Simon Liddle discovers there's more to a licensed game than just a name.
Whether it’s the super-sized promotional cup you drink out of while watching the movie of the book you once read or you’re playing the video game based on the movie of the book, marketing synergy is pretty much everywhere these days. It’s certainly not a new idea but the cross-promotional techniques now being used are - depending on your point of view - either so subtly clever you barely notice them or so brazenly obvious they cannot be missed.
That gaming has been so quick to realise the potential for branding tie-ins is hardly surprising given how successful they have proven to be in other segments of the entertainment market. Nowhere are these brands more effective than in slot games and there is now a staggering array of licensed titles and themes based on movies, game shows, TV series, magazines, sporting events and musicians.
"Players enjoy games that present a narrative concept, with appealing characters and themes," said Michael Scala, director of product management at Atronic. "Licensed brands are most successful when their themes or characters fit naturally into the game concept or story.
"Operators need to constantly expand their player base and licensed titles are a great way to appeal to the non-traditional or new player through brand recognition and affinity. Operators are also trying to achieve a good balance of high-volatility classic games with entertainment, and licensed brands are a great way to enhance a gaming floor’s entertainment factor."
Peter Cercone, vice president of marketing at Playtech, which has made its entire games library available to its land-based subsidiary Videobet, suggested that the benefits to operators of basing slot games on popular movies or TV themes are obvious.
"Firstly, these are brands that new players will immediately recognise and so play a key role in player acquisition," he told InterGaming. "Secondly, the scope of the game design that is made possible by leveraging the key messages of the brands means a more entertaining experience for the player, in turn bringing higher levels of player retention."
Over half of the 50 titles released by Videobet this year will be branded games, most notably those licensed from Marvel, Paramount and MGM.
"We believe that you only need to look at the current crop of movies, TV shows and brands that are now being offered in the gaming space and are doing very well to see that such branded content is here for the duration," Cercone added.
However, it is not simply a case of picking a hit TV show and turning it into a slot machine. As Jean Venneman, vice president of product marketing and licensing at Bally Technologies, explains, if the game is no good the strength of the brand is unlikely to save it from the scrap heap.
"Games that are based on movies and TV shows give casino operators more ways to market the game to their players," she said. "Players are initially drawn to those well-recognised brands, but of course, the game has to perform and have the right play mechanics and game math for long-term success. And the brand has to have longevity as well, which can be hard if the TV show is cancelled or declines in popularity, for example. Often times these games can be very short lived so we look for classic titles that will withstand the test of time."
Beyond that, of course, slot designers have to ensure that their game does the brand justice and does not devalue it in the eyes of those who have followed it for years and made it a success in the first place.
Steve Walther, vice president of marketing at Aruze Gaming, said: "The important factor when considering a licensed product is whether or not there will be a positive identification between the casino player and the brand/licence itself.
"As suppliers we want the brand to initially grab the player and say ‘we remember/identify with that brand, now let’s see what they’ve done with it on a gaming machine’."
Leveraging the strength of a brand with the addition of a casino gaming element can be extremely valuable to those who own the licence and as gaming is increasingly being perceived as part of the wider entertainment spectrum, many actively seek to work within the sector.
"As the popularity of casino gaming around the world has grown, many organisations or brands have looked towards gaming for an extension of their brand or licence," Walther continued. "Some brands actively solicit gaming suppliers to use their brands in a gaming machine environment, while others are contacted by gaming suppliers to utilise their popular brands.
"Generally speaking, brands are comfortable with the discussion of extending their brands, however, as expected, the key barrier is likely the financials. Many of the ‘good brands’ recognise their value and do not want to minimise it as part of their extension."
One of Atronic’s most popular licensed titles is Stargate SG-1, a multi-bonus progressive linked title that draws inspiration from the successful movie and TV franchise. Each of the individual games features a unique bonus and volatility levels that are directly related to characters from the movie. Atronic recently launched its suite of standalone and community games under the popular Deal or No Deal brand, based on the popular TV show. Players wager against the banker and select and swap briefcases, just like the studio contestants do on the show. The company’s Join ‘N Play linked community game takes this further by enabling a group of players to work together and pit themselves against the banker. It also offers King Kong Cash and Doggie Cash linked games.
"The success of any licensed title relies on two key attributes: attraction and retention," Scala said. "The brand’s power creates the attraction factor. Brand recognition is what draws players, especially new players, to the game because they already have a pre-existing, and often emotional, connection with the name or character. Once attracted, players need a reason to stay and explore the game - and that’s where compelling content and great math come in.
