Gaming
L&W Developing New Legally Compliant Dragon Train Game
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The lawsuit between two leading providers of gaming solutions, Light & Wonder (L&W) and Aristocrat Technologies, continues. In the legal battle, the latter company argued that the former misappropriated trade secrets and engaged in intellectual property theft when developing its Dragon Train game.
The New Version of the Game Seeks to Ensure Compliance with a Court Order
Amid the ongoing legal dispute, L&W released a recorded video statement where the company’s CEO, Matt Wilson, addresses a range of concerns. Notably, the executive confirmed that the company is currently working on a new version of Dragon Train. Recognized as v2.0 of Dragon Train, the new game seeks to ensure compliance with a recently issued court order. The announcement comes after Aristocrat seized the initiative in its lawsuit against L&W.
Confirmed late in September, the court order saw Judge Gloria M. Navarro with the US District Court for the District of Nevada side with Aristocrat, effectively preventing L&W from “continued or planned sale, leasing, or other commercialization of Dragon Train.” Moreover, the Judge explained that Aristocrat may succeed in proving that L&W “misappropriated Aristocrat’s trade secrets,” when developing Dragon Train.
According to Wilson, the development of the new version of Dragon Train that addresses the issues outlined by the court is a “high priority.” He revealed that L&W anticipates retaining the game as a part of its portfolio.
Additionally, Wilson explained that the litigation involving Dragon Train targets only a “small portion of the overall game.” He added that only “certain aspects of the map are being challenged,” while pointing to the unique features of the game, as well as its art, sounds and animations. “These things are not affected by the (court) order,” said Wilson.
The Company Reaffirmed Its Financial Targets
Last week, analysts with Truist Securities, quoted by NEXT.io, suggested that the creator of Dragon Train, Emma Charles, is no longer a part of L&W. In the latest statement, L&W’s CEO confirmed the departure of the game’s lead designer. Although Wilson confirmed that the game’s lead designer was terminated, no further details were disclosed.
“You might have already seen the news of the departure of Dragon Train’s designer from Light & Wonder. Though we don’t discuss specifics or personal matters, I can confirm the designer was terminated earlier this week.“
Matt Wilson, CEO at Light & Wonder
Focusing on the court order’s impact on company business, Wilson said that L&W remains dedicated to delivering its 2025 consolidated AEBITDA target of $1.4 billion. At the same time, he said L&W will maintain its focus on sustainable growth.
Speaking about the court order and its impact on the North American market, the executive said that L&W has a total of 33,000 lease units installed. According to Wilson, Dragon Train “represented a mid-single-digit percentage” of that total or approximately 2,200 units. The CEO said that so far, L&W hasn’t received a single removal request, and it is working hard to convert the installed units in compliance with the court’s request.
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Jerome García
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