How Playtech Has Rebranded Marvel Slots
Posted by Harry Kane on Thursday, July 27, 2017
For what seems like an eternity, Marvel titles have been key drivers of growth in the slot gaming market.
Not only has an ever-expanding range of themed and immersive slots transcended the gambling market to reach new playing demographics, for example, but they have also contributed an activity increase of 328% within the niche since 2010.
The say that all good things come to an end, however, and earlier in 2017 it was announced by gaming developer Playtech that it was to remove all Marvel-themed content from its library and individual client websites. This was as an indirect result of Disney’s purchase of Marvel Studios in 2009, but fortunately Playtech arrived at a solution that can benefit both virtual casino operators and the market.
Why Has Marvel Content Been Removed?
The decision came into force on April 1st, although in truth it was one of the worst kept secrets in the whole of the gambling industry.
Ever since Disney purchased Marvel for an eye-watering $4 billion back in 2009, the contrast between an increasingly family-oriented brand and a daredevil one was blindingly obvious. It was also a contradiction that was difficult to sustain, and one that became even more apparent as Marvel continued to increase the range and the popularity of their slot titles. As a result, Disney decided that the presence of Marvel slots greatly compromised the image of their family-centric brand, and announced in 2013 that they would not renew Playtech’s license when it expired.
This is the ultimate example of a brand sacrificing a lucrative revenue stream as a way of safeguarding its identity, in the belief that it will actually lead to the loss of money in the longer-term.
How Has Playtech Responded?
The license finally expired in April, leading to the removal of content, software and Marvel characters from all of its products and client sites. In many ways, this was a significant blow for Playtech, who have created an entire library of fun and immersive games using the classic Marvel characters and narratives. Left with a significant void to fill, the brand have been forced to adopt a proactive approach to ensure that they minimise any potential issues or losses.
Fortunately, the brand did have more than three years to make contingency plans, enabling it to soften the blow of Disney and Marvel’s withdrawal from the market. Its first step was to ensure that many of the more generic Marvel game engines were reused, once all brand content and characters had been removed. To avoid confusion and apply with relevant copyright laws, all super-hero inspired slots were rebranded as part of a general, overarching narrative, so that Playtech could retain could retain the gameplay engine and their clients could satisfy an existing player base.
The theme and narrative that they have chosen in the Age of Gods, which has already inspired a handful of slots that are now on the market. These include the Age of Gods: Furious Four (based on the Fantastic Four engine) and Age of Gods: King of Olympus, which will replace the popular Iron Man 2.
The Last Word
This type of creativity is typical in the online gambling market, while it also a feature that has defined Playtech’s vast library of slots. So while it may take time for the Age of Gods series to achieve the same level of familiarity and popularity as Marvel-themed games, it has enabled operators to minimise their losses and continually expand their virtual slot library.