"Both Stargate SG-1 and Deal or No Deal were designed to be highly entertaining games. Players love Stargate’s five distinct bonuses, including the guaranteed win in the Jackpot Bonus and the interactive Dial-Home Bonus. With Deal or No Deal Join ‘N Play, guaranteed time-based bonuses and the unique sixth reel multipliers elevate the fun and the suspense."
IGT has an extensive portfolio of licensed slots, ranging from popular TV shows such as the highly successful Wheel of Fortune series to blockbuster movies like Star Wars. The company’s director of IP strategy and licensing, Jeaneane St John, told InterGaming that in most cases, brands are interested in moving into the gaming space.
"Generally, most brand owners are interested in having their brand used as a name on a slot machine as well as online and mobile games," she said, "but we do occasionally run into situations where the owner doesn’t want their brand associated with gaming when there is money being wagered. However, this appears to be changing a bit, so brands that haven’t been available are now becoming available as gaming itself becomes more mainstream."
Licensing brands to gaming manufacturers undoubtedly helps brand owners to extend their presence into new areas but from an operator’s perspective they provide access to a whole host of customers who perhaps wouldn’t dream of playing blackjack but would quite like to see what an American Idol or X-Men game is all about.
Videobet’s slots based on Marvel characters, such as Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk and the Fantastic Four, draw upon the same large audience as the recent blockbuster movies; namely those adults who grew up following the characters’ adventures in comic books, those who became familiar with them through the later TV adaptations and a whole new generation of fans to whom the movies are the starting point.
"There are many strong brands and movies that are well recognised and have the exciting visuals desired for producing an entertaining slot game," the company’s Cercone said. "The most challenging aspects of taking a strong brand and applying it to the gaming world are making sure that the key messages from the brand come through in ways that both fans and slot players would expect them to, and to make sure that the player continues to identify with the brand via the game.
"Videobet and Playtech already have a very large library of Marvel slot games, from the Incredible Hulk, with a two-stage smash bonus, to the iconic Iron Man with expanding wilds and mystery bonuses, and the Fantastic Four, with each character bringing their own bonus rounds featuring their individual super powers. Add to this the multilevel mystery Marvel Jackpot and it is clear that the Marvel brand offers a very large world to explore in game design. They appeal to a very broad audience, many of whom have grown up with some of these characters for over 40 years across comic books, TV and movies."
The Wheel of Fortune brand dates back to the ‘70s when the show was first aired in the US. IGT’s slot machine based on the game show debuted in 1996 and has become its longest running and most successful to date. Brand appeal, the company’s St John explained, directly translates into revenue for operators.
"Players are more likely to play games when they recognise and associate with the brand in a strong, positive way. The more players spend time enjoying the games, the more this benefits operators," she asserted. "There are two main factors that go into creating a great game: brand and game play. We license the best brands for our players and work hard to make sure the game play gives the best possible gaming experience. We also focus on powerful and unique cabinet designs to attract players to the machines, knowing that the game experience will keep them entertained."
Wheel of Fortune may have proven its longevity as a brand and while its success has justified IGT’s investment in developing a range of slots, the company’s decision to license the enormously popular HBO TV show Sex and the City could be its must fruitful yet. Having made its debut at G2E Las Vegas in November, Sex and the City had established itself as the company’s number one standalone progressive MegaJackpots game on casino floors throughout the US in a matter of months.
"Sex and the City is the hottest new slot machine out there today," St John remarked, "and we attribute this to having a great brand and great game play.
"The game is also very different visually than most slot machines, so it really stands out in a casino."
Sex and the City gives players the chance to win five progressive jackpots and four bonus games. With each bonus game, players get to watch clips from the series, while actor Chris Noth’s character, Mr Big, talks players through the various stages of the game. The use of video clips, music from the show, recognisable characters and fashion, as well as a unique cabinet design provides that link between the series and the player in order to offer an immersive experience that looks set to be a truly global hit and help casinos attract a whole new demographic of players.
Another manufacturer to recognise the possibility of not only licensing a brand but delivering an all-encompassing gaming experience is Aruze, which recently launched its Rock You Queen slot based on the British rock group’s music and videos.
"People around the world can identify with the band, its history, its hits, the videos and it has appeal across generations," said Walther. "A band like Queen also translates well into a gaming environment because it can cover all aspects of a gaming device: the strength of images or symbols, music and sounds, and images and movies.
"With strong recognisable images, audio and visual components, it is now up to the game developer to design an ‘experience’ that incorporates all of those strengths into an entertaining and exciting gaming product. The licence strength provides the familiarity, the game experience provides the entertainment."
