Casino Apr 07 P28-29 3/28/07 9:40 am Page 34
INTERVIEW
Interblock
Interblock's star is undoubtedly on the rise, so Jon Bruford met
Interblock CEO Tomaz Zvipelj, company founder Joc Pececnik and
Aristocrat's Manager for Multi-Station Gaming, Australia and Asia
Pacific, John Wilson at ICE in January.
lektroncek was established in 1989, but Roulette game, Bingo, we have a carbon fiber reel and
E
only started its gaming interests around lots of other things…
1997. While their ideas seem fresh and
their approach energetic, this year was CI: So what is the idea behind the Organics
their 11th exhibiting at the ICE show. The concept?
Interblock brand came to the market in 1997 with JP: If you followed our promotion for the last six
their first product, called Princess, which was sold in months, the Organic [also known as G4, fourth
Hungary and Slovenia, which is also their base. generation] design is based on a special philosophy.
From here, their market expanded into Bulgaria The designers of Organic believe that people’s
and former Yugoslavia, even as far as Holland and philosophy is becoming more and more machine-
western Europe in the following years. In 2005, oriented, there exists a special relationship between
Aristocrat bought a 50 per cent stake in the company, people and machines, and people spend a lot of time
marking it as one to watch in the global gaming looking at the machines all around us.
“It’s been a year market. Jon Bruford finds out exactly what makes this If you look at yourself, you are using constantly
since Aristocrat
company tick… your mobile telephone and your car, so you kind of
live between machines and organic. The philosophy
became our Casino International: What makes your company of Organic is that the machines become human,
partner, and we
special, do you think? What makes you unique become organic, you understand? So that was the
compared to the many other companies making idea, the base for design and this design really shows
are quite happy
multi-player games? what we talking about; a new world, a new dimension
that the first part
Joc Pececnik: It’s very difficult to explain in a very in the 21st century and I think people really like it
of the transition
short time what is different but I think that any because the design uses soft lines and is very, very
visitor to ICE can feel and see the difference looking futuristic.
and the hardest
at just the product. If we’re talking about the design,
part of that
you see the designs of machines which we call G4 CI: What has the introduction of Aristocrat
Organic, it’s completely different, like it’s ready for actually meant for the company?
process is now
the future, but ready to use; regarding the technical Tomaz Zvipelj: As with every partnership it
finished.”
issue I can say that we have many, many new certainly required some changes and restructuring,
solutions inside multiplayer industry, and many new reorganization or repositioning of our activities.
patents on those solutions that make us special. It’s been a year since Aristocrat became our
One very well accepted new product at this show is partner, and we are quite happy that the first part of
our electromechanical Blackjack which is actually the transition and the hardest part of that process is
really an innovative product, nobody has this kind at now finished.
the moment. And then we have a lot of news We quite successfully divided the activities between
regarding existing multiplayer solutions, for example the companies, so Elektroncek and its group of
we have a new machine which we call Organic Twins, companies are responsible for R&D and for
we can install two or even more mechanical production and distribution in Europe and in Asia,
generators around one machine and the player can while Aristocrat and its subsidiaries is responsible for
choose which game they will play or they can play all distributing product in Australia, New Zealand, South
games at once, this is really innovative and this is a Africa and North America. Also, we now have a
patent. Then we have a couple of very important mutual presence on most of the world shows and
technical issues, like underglass technology for touch exhibitions and so on.
screen which means nobody can destroy our play-
station with coins or keys while they’re playing. And CI: Some of the acquisitions Aristocrat has made,
we have also renovated other new products like our Ace and Interblock, PokerTek as well, it’s really
28 APRIL 2007
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