year was quite similar to that of last year, and I again found it easy to maneuver around and find various booths. I do wish there were healthier food options within reach for those of us who spend the day shuffling from interview to interview, but then again I had the perfect excuse to eat chocolate chip cookies for lunch. The G2E pressroom had enough cookies, coffee and water to keep me going throughout the week.

Jessica Ballou, associate editor
As a newbie to G2E, it goes without saying that I was impressed by nearly everything around me. Although almost everything I saw on the huge show floor at the Sands Expo & Convention Center was a hit, a few things in particular really stood out.

The most thrilling event for me was the TournEvent of Champions® put on by Multimedia Games. Walking in to Lagasse’s Stadium for the event was overwhelming, to say the least, as we were surrounded by people on the first and second levels cheering for the 88 players competing for a chance to win $100,000. The adrenaline was pumping, and the excitement was contagious as we all eagerly watched to see the first-prize winner.

One highlight that made the child and Halloween enthusiast within me quite happy involved Beetlejuice from WMS. While I didn’t get a chance to play the game, as every time I walked by it was packed, seeing one Beetlejuice in his signature white and gray striped suit and another in a red tuxedo with a seemingly shrunken head and neck couldn’t help but make my smile each time I saw them.

And even though I’m not big into sports, the InteractivePro™ Table with the 42-inch touch screen display from Suzo-Happ Group really caught my eye. The screen, which boasted 10 simultaneous touch points, promised to be an exciting venture for up to four people to watch sports, place bets and browse the web all at once.

Marian Green, managing editor
Okay, I’m not going to even say how many G2Es I’ve attended. Let’s just leave it at many. Some are better than others, and G2E 2013 delivered the goods, bringing no shortage of cool new slots with appealing math, engaging bonuses and themes based on movie, television and other entertainment brands.

For pure gaming value, Konami Gaming, Inc.’s Dragon’s Law KP3 XtraReward® video slot impressed at G2E and has been on a roll since its recent release. Players love the game’s math and the dragon that snakes in and around the reels, randomly bringing wilds to the video reels before or after any spin to improve a player’s chances. This just may be the next China Shores, one of Konami’s best-performing games.

Bally made its own magic with an intriguing video slot based on master illusionist David Copperfield. The Magic of David Copperfield™ slot unleashes bonuses and wide-area progressive jackpots through the “Death Saw” while showing video clips of illusions from Copperfield’s mind-blowing performances. I expect this well-crafted game will resonate with slot players because of its entertaining bonuses and Copperfield’s worldwide popularity.

Two old-school favorites, from Aristocrat Technologies, hit the sweet spot of the slot gaming demographic—the Batman™ Classic TV Series slot game powered by Wonder Wheels™ and The Rolling Stones video slot. Batman faithfully recreates the campy television series, from familiar opening credit scenes of bad guys scrolling across the screen to clips of the Dynamic Duo facing off with The Joker and The Riddler. Holy slot bonus, Batman! This game, with its Wonder Wheels progressive, is pure nostalgia and a lot of fun. But it was The Rolling Stones game that glued me to my seat for waaaay too long, watching clips of Mick and the Boys and that iconic tongue revealing bonuses. This game just might have some real staying power, much like the World’s Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll Band, which recently wrapped up a tour celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Leslie Salguero, new media editor
It happened…I survived my first G2E. I was a bit overwhelmed by the size of the show floor, the lights and the different music coming from all directions…it’s almost a sensory overload. After some acclimation, and one or two frantic searches on the map, I got my bearings and maneuvered through the floor like a G2E pro.

WMS really impressed me at the show. There was a lot of innovation, which could really be seen in the products being featured on their floor. They have products for the players who like traditional 3-reel slots and products for players who like video reels. Now, they’ve got machines that incorporate both of the elements in the same machine! There was definitely something for everyone at the WMS booth. 

The parties were also fun to attend. It’s like a nature documentary, complete with an Australian voice-over: “See the animals of the gaming industry socialize in the wild.” I personally liked IGT’s James Cameron’s AVATAR™ intimate dinner for members of the press. “Avatar” producer John Landau and actor Stephen Lang were in attendance, and there was even a Q&A session. It was very different from other industry events. Those who were in attendance were able to ask questions about the games—James Cameron’s AVATAR™ Video Slots and AVATAR™ Treasures of Pandora—or the process behind bringing the box-office blockbuster to life with impressive graphics, as well as never-before-seen bonuses and customizable options. 

There were a slew of new games featuring nostalgic themes that we all know and love. Ripley’s Believe It Or Not® game by AGS®, The Jetsons™ , Beetlejuice™ and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off™ by WMS, Flashdance™ and the 1960s TV show version of Batman™ by Aristocrat, and Jurassic Park® and Back To The Future™ by IGT were all titles that make you take a walk down memory lane, even if it’s just for a couple of spins.