FAMILY FEUD GAME SHOW HISTORY

Technology has touched every facet of our lives. It has changed the way we work, the way we communicate, and it changed the way we play slot machines. Thanks to an unprecedented joint effort between MGM Grand, and game developer Silicon Gaming, the stalwart slot machine blossoms into a full blown entertainment attraction.

The high-end, Family Feud "Attraction" extends the traditional game-playing experience beyond the boundaries of the physical slot machine.

"This work represents the cutting edge for us. These 'Attraction Packages' we're developing are the expression of everything we've learned over the years. And, as we establish strategic development relationships, we will look to deploy these products in ways that will enhance the overall experience for the casino guest." - Andrew Pascal, CEO Silicon Gaming, Inc.

The Family Feud Slots installation included a full compliment of the Silicon Gaming-designed slot machines, custom lighting, custom seating, and a host of other design elements that reinforce the Family Feud brand. Of course, the actual slot machine remains the centerpiece of the whole affair. Beneath these eye appealing slots hide a handful of patent-pending technologies that make this machine the most advanced slot production the market today.

"There's a whole lot of technology under that hood, but for all the advances, we never did anything just for the sake of innovation. It all had to enhance the player's experience. That was our evaluation criteria. We had plenty of great ideas. But we only implemented the ones that added the most fun." - Chuck Berg, Silicon's VP of Engineering

As slot games become more sophisticated, user interface and information architecture become issues of primary concern. while the associated challenges are familiar to video game and website designers, they present fresh problems to the manufacturers of gaming devices. To help overcome any interaction miscues, the Family Feud Slot machines rely on a series of 40 individually choreographed lights, all controlled by a proprietary scripting language, to guide the player's attention to just the right spot on any of the machines three-high-resolution monitors.

The Family Feud games are based on three of Silcon's most popular product types, two of which are reel slots: the multi-line, multi-coin and the multi-spin. The third is a multi-deck poker implementation. What remains consistent across the game variations is the Family Feud Bonus.

Another innovative feature of the Feud slot is the machine's video capture capability. While other slot manufactures continue to tout the benefits of "interaction," Silicon has laid exclusive to "integration." A small camera integrated into the upright portion of the enclosure of the enclosure captures an image of the player and incorporates it into the game screen during the bonus round. The guidelines for playing the game is stated below.

In addition to the actual machines, the 3,500 square foot attraction includes custom signage, lighting, seating, carpeting, and other fixtures, all of which reinforce the Family Feud brand and heighten the game playing experience. Never before has a casino created such an elaborate environment in support of a single product.

But perhaps the most impressive engineering feat is the manner in which the company translated a skill-based game show proposition into a random outcome event suitable for a wagering device.

"There were two parts to our solution. First was to develop an extensive database of question and their associated answers. The second half of our challenge was to create a believable association between the perceived difficulty of the question and the perceived value of the awards associated with correct answers." - Chuck Berg

The device relies on a sophisticated algorithm to achieve this convincing result.

"We're always seeking new and exciting ways to entertain our guests. Silicon Gaming's Family Feud idea fit the bill. what they proposed was not only a great experience, but it also fit exceptionally well in branding 'The City of Entertainment' into a casino experience." - Bill Hornbuckle, President/COO MGM Grand

Family Feud Slots offers the most innovative gaming selections to be found on the casino floor. The three types of machines offered include:

• A multi-line/multi-coin slot game
• The popular multi-deck poker consisting of a five-hand poker deal which gives the player more of a selection than the single hand poker
• The multi-spin slot game which offers three sets of reels that can be held and re-spun

The Bonus Round of the game begins when a player successfully acquires a four-of-a-kind or a three-symbol match, depending on the game.

When the bonus round is achieved, the machine begins its transformation.

• The bonus screen turns black, directing the player's eyes to a flashing red beacon on the camera.
• A stage manager appears on the camera screen to grab the player's attention by declaring, "Okay player, look over here. We are ready to go in 5, 4, 3, 2..." the "On-Air" lights begin flashing.
• The machine lights up again and the player's attention is directed back to the main screen of the machine.
• Following through like the televised game, the screen reveals a fictitious family to go head-to-head with the player.
• The next panel displays an actual image of the player captured by the pseudo television camera located on the machine.
• The player hears the familiar cry, "Let's Play the Feud!" followed by the crowd cheering and the Family Feud theme music.
• The screen then reveals the actual survey board and the announcer says, "top four answers on the board, name something white." The answer plaque begins to spin and the player is prompted to push the large, red plunger to select their answer.
• The word "ice cream" appears and the crowd begins cheering, "Good answer! Good answer!" The announcer cries, "Survey Says . . ."
• There is a "ding" and the answer appears on one of the survey board plaques. The crowd cheers.
• The player is prompted to give another answer to the question and the word "car" locks into place. The jolting buzz of a wrong answer sound as an "X" flashes over the bonus board. The crowd sympathizes with an "Awhh."
• The player continues the bonus play until either all answers are revealed or they have three X's. The awards are tallied at the end of the round and the player transitions back into the main game.

