How sports impact the development of online casino games
Casino game developers are constantly looking for new titles and themes for their upcoming slot game projects. If you were involved in creative work and one of your responsibilities was to come up with new ideas, you’d eventually need to develop a different approach for brainstorming and inspiration. This is particularly difficult since the competition on the market is tough and your competitors have probably adopted a similar strategy. You can find inspiration for a new project in your everyday surroundings including TV, music, books and even in historical events. There are many casino games that were inspired from a particular culture like this themed Eye of Horus slot game. For creative developers the culture and mysteries of Egypt is still a blue ocean of new ideas.
Aside from slots inspired by superstars or film franchises, many online casino games get inspiration from sports events. From rules to theme formats – a lot of features build around these games. Sports and sport events have a big influence on game developers and their ideas. The question here is how these features are included in the game? Which sporting activities turned up to be the inspiration behind many successful titles?
Sports Features in online slots games
There are many features that slot games and sports have in common. Additional rounds are one common example. Think of a basketball game where you land a ball – there’s the opportunity to score more points while you are there. The same principle is applied in slots. You’ll come across point scores, leader boards or slots tournaments which are designed to introduce the gamification element to the traditional slots format. Generally, these are features that make the game more engaging.
Famous Sports inspired slot games
Rocky – this slot is not only part of the sports-themed category but is branded as one of the best movie sequel inspired slot machines. Rocky Balboa or the Italian Stallion is back for another boxing match. This match is in the form of a riveting 5×3 slot with 25 paylines developed by Playtech. In order to unlock the bonus features you will have to face Rocky’s biggest opponents in the ring. There is a knockout bonus round that provides a hefty bonus if Rocky wins the round.
Shoot! – This nostalgic and retro slot from Microgaming includes sports legends like Maradona and Pele who played in the golden era of international football. This football-themed slot offers a “trade them” bonus feature implemented in a 5×3 reel structure. You can select 4 out of 12 cards to reveal bonuses and prizes. It comes with two additional bonus features where you can win up to 35 free spins or pick a bonus game where you’ll be given another 12 cards. During this feature you can collect prizes until the red card shows up and ends the round. If you love football from the 80s and 90 you will enjoy playing this game.
Basketball Star – Another famous sport themed Microgaming slot. This slot is optimised very well on both desktop and mobile devices. It features 5 reels with over 200 ways to win payline structure. During this reel-spinning adventure you’ll need to test your skills by scoring three points against the opponent. The slot comes with an impressive payout system along with a variety of bonus features. There is a Wild Shot feature that is randomly triggered in the base game, transforming up to two reels into wild symbols.
Final words
Online gaming is a booming industry where players enjoy the game from their comfortable spot. Contrary to the common perception, online gaming is not a phenomenon that occurs among enthusiasts. This industry is growing and globally successful. With its fragmented landscape and interactive digital platforms, this industry proves to be very adaptive in terms of new opportunities and innovations.