Marketing major movie releases has become something of an artform in and of itself, filled with creativity and interesting developments that cannot easily be ignored. Variety is key in this regard, as distributors and studios aim to gain maximum exposure, keeping their productions in the limelight. One rewarding arena being explored is that of online gaming, which is increasingly merging into same sphere as the cinematic releases.
When a unique form of gaming takes hold, what began as a novel concept can often be expanded and enhanced, going on to become something entirely different. In many respects, this is what has happened with slots over the last couple of decades, which are now the single most popular game of chance at online casinos. But what happens when you combine movies and the spinning reels?
Interestingly, slots themed around hit movies are now amongst the greatest attractions at online casinos, taking the magic of the silver screen into an exciting arena of interaction and engagement. Indeed, when delving into the plethora of more than 10,000 slots available at VegasSlotsOnline right now, there is a huge selection of free and real money games based upon recent cinematic productions, aimed at capturing our attention with familiar and enjoyable stories.
Jurassic Park & Jurassic World
Combining a novel penned by Michael Crichton with a project led by Steven Spielberg was always likely to be successful, and this was clearly the case when Jurassic Park hit the box offices back in 1993. Such was the appeal of a fictional theme park featuring dinosaurs, the movie smashed all records at the time, becoming the first feature film to gross over $500 million world wide in its opening weekend.
As a franchise which now incorporates six major movies, including the latest Jurassic World Dominion release in June 2022, Universal Pictures proudly boasts a brand worth billions in global revenues. Alongside a whole host of toys and other merchandise, rides emulating movie locations at real theme parks around the world, the dinosaur theme park concept has inspired numerous game releases, including several notable casino slots.
Two different gaming studios have each released their take on the original Jurassic Park movie. IGT secured the initial rights and took the first trilogy of movies to the spinning reels, before Microgaming joined the fray. While the latter also shared rights to use the original Jurassic Park Trilogy branding, they have taken productions a step further with the second Jurassic World trilogy, making a themed slot boasting next generation interactive features.
The most recent branded slots by Microgaming include Jurassic World and Jurassic World Raptor Riches, both of which include characters and imagery from the movies plus, of course, exciting and interactive game features such as combos with our favourite dinosaurs. High quality graphics and audio take these games far beyond the customary spinning reels experience, making these slots an instant success with fans of this popular gaming genre.
Marvel Cinematic Universe
have always captured our imaginations, although the boom for comic books really took hold in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, when Marvel Comics took a pioneering approach to storytelling and characterisation. Thanks to the exceptional writing of Stan Lee and the iconic artistry of Jack Kirby, superheroes were given genuine personalities, grounding stories with a sense of reality that readers could associate with.
While previous attempts to take superheroes to the silver scree met with limited success, the release of Iron Man in 2008 genuinely shook the very foundations of the movie industry. Indeed, this movie kick-started what has now become known as Phase One of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which brought us The Incredible Hulk (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), Thor (2011), and Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).
Phase One concluded with Marvel’s The Avengers in 2021, boasting an ensemble case of our favourite superheroes, firmly establishing what has become a global cinematic phenomenon. Phase Two brought six further movie releases, while Phase Three added eleven more, as The Infinity Saga concluded in 2019. Inevitably, all of these movies have benefitted from huge marketing, including copious merchandise and games, along with a great series of slots.
While the most popular superheroes also have their very own casino slots, the whole ensemble was covered in the Avengers Slots released by Playtech, as the gaming developer pushed the envelope within the realms of interactive casino games. Packed with iconic imagery, accompanied by high quality video and sound, this was a game that inspired and helped shape how future slots would be produced, much to our continued enjoyment.
