Some of the most popular video games and slot games throughout history and in modern gaming have been heavily influenced by movies and plots. While some are very obvious, with branded games using the same name as the movie, some examples are less direct and have subtle storyline influences.
Movies drive powerful connections to characters and immerse viewers into captivating storylines, so game designers have a way to quickly leverage this connection and familiarity to engage players. Successful movies have a proven level of engagement, so designers know that the formula already works and can use elements of movies in the design and format of games.
Here is a look into the historical journey of how movies and plots have inspired different elements of gaming and gambling:
Video Games And Arcades Inspired By Movies
Around the 1980s, the arcade game industry was booming and some of the most popular games were either directly linked to movies or used elements from within storylines to appeal to players. Games such as Star Wars and Indiana Jones from Atari were big hitters that had received great success in movie theater revenue. Arcade games like RoboCop and Superman also piggybacked onto the box-office performance of the movies.
Game designers knew that using the familiarity of the characters and imagery from movies would be of huge appeal. While game designs were considerably less sophisticated than today’s offerings, the visuals from the movie helped to bring the games to life. They incorporated exciting shooting scenes, intergalactic battles and fighting combinations from the movies, allowing players to live out the fantasy of being movie heroes.
The heroic adventures of Indiana Jones could be experienced on home consoles and the animations from movies gave designers a ready-made set of visuals. They could pick the most memorable storylines to bring extra drama to the games and video games became a natural extension of popular movies.
The Rise Of Superhero Movies And Their Gaming Influence
Throughout the 90s and 00s, there was an influx of superhero themed movies like Batman, Spider-Man and action hero style movies such as James Bond, The Terminator and Die Hard. The storylines in these movies played perfectly into video gaming storytelling. Overcoming enemies and seemingly impossible challenges were, and still are, the basis for many movie storylines and in this gaming design era, this concept became even more prominent.
Designers wanted to create more immersive gaming experiences and using characters and familiar storylines allowed them to do this, with role playing integral to bringing players deeper into the game. Many games were licensed by the production companies behind the movies, so they could use branding and imagery taken directly from the movies.
The Terminator series incorporated a mix of time travel and machine warfare, stepping out of the realms of reality to take players into a mystical and somewhat dangerous parallel world. It provided escapism and mythical stories that added excitement to arcade and console games.
Inspiring Online Gambling Games
More recently, online gambling has become hugely popular, driven by the developments in technology such as fast internet speeds and the engaging designs of online gambling game options. Playing slots online started off with basic graphics and game formats but the experience has evolved massively. Game designers have used elements of movies to inspire their visuals, features and storylines. Playing slots can be repetitive if you are simply clicking a mouse button and waiting for the reels to spin then repeating the action, so new movie-inspired concepts have been interwoven into the game design.
For example, the Book of Dead slot game has an influence from movies such as Indiana Jones, incorporating cinematic features and quests to find treasure. It also uses sound effects similar to those used in movie scenes to enhance drama and role playing as the adventure hero helps build a deeper connection with the game. Side missions will often be inspired by elements of movies, such as defeating an enemy or shooting a target that is representative of a scene from a movie. The player goes on a journey to complete a challenge, so they are more motivated to continue playing so that they can reach the conclusion and finish the quest.
Movies and gaming form the perfect combination, they engage the audience using visuals, sound effects and powerful storytelling. Successful movies and captivating storylines provide a ready template to use in gaming design to resonate with players and ensure that they want to keep playing to feel the thrill that transpires from the compelling storylines of movies.