Why are online slots often based on other games and films?
There is little doubt that you have heard the good news: we are living in the absolute golden age of online casinos. And there is also little doubt that you are familiar with the most popular form of game therein: slots. But how has the game adapted to the digital era? Quite magnificently, by combining the media we love with the thrill of gambling.
One reason that springs to mind is the fact that there are millions and millions of A: movie buffs and B: gamers, so the market has wisely sought to include them! There are literally two hundred million phone gamers in the U.S. and a substantial amount of them are placing wagers. With all that competition there needs to be hooks to draw people in. Now, there are key features to look out for, such as big bonuses when choosing, but you might find that you love Assassin’s Creed and are drawn to playing slots with Ezio looking over your shoulder.
Was it always like this? Well, not exactly when you consider the fact that the first slot machine predates the first feature-length movie by over a decade! (and I guess video games by quite a bit more…). The ‘Liberty Bell’ was invented by one Charles Fey of San Francisco in 1894 and has the same core elements as slots today. I wonder if old Charles would have predicted the slow-burning wildfire of his idea that would reach its peak in the 2020s! The story of the Kelly gang was the first feature in 1906 in Australia, so one could almost imagine an olden-days crossover of the two… perhaps the jackpot is the gang’s bounty reward and is pasted above the machine. As for video games, that was the green, blippy tennis madness of the late fifties – perhaps a tougher image to market!
Anyway, fast forward to much later when slots were digitized, themes had blossomed as a signature aspect to the gaming machines. Not specific stories necessarily but worlds, such as a jungle hierarchy of beasts that needs climbing or a futuristic metropolis where all the inhabitants are sexy women. Nowadays just about anything successful in the world of media and stories seems to be made into a casino game, but particularly superheroes and high-concept action films. But given how easy it seems to be for studios to settle licensing agreements, anything seems to go in this current climate. Heck, I half expect to see a damn Spongebob Slotpants at this point.
What is it about slots that makes them so popular? Well, besides the speed at which they are played (getting that head rush is never easier than with slots!), convenience is also a notable quality: now players can wager precise amounts not just whatever the machine accepts, and they can browse all the different slots without having to find another machine! The former is ideal for getting apprehensive newcomers and frugal Freddies in on the fun: some accept wagers as low as half a penny! Not to mention seeing your favorite character and a flashing dollar sign might inspire you to at least take a look. Another big reason is all the hype over slot tournaments, as you may have seen some YouTubers competing: they get quite intense and thrilling. It has to be said though, the online casino blackjack tournaments are where it’s at: where underdogs rise and titans fall, there is no better tension available to stream!
When following the increasingly blurred lines between gaming and iGaming (online gambling) into the future one cannot help but see their ultimate conflation. Just imagine a company like bet365 teaming up with Playstation and designing a betting lobby that fills the table with stakes when a Call of Duty shootout begins. Just imagine the focus, the rush of a killstreak in that scenario. Only a matter of time I hope, though I can thankfully not say the same for the film industry! It is tough to see where slots fit in with this conflation, and in fact is perhaps the reason why the two worlds will never fully merge: people love games of complete chance and always will. Slots are over a damn century old and have earned their place as a pillar of gambling,
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