Helen Fletcher discovers how important a strong licence really is to a coin-op amusement game
The amusement industry is full of licences whether it is in an FEC or adult gaming centre. Brands appeal to men and women, girls and boys and to all ages - find a licence that appeals to a large target audience and you’ve won half the battle.
Using a licence for a game is nothing new - they provide instant recognition and used correctly can enhance the performance of a machine. While some manufacturers may use a licence for brand appeal only - such as IGT’s Sex and the City, where the brand is incredibly appealing but has little bearing on the actual game play - some of the most successful licences are those that combine a strong brand, elements or features of the brand and then great game play.
Choosing the right licence for the game type is also crucial - in the UK, television quiz shows tend to work very well on SWPs - and the "Annoying Frog" well-known across Europe from the mobile phone ringtone adverts, suits the redemption ‘whacker’ game extremely well. Harry Levy Amusements had a phenomenal amount of success with this licence along with others such as Elvis (which has been the company’s most successful licensed product to date) and more recently UK television soap Coronation Street, which were both used on pushers. "Licensed products draw a customer in," Colin Mallery of Harry Levy Amusements told InterGame. "The characters and story are instantly recognisable to the players, which is why branded games are so important to a location.
Then you have games that are a success at a global level - the main one that comes to mind is Deal or No Deal, which has been developed into an SWP, AWP and redemption game as well as for the casino market. Wheel of Fortune is another extremely strong performing licence in the gaming and amusement sector.
UK gaming company Games Media is just one company that has enjoyed great success with many licensed games it has launched, but for Rick Mountney, director of content development, Monopoly from Hasbro has to be its most successful licence to date. "It is probably the most recognisable brand in the board game market and it has evolved to reach new audiences," said Mountney. "We have adapted it to a gaming format which works really well and suits our players. A brand or licence which is already a game tends to lend itself better to an AWP game."
Games Media’s most recent licence was Pink Panther, which launched in October, but it will also unveil a video AWP version of Deal or No Deal at this month’s ICE Totally Gaming show. "We look at licences that will suit our business and appeal to game players," continued Mountney. "An established brand helps raise awareness of a game and can therefore accelerate the uptake of a new game. However, once you have their attention you must ensure the game is strong enough to keep them playing. It is no good having a great brand name if the game does not live up to expectations."
The Deal or No Deal brand, owned by Endemol Games, is one of the biggest success stories in the amusement and gaming industry. Bell-Fruit Games alone has developed more than 30 different UK Category C terminals and with Games Media recently obtaining a licence for video Category C, it is expected this number will continue to grow.
Endemol Games’ managing director Jurian VanDerMeer told InterGame: "We are seeing similar success with our group of licensees for the UK Category B3 market and on the skill side this format has been very successful, we have licensed three different skill games so far. Another successful format for us is Golden Balls; although there hasn’t been a Cat C terminal so far, it is doing very well as an online slot game and as a skill game.
"We think the main reason these brands are so successful with amusement games is, as well as the immediate consumer recognition and draw of a familiar well-known brand, that the game play of these products is very similar to the format of the television show, enabling people to experience for themselves the same excitement as the TV show brings."
TAB Austria is another manufacturer that has managed to secure a top licence for its gaming terminal - Monopoly on the Fun4Four amusement terminal, re-affirms the international demand for this brand. Players are able to build houses, buy streets or collect rent. Alongside Trivial Pursuit, another new licence for TAB, Monopoly is one of the first games on the terminal that can be played by up to six players. According to Dietmar Straubinger of TAB, the contemporary digital versions of these two
well-know board games draw players in with their quality graphics and animations represented in full HD mode.
Obtaining a licence however, is not always easy and while a manufacturer might have a great idea for a game there is usually a lengthy process involved from the initial idea to the final product - with plenty of approval stages in between. Companies are very protective over their brands and rightly so as they have worked hard to build up a certain image or story. Sega Amusements, for example, had a phenomenal amount of success with Ferrari, which started on OutRun in 1986 but there were strict guidelines to adhere to. "It is such a loved licence," Sega’s Justin Burke told InterGame, "it is an aspirational global brand and they are protective of that so there are always certain guidelines you have to follow."
