Light & Wonder Developing New Version of Dragon Train, Confirms Designer's Firing
Date: 2024-10-04 Author: Robert Beloved Categories: EVENTS
Last month, the Nevada District Court ruled that L&W must stop providing Dragon Train in response to Aristocrat's lawsuit, which accuses the company of infringing intellectual property, copying game mechanics, and infringing copyright.
Aristocrat filed the lawsuit in February, alleging that Dragon Train shares many similarities with its Dragon Link series of games. Specifically, the petition raised concerns about the role of former Aristocrat executives now working at Light & Wonder in the game's development.
Dragon Train launched in the US in March, while Dragon Link has been around since 2017.
Developing a New Version of the Game
In a video message, Wilson attempted to reassure investors regarding the situation with the case. L&W is working on a new version of the game called Dragon Train 2.0, which he said will remain in the company's portfolio for many years to come.
He noted that the next version of the game will comply with the court's requirements, although no specific timeline for the relaunch was given.
"We are actively working on this and have made it a high priority. We expect Dragon Train to remain a franchise in our portfolio for many years to come," Wilson said.
He added, however, that the changes will be minimal, as the court's decision only affects a small portion of the entire game.
"It's only certain aspects of the map that are being challenged. There are many elements of the game that made it successful, such as the art, sound design, animation, and branding. Those things are not affected by this order," he added.
Removal of an existing version from the portfolio
Wilson also confirmed that L&W has already reached out to customers to remove the existing Dragon Train game from its offering. This includes both the North American and Australian markets. The company is offering other games from its portfolio to offset the loss of Dragon Train to customers.
“We have about 33,000 units installed in North America. Dragon Train was a mid-single digit percentage of that, about 2,200 units. We are actively working with our customers to replace those games in accordance with the court order,” Wilson said.
So far, the case has not had a negative impact on L&W’s reputation with customers, as he said there have been no requests to remove gaming devices following the injunction.
“Removing Dragon Train from the portfolio is a priority for us,” he added.
As for Australia, Wilson said Dragon Train had been a “tremendous success” in the country, but is now unavailable.
“We expect new games to add to our sales pipeline, and we want to make the most of that opportunity in Q4 and beyond as we begin to scale the full versions of those titles,” he concluded.
Dragon Train designer fired
Wilson also addressed reports that Dragon Train's designer, a former Aristocrat employee, had left L&W.
"While we don't discuss personal details, I can confirm that the designer was fired this week," he said.
Wilson concluded the video by expressing optimism about the company's future.
"Overall, I remain very excited about the future of Light & Wonder. This is an isolated incident that we are resolving effectively," he concluded. "The team is united. We will continue the momentum you have seen over the last five years."
