The Power of Branded Slots
As far as online slots go, nothing wields more power when it comes to player awareness than a strong and well known themed or branded slot. Whilst generic games are unique in their own right, casino players all have a favourite tv show, superhero, movie, song or celebrity that they can relate to in a more personal manner.
The world of branded slots has continued to grow, with it now seeming a lifetime ago that Microgaming released the first slot to feature a solid brand, namely Lara Croft Tomb Raider back in 2004.
Due to the huge success of this release it would spawn a whole new niche of online slots, and game providers would begin the power struggle as to who could gain the licensing rights for the most popular brands that feature across multiple genres.
This has been sheer heaven for online slot players around the globe, as their favourite characters, bands and brands in general make the jump from everyday life to the world of online slots.
Who are the biggest slot providers of branded slots?Many of the big slot providers now offer branded slots
As the popularity of the branded slot grows, so does the list of game developers who provide them. Industry giants Microgaming, Playtech and NetEnt are amongst the biggest players when it comes to the offering of online slots, but in more recent times the emergence of Blueprint Gaming has seen a whole new level of branded slot brought to market.
Why are Blueprint Gaming branded slots popular with players?
Blueprint have been a provider of slots to both land based and online bookmakers and casinos for some time now. During this period they have managed to successfully carve themselves out a reputation as being a trusted developer of highly entertaining games.
Bolstering their reputation and popularity has been achieved through consistently developing games that resonate with players and also include a good range of modifiers and features.
Through hard work, innovation and maybe a bigger budget than some of their rival developers, Blueprint acquired the license to develop several popular brands as online slots. These include titles such as Top Cat, Count Duckula, Inspector Gadget, Ted, Andy Capp and many more.
To further increase their foothold in the iGaming industry Blueprint acquired the Megaways™ license from rival slot provider Big Time Gaming. This has allowed them to not only create new slots with this gaming engine, but also revisit old titles and give them an upgrade.
This has seen the creation of Rick & Morty Megaways™ which has proved to be very successful with players, and now Blueprint are looking to further extend their branded Megaways™ slot catalogue.
Additional slots using this mechanic are bound to create a huge amount of buzz and hype. After recently playing a Ted Megways™ demo slot I was very impressed with the graphics, playability and hard work that had gone into the design of this game. As it is again a very strong brand on the back of the movie franchise, I would expect this to be a huge success for both Blueprint and Megaways™ as a whole.
What does the future hold for branded slots?
There is a very bright future ahead for the branded slot, mainly because there are just so many genres that can be adapted to an online slot format. What’s particularly exciting for this niche of slot is that each new gaming engine that is created by innovative developers, brings with it a chance to rejuvenate older branded slots and to give them a new and entertaining twist.
In the past we have seen games pulled from the market because of excessive license fees from the creators of the initial brand. This is something that I’d no longer expect to see in the current market place. Game developers are far more diligent now in the initial process of acquiring a license and developing the slot. This should make them fully aware of all potential costs before bringing a slot to market.
Are all branded slots worth playing?
Whether a slot is worth playing is always going to be down to personal preference. This is indeed the case with the branded slot as well.
If you choose a game that is themed on something that you like, then half of the battle has already been won. The soundbites, video clips and general association of the brand will keep you amused and entertained for a while, but ultimately it will be down to the format of the game and the features and modifiers that are included in it.
Branded slots conclusion
Whether you’re new to the branded slot niche, or you’re a seasoned veteran, one thing is for sure. These slots are going to continue to grow and every day brands that you interact with in your entertainment time, may well be coming to a set of reels near you soon.