"As you would expect, we are very protective of our brand and it is important that games maintain a connection with the integrity of the show’s format so we always aim to keep the product as close to the show as possible," said Endemol’s VanDerMeer. "That said, we do understand that for each product you need to find the right balance between the typical specs for that type of game and the format itself.
"We are also protective of the brand in another sense. If we see other manufacturers trying to copy elements of our formats and ride off the back of the success of our shows we are prepared to take action. This can be a long and complicated exercise but we have the capacity for it and as our IP is our lifeblood we have to be very protective.
"Our input for the final product is mainly focused on how ‘on brand’ the product is. We have a brand style guide for all our licensees and it is very important for us that the end product meets that brief. Our aim has always been to create great entertainment formats that can be experienced in different ways. Translating a format to multiple platforms beyond the television screen and establishing it as a truly multimedia IP makes a brand stronger and more recognisable for a wider audience.
"Looking forward we have high hopes for The Million Pound Drop - this format has become a breakout hit on UK Channel 4 and we have already had a lot of interest from manufacturers. The SWP game will be available from this month and we expect other products will follow soon." Nick Hardy of UK-based Games Warehouse adds to this, saying: "Mostly, the development of licensed games is an exciting challenge for all involved and it is always fascinating to work with those behind the original creation of such iconic brands.
"The greatest challenge is to match up to their exacting standards and faithfully do the brand justice. The approval process is often an enormous challenge and extra work is often entailed making alterations that are requested by the licensor, who has the integrity and authenticity of their property to protect.
"This isn’t so much a problem, more part of the challenge of constant improvement in our own capabilities. In commercial terms, the biggest difficulty comes from owners or brands from outside what we might call the ‘A list’ who can have an inflated idea of what their property is actually worth in the eyes of the consumer."
One of the most recent licences from Games Warehouse is Premier League Darts. Not a trivia quiz but a game of manual skill, it features iconic darts figures such as Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor, James Wade and Raymond van Barneveld.
Matthew Porter, chief executive of Professional Darts Corporation and owner of the Premier League Darts brand, told InterGame: "Being associated with a pub gaming machine is great exposure for our brand and is an easy way for fans to get involved while being entertained. It promotes the game of darts and just makes sense. We do have guidelines that need to be met and it needs to be realistic but generally we’re quite flexible on what Games Warehouse can do and work with them to get the best end result."
For Porter, it is important that companies then support the gaming industry to get the most out of the licence. "There is absolutely no point taking the money and running," he said. "You have to invest in the licence just as they do. We continue to work with Games Warehouse to promote the game - we get involved and run promotional events."
Licences do also have their problems and don’t instantly mean success, which is why it is so important that game developers get it right - not only when looking at the concept but at the audience it is intended for. Justin Burke told InterGame: "A game that you think is going to perform well globally might not and there are differences between what is well known in the US compared with what is known in the UK and then in Europe. The Ford licence is a good example of this; we thought it would be as successful in the US as it was in the UK but it really wasn’t as well known with the players. Then you have cultural issues - so some brands and game content has to be tweaked to suit. In the Middle East for instance we’ve had to change some of the content of our drivers so there aren’t any women in bikinis in the game play."
While licences will always play an important role in the coin-op amusement industry, for Kjeld Erichsen, international business development manager for Namco Europe, it is a well-trodden path, particularly in video, and one which the manufacturer itself had deployed to good effect. It is important, however, to recognise that licensing does not guarantee success in its own right. "Its not a question of putting a label or a brand on a game, sitting back and watching the money flow through the coin mech," he said.
"There has to be a strong core game to retain the player after the initial interest. Take for example Terminator Salvation, yes it is a great attraction to have a game based on one of the all-time best selling sci-fi franchises but Raw Thrills recognises the importance of exceeding players’ expectations - hence features such as the neon rifle holders, replica T-600, 42ins LCD screen, clip action refill recoiling rifles and so on. The combination of a strong affordable licence, compelling game play and immersive experience is difficult to beat."
