There have been many slot games that have used the licenses of well-known television shows and movies. These have helped increase the popularity of online slots. In this article, we discuss the relationship between television, movies, and online slots.
When was the last time you bought something, purely because it featured your favorite movie character or television personality? This branding tactic works, and it has never been more true than in the realm of online casinos. There have been many slot games that bear the characters and imagery from popular entertainment. Below, we discuss the relationship between television, movies, and online slots.
Slot Games with Television and Movie Licenses
In the past ten years, the online casino industry has become huge. Raking in billions of dollars in revenue each year, it has gained this popularity through many astute business and marketing decisions. These have included generous bonuses, consistent improvements to customer service, and in the realm of online slots, getting licenses to use existing popular culture franchises.
Using licenses from popular culture is a great marketing tactic, and not just one used in online gaming either. Collaborations between brands have been around since the birth of consumerism. Yet in the modern age of popular culture, slots, television, and movies combined make a lot of sense. The glamour, glitz, and element of fantasy are a sure fire winner.
When people see real money slots linked to a franchise they know, it breeds familiarity. This can make people more likely to try a game out. For example, if you love the Terminator movies and are thinking of getting into online slots then the Terminator II slot machine is a great place to start.
This also allows both sides to hijack the fanbase of the other. For example, those who are huge Godzilla fans may be tempted to try the slot game purely because it features their favorite characters. The industry gets new players who may not normally have been interested in starting out on these games, and vice versa.
The Reinvention of the Gameshow
In recent years, slot games have taken a chunk of inspiration from the world of the television game show. In fact, in many ways, it could be said to have reinvented the concept.
This has its roots in the live casino concept. This is where a dealer or croupier will stream their activities to players when they manage a game. As they deal in table games like poker, the player will see what is going on and can interact and make wagers using the integrated technology. This provides the convenience of an online casino with the interaction of an online one.
In the world of slots, this works slightly differently. Seeing the appeal of live table games, developers began to trial a new concept: The live bonus round. This is where players who manage to enter the bonus round of a slot title get to take part in their game show. Generally, it will involve a player entering into a game that is overseen by a live host in a studio, possibly with an assistant. They will guide the player through the activity, allowing them to win cash prizes and multipliers to increase their total.
Concepts for these have been widespread. Classic literature like Alice in Wonderland has been used, but more importantly, the ones from television are aplenty. The Endemol created Deal or No Deal now has its own online slot, that lets people in the live bonus round play the game. Many of the bigger online casinos will even now have gameshow lobbies.
The Most Obscure Movie and Television-Themed Slots
The big new movies and television shows, particularly those with science fiction and fantasy backgrounds, often have a new slot game coming out. However, some of the most enjoyable themed slots are the ones with obscure franchises. Even chat show host Ellen DeGeneres had her Vegas-themed slot at one point.
Knight Rider was one of the most memorable science fiction shows of the eighties. It featured David Hasselhoff as Michael Knight, a secret agent who solved crime with the help of his talking car, Kit. This game features all the iconography from the original show, replacing symbols for all the sleek equipment he used in the show and of course, the star of the show, the car. A one for nostalgia fans, the slot proved popular to those who hadn’t even seen the show.
Sausage Party was an R-rated animation, about a group of foods in a supermarket who realize they are going to get taken away and eaten. Written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, it was a parody of animated movies of the time. A minor commercial hit, the slot game proved more popular than the actual movie with its huge stack of bonus features.
There have also been plenty of times when slot games have created franchises with more than a passing resemblance to popular culture themes. Agent Jane Blonde has a string of slots and is a reference to the 007 franchise, along with Rich Wilde in the Book of Dead franchise and his Indiana Jones theme. As long as movies are produced and slots are popular, it is inevitable that more will become available.
