Gaming pays

A north-east electronics company at the forefront of gaming technology is reaping the rewards of investment in research and development (R&D).

Innocore Gaming, based at Silverlink, North Tyneside, developed a circuit board to control all elements of video display gaming machines, with the help of an R&D grant of £84,000 from One North East.

The agency investment formed part of a £210,000 project by Innocore to develop its DPX-S410 circuit board and complementary software. The project proved a success, with the product selling £545,000 worth of units in its first quarter on the market.

The DPX-S410 controls all elements of the company's new gaming machines, including graphics, improved security to combat cheats and boost reliability and the level of payouts that each machine gives.

Innocore employs nine electronics specialists in the region and another six sales people globally. It was formed by a management buyout of the electronics division from Densitron Technologies in 2007.

The company is owned by three partners: managing director Edward Price; product director Craig Stapleton, who is based in Los Angeles; and sales director Koen Stomph, who is based in the Netherlands.

Price said: 'Approximately 99 per cent of our sales to the industry are in the export market but, thanks to the backing of One North East, the DPX-S410 was completely designed in the region and its success had had a significant impact on the company.'