Sometimes games that certain individuals like don't resonate with the public in general (think Flip It or Derby), or they aren't equipped to keep pace with changing technology and they fade away. According to Mike Trask, senior manager of corporate communications for Bally Technologies, "There are newer suites where the software [for Game Maker] is available." These suites are compatible with some (but not all) Bally video cabinetry, but it’s apparently not a high-priority item. Says Trask, "Game Maker is pretty old. It's like one of our original slot machines." Translation: This is an offering that's going away. The company does advertise Pick ’Em Poker and Gold Mine as stand-alone games, but it doesn’t track which casinos carry them.
Samantha Roper of Boyd Gaming confirmed that Game Maker is an endangered species. She told us, "We will have the Bally Game Makers at the Orleans for several more years, but I did a quick check with our other Las Vegas properties and right now, the Orleans is the only one that offers them." Sorry, but if the availability of Game Makers is what determines where you stay in Las Vegas, your choice of casinos has been narrowed to only one.
