Gamers have proven they take to many proprietary slot themes at the least as a lot as these video games with flashy licensed themes
By Frank Legato
The character of slot machines underwent an enormous change within the late Nineties. As multi- line video slots unfold from Aristocrat to WMS Gaming and past, IGT launched a sport in 1996 that will, in essence, create a brand new style of slot machine: the themed sport.
That first sport was, after all, Wheel of Fortune, a big-money progressive reel-spinner connected to a roulette-like fortune wheel painted within the colours of the sport present Wheel of Fortune. Audio blaring the viewers cheer from the present sealed the deal, and from then on, slot-makers launched slots with particular options that went past multiplying wild symbols or wheel spins—most of the time falling below a specific theme or model.
Among the early ones just like the WMS sport Reel ’Em In had been proprietary manufacturers—that individual sport that includes second-screen bonus animation depicting a fishing boat loaded with fishermen and a fisherwoman, all wisecracking with Chicago accents (WMS was primarily based in Chicago) as they dropped their strains attempting to hook bonus “fishes” for the gamers.
However way more dominant firstly of the twenty first century had been slots primarily based on a TV present, film or music star. Slot producers started competing with one another to nab doubtlessly profitable themes from common tradition. Bally had its Betty Boop slot, IGT had its Beverly Hillbillies.
IGT would observe with a barrage of TV-themed slots—Laverne and Shirley, M*A*S*H, The Twilight Zone, I Dream of Jeannie—in addition to musical themes like Elvis.
After a number of years, the licensed themes had been fewer, as slot-makers constructed up their very own proprietary manufacturers. Slots like Fortunate Larry’s Lobstermania from IGT, Buffalo from Aristocrat, Rakin’ Bacon from AGS, Money Machine from Everi and Huff ’N Puff from Gentle & Surprise grew to become prolonged sport franchises together with any variety of sequels constructing on the favourite sport fundamentals with new twists and turns.
Nonetheless, a number of high-profile licensed themes even have soared in recognition, prompting persevering with sport franchises to which gamers have flocked. Casinos finally pay extra for these video games, usually understanding an association to lease the precise machines in trade for a minimize of the profits or a flat ongoing charge to the producer.
Casinos initially balked at these preparations, till they realized key benefits: First, the producers dealt with all upkeep and maintenance of the machines. If the sport flopped as a money-earner, the cupboards had been such that the producer would be capable to flip it into a totally different sport by merely changing the software program. It was a great hedge towards poor efficiency.
However poor efficiency was uncommon on this era of branded slots. Most of the time, the video games would earn two or thrice the home common in profits.
So started sport franchises like Monopoly and Willy Wonka from Gentle & Surprise and The Strolling Lifeless from Aristocrat, which additionally created a masterful sport collection with successive video games themed to particular person seasons of the epic HBO fantasy collection Recreation of Thrones. It not too long ago initiated a brand new sport franchise primarily based on the prequel to the HBO collection, Home of the Dragon.
IGT, in the meantime, has come out with a number of new high-profile sport franchises, together with Intercourse and the Metropolis, Ghost-busters and most not too long ago, Whitney Houston. However principally, that provider continues to take advantage of what has been probably the most profitable themed sport collection of all time, Wheel of Fortune. Previously 12 months alone, now we have seen a number of new iterations of the Wheel of Fortune theme, together with a setup that includes a large bonus wheel in a community-style setting, and even a video poker sport that solves a TVstyle puzzle.
However these days, the producers are extraordinarily selective when selecting a model. The place as soon as, you’ll see dozens of recent licensed slots yearly, today, it’s a handful—every persevering with sport household launching constant hit video games carrying the identical theme.
All can afford to fastidiously scrutinize doable new licensed themes as a result of their in-house manufacturers are doing so effectively.
Aristocrat provides to its large Buffalo sport household yearly. Gentle & Surprise’s Huff ’N Puff collection, first launched in 2019, now consists of half a dozen video games. The identical is true with Rakin’ Bacon from AGS.
Different rising homegrown themes are Satan’s Lock from Bluberi, Okay-Pow Pig from Konami, QuickSpin and San Fa from Ainsworth, and Cash Social gathering from Novomatic.
That doesn’t imply there might be a dip in licensed offerings. Nonetheless, leased and licensed video games are extra balanced with the proprietary model decisions than previously. For each new Wizard of Oz or King Kong sport, Gentle & Surprise has a brand new Huff ’N Puff or Blazing 7s title. Aristocrat matched the launch of its NFL-themed sport household with a brand new barrage of Buffalo video games. IGT enhances its Whitney Houston video games with new variations of basic sport households like Cleopatra.
In all, the slot-makers have give you a various vary of decisions for us gamers. We’ll see consolidation in a number of 
of the suppliers with current offers like Merkur’s acquisition of Gaming Arts and the megadeal that may convey the video games of IGT and Everi below one roof.
The number of sport content material will proceed after the mergers and acquisitions, as a result of the key slot producers have figured out a components that offers one thing for each participant—branded sport or not.
