Pop culture is all around us, whether we realize it or not: it is in the way we entertain ourselves, but also in the way we communicate and express ourselves. Pop culture icons also inspire other industries to come up with products and services that draw more fans in – and we are not just talking about merchandise and collector’s items based on popular movies or TV series. A case study of how pop culture spills over to other industries is the online gambling industry and its themed online slot games. They often employ features based on movies and superheroes – but why such an interest in those themes?
Why Slot Games Are Popular with Gamblers
As any amateur gambler will tell you, when you are just starting out as a player in online casinos, between searching for valuable tips for online players on blackjack and its strategies on when to split or surrender, and deciding on whether you like blackjack, baccarat or roulette more, you are bound to end up in the slots world. Online slots games are easy to understand, convenient to play, and fun to try out – which is why they are popular across players of every level of experience and from every background. The secret behind popular slot games relies on two factors: relatively easy and interesting gameplay, and an exciting theme.
Image via Pixabay
The Appeal of Pop Culture Themes
But there is only so far you can go when you are developing gameplay for a game where the player has very little room for wiggle – as slot games are the definition of a game of luck, there is no skill required on part of the gambler, only a certain amount of strategy with regard to betting. This means that a great part of the slot’s popularity depends on how exciting the theme is and whether it has the potential to draw players in. This explains the rise of slot games on superheroes, as superhero movies have entered into their golden age with the advent of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and DCEU.
Image via Pixabay
The Dawn of the Superhero Age in Online Casino Slot Games
Superheroes have gradually begun capturing the public’s imagination in a reinvented way, as the movies were marketed to the masses and not reserved to a niche geek culture any more. This has had an impact on what other industry fans find exciting – such as online casino regulars. You will notice for example that when 777 were reviewed by this site, the first themed slot that is mentioned is Superman – and this is no coincidence. The Man of Steel, along with Marvel central heroes like Iron Man have inspired some of the most popular slot games – and so have fantasy TV series like Game of Thrones. Iconic images from the franchise are usually employed as important features in the gameplay of slots games, like scatter or wild symbols, or bonus reels that offer players free spins.
Stunning visuals along with super combos and boosted jackpots have helped superhero and pop culture themed slots become a staple of the gambling world – as their on-screen sources of inspiration have also permeated online blogs, YouTube reviews and the gaming industry as well.
