Online casino game development is massively competitive. Despite the regulatory incursions of gambling watchdogs, especially in the UK, the sector remains highly profitable. Indeed, there are now hundreds of developers and distributors around the world all vying for the attentions of an ever-more sophisticated gambling audience. It follows then that hooking players into the lucrative psychological risk-reward loop has become a rather tricky business for UK online casinos in particular.
The best way to achieve this is to apply a recognisable and/or quirky theme to an online slot. Historical epochs are highly favoured among developers, especially Egypt, Greece and Rome. You might be forgiven for thinking that the distant days of antiquity wouldn’t be of much appeal to your typical reel-spinning profligate.
But these games keep coming, month after month after month. So they’re obviously a source of considerable income for the big distributors. They’re also easier to produce. After all, creative departments don’t have to sully their hands by crafting elaborate storylines. They’ve already got at their disposal a ready-made myth or historical tale that can be adapted to suit their requirements. This means that developers can churn out these titles far more frequently.
It’s the same with movie-themed slots as well which are becoming increasingly prevalent in the casino game lobbies. These types of games tend to be developed by companies with bigger budgets – delivering branded slots isn’t cheap. Nevertheless, they can spell big bucks for companies like Netent and Playtech. A slot game that combines addictive elements of play with a familiar and instantly recognisable brand can be a heady mix for many players. And there’s the added possibility of attracting the actual fans of the movie.
Some of the most popular movie-themed slots include Man of Steel, Terminator 2, Planet of the Apes, Ted and Halloween. Typically, such slot games feature polished imagery pulled directly from the movie. This isn’t always the case though. Certain developers will add their own interpretations. For example WMS recently launched their branded Gremlins slot in conjunction with Red 7. Although officially tied to the 80s cult horror classic, it comprised cartoon-like renderings of the main characters – which wasn’t to everybody’s taste
However, the Gremlins slot game represents a major trend within the realms of branded slot creation, namely retro gaming. Yes, our yearning for times past is being exploited to the full by some of the major casino game developers. Titles such as Top Gun, Casablanca (yes really), Terminator 2 (see above), Rambo and The Goonies are fairly typical examples. Like standard movie slot tie-ins, these games offer a strong degree of escapism fuelled by an often iconic narrative and motif. What’s more, these classics still enjoy cult followings. But don’t be fooled by the word ‘cult’. The fans of such legendary films often number in the millions. This obviously represents fertile territory for online casino game creators.
So the answer to our leading question appears to be in the affirmative. Movie themes do transfer well to slot games. They’re addictive, escapist and drain the pockets of gamblers the world-over.