According to Walther, this particular licence opened the door to a whole host of design possibilities, enabling the company to create a range of innovative and engaging features to cater to an increasingly diverse group of players.
"Rock You Queen is a very special title because of the strength of the brand and the licence and how Aruze has adapted and incorporated the music of Queen, their classic videos and the overall presentation of the material," he continued. "We have found that the game has a ‘spectator’ following. Not only does the player enjoy the multimedia presentation of the licence, but spectators can watch the videos during the Greatest Hits feature on the Top Box LCD. This builds a natural pool of players to take the place when a new game develops.
"Since Queen has such a diverse following as a band, you might see a diverse group of players from younger to older playing on the same bank and all singing the songs together. Match the universal appeal of the licence with exciting game play that includes a selectable feature with a fun ‘retrigger’ bicycle race, and you have a game that becomes quite popular, quite quickly."
In addition to its original games, Bally offers a family of slots based on the Playboy brand, Pong, Breakout and the Breeders’ Cup horserace, which debuted at casinos and racinos throughout the US earlier this year. Based on the company’s Alpha Elite V32 vertical widescreen video platform, the new machine is designed to capture the excitement and tradition of the prestigious annual racing event. Featuring exciting animations and authentic sound effects and a Horse Bonus Round during which players vie for up to five progressive jackpots, the Breeders’ Cup slot is available as a five-reel, 40-line game with a 200-credit max bet.
The company’s Venneman explained that regardless of whether a title is based on a licence, in order to be successful it must still meet certain criteria.
"Developing a successful game that performs for casinos depends upon a number of factors, including a theme that is appealing to the player, the game’s math, play features, graphics, sound and even the hardware platform," she said. "Generally, licensed and branded games are more expensive to produce than non-licensed titles, because you have to invest in the licence and in the brand. But it is often worth the investment if you get a brand that the players respond to and then combine it with the right play mechanics and math model."
In the spring Bally is planning to launch its new Betty Boop title, Betty Boop’s Love Meter.
Venneman said: "Licensed, branded titles work best when you have very high-performing operating systems, such as Bally’s new Alpha 2 platform. This hardware platform, for example, lends itself to licensed games very well because it enables 3D animations, custom HD surround sound, more powerful animations, and rich and compelling graphical content. Any game is going to be much more exciting for players on that kind of state-of-the-art platform."
Playtech’s Cercone agrees that although such game development requires additional resources, the costs are ultimately an investment in a premium product.
"Certainly branded games add additional costs to the overall production; there is more time spent on reviewing the game concepts by the licence holders to ensure that the direction of the brand falls within guidelines that they have set," he said. "Branded content is seen as a premium product and for good reason: branded games attract new players and bring even more excitement to gaming. Operators have been very keen to showcase these games in their portfolios as they have seen very immediate and positive player interest."
With the success of the games already available on the market and the growing interest among other entertainment industries to explore the possibilities of gaming, this trend in designing licenced slots is expected to continue.
"I think players are interested in playing games that have brands they recognise and ones that are fresh and relevant to them now," said St John. "I think you will continue to see more brands on slots from TV shows, movies and perhaps even other games, such as online or PC-based brands that are already popular in gaming."
Atronic’s Scala agrees: "We expect to see more brand owners recognise the returns from extending their brands over multiple channels, such as gaming. As player demographics continue to change as a matter of course, gaming operators will continue to need effective ways to expand their player base and appeal to new and non-traditional players."
The demand for such titles and themes is also contributing to the further development of slot games in general, bringing together cutting-edge technologies as part of a wider shift from gambling to entertainment.
"As players always want rich, interactive gaming experiences, you are going to see this driving a lot of technical development to help provide that rich media experience," St John continued. "Right now, this includes technology such as IGT’s 3D technology, our new MEGAfx surround-sound chairs, and interactive bonuses that get players engaged."
Aruze’s Walther believes manufacturers dedicate additional technical resources to branded products because the process of obtaining licences can be a complicated one.
"Choosing a strong brand and licensing the theme is not an easy process, so once the brand is selected, it is usually given a prominence in technical development," he said. "Rock You Queen provided Aruze with the opportunity to really stretch how we combine our multimedia platform with Queen’s multimedia library in a gaming experience and stretched our expectations, and now customers’ expectations. A new level of multimedia excellence has been set and this just means all new games must begin to reach or exceed that level of excellence.
"In essence, licensed brands and themes can serve as a catalyst to bring the next iteration of technical development that much sooner and that much stronger."
