At Slots Temple, we’re not only into online slots games; we’re also pretty hardcore gamers. As such, we can’t help but notice that console video game culture has been making its way into the gambling world. There are dozens of games out there in the online casino world that are focused on popular video games, which is an exciting combination of two exciting markets.
The first online slots game to ever feature a video game character was Tomb Raider, designed by Microgaming. It was also the first branded slots game in the market, setting two huge trends for the online gambling world.
Based on the most attractive video game character ever created (up to that point), it was no wonder that Microgaming’s creation saw so much success. It wasn’t long before a sequel was developed.
It took time for other developers to catch on to the video game trend in the market; so Microgaming continued on its own. Its next video game-themed online slots title was Hitman. This video game series is incredibly popular, and helped define the modern day shooter genre.
So far, there have been four games in the series and a fifth is about to be released this year. As an online slots title, the game appealed to a new audience of players, as Tomb Raider’s success in the console market had started to fade.
Cryptologic became the next online slots designer to pick up on the trend. Its first video game-themed slots were based on the classic fighting games Street Fighter II and Street Fighter IV. Both games offer up a great portrayal of the retro video games, attracting both nostalgic players and serious video game fans.
The games offer players the chance to choose a character (Chun Li, Ryu or Ken) before setting off on their dangerous adventure. It was one of the first games to introduce this feature, awarding different bonuses for each character chosen.
Soon, Cryptologic moved on to more modern games – pretty much literally. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 was the next video game slots title from the company. Based on the wildly popular First Person Shooter, the game was released shortly after CoD broke sales records.
The online slots version never received a great deal of press, but it remains one of our favourites. Video games and online slots make a great combination. While some slots themes can get tired after a while, this trend is something that is unlikely to ever get old.
The video game industry is finally booming in the mainstream market with games selling millions of copies on their release. As the video game market continues to expand, we will certainly see more online slots games based on them.