Take two families, a large game board, a host with a sense of humor and survey answers supplied by the public. Then sit back and watch the fun in one of television's highest rated and longest running game shows, "Family Feud."

Family Feud was one of the most successful game shows launched in the 1970's. Mark Goodson came up with the idea for Family Feud from one of his other hit game shows, Match Game. The "audience match" round of Match Game featured panelist Richard Dawson and a contestant trying to match the correct response to an audience survey. The segment became a huge hit with audiences and soon the survey, Richard Dawson and the Family Feud were on the air.

Family Feud began its initial nine-year run on ABC in July 1976, with Richard Dawson as host. The format featured two families who faced off against each other to guess the most popular responses to all sorts of questions. Within one year of its debut on ABC, Family Feud became the number one game show on daytime television.

The show was simultaneously syndicated from September 1977 to September 1985, in most early fringe and access time periods, while the network also hosted several Family Feud prime time specials. The show was picked up against in July 1988, this time on CBS with Ray Combs as host. Family Feud aired on the network until 1993, but continued its syndication run, which also began in 1988, until 1995. The show maintained the number one position for its time period during both the network runs, as well as in syndication. Family Feud was honored with an Emmy Award in 1977 for Outstanding Television Game Show.

In September 1999, Pearson Television's Family Feud premiered in national syndication with Emmy Award-winning host Louie Anderson. While staying with the traditional format that has made the program a perennial hit, Family Feud unveiled a new set resembling a state-of-the-art athletic arena to reflect the show's spirit of exciting competition.

Family Feud is a trademark of Grundy International Operations, BV, licensed by Pearson Television, Inc.

Andrew Pascal was elected president and Chief executive Officer of Silicon Gaming, Inc., in February 1999. Previously, he had served as the company's Executive Vice President of Marketing and Game Development since October, 1994. As a member of the company's founding team, and a seasoned casino veteran, Andrew brought a wealth of industry knowledge to the challenge of creating revolutionary gaming products. His aesthetic sensibilities and his commitment to creating uncompromising entertainment experiences established a creative course that the company follows to this day.

Pascal has over 10 years of gaming industry experience with an emphasis in slot marketing, slot merchandising and slot operations. Prior to joining Silicon Gaming, he was with Mirage Resorts, Inc., where he held various management and executive positions from 1994 to 1995 including: Director of Slot Operations and Marketing for The Mirage Hotel and Casino; and, Director of Slot Marketing for the Golden Nugget. From 1992 to 1994, Andrew also served on The MIrage's eight-member Operating Committee, a cross-functional executive team that set operating policy and provided strategic direction for the industry-leading property. Andrew is a graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder.

In July of 1993, the marriage of entertainment and technology bore its first casino gambling offspring, Silicon Gaming. The company's mission was to design and develop a new kind of slot machine, one that would offer casino patrons a much richer and more engaging slot experience. The company would achieve this end by placing the power of personal computers into the hands of a skilled team of artists, animators, storytellers, and engineers.

"Out roots run deep in innovative thinking. We set out to transform the slot business by raising the standard for gaming entertainment. Other facets of the leisure industry were vying for our customers. And in a world of blockbuster movies, 64-bit video gams, and Disney class theme parks, the gambling experience needed some freshening up." - Andrew Pascal

The company's vision came to fruition in April of 1997 with the introduction of the Odyssey, a state-of-the-art, multi-game, wagering platform. The device featured a large, touchscreen video display, stunning graphics, rich three-channel audio, and a menu of up to six different games.

In the three years since the Odyssey's introduction, the slot industry has undergone remarkable changes. One significant shift in the marketplace has been the rise to prominence of brand-based games. Their overwhelming popularity has led to a spate of new products, including Wheel of Fortune, Monopoly, and Jeopardy. The familiarity of an established brand seems to ground players in an otherwise unfamiliar slot experience.

Silicon Gaming has taken this trend one step further by using the brand-based game as an anchor for a much larger gaming attraction. These fully integrated packages extend the game-playing experience beyond the boundaries of the physical slot machine.

"This work represents the cutting edge for us. These attraction packageswe'rer developing are the expression ofeverythingn we've learned. - Andrew Pascal

Silicon Gaming, Inc., designs and manufactures a full line of innovative wagering products, including the Odyssey and Quest slot machines, and an extensive library of game applications, including Phantom Belle, Eureka, Cash Cruise, Ganana-Rama, and Hot Reels. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Silicon is traded on the OTC Bulletin Board as SGIC.