Posted in Game Reviews, Industry, New Games September 2, 2017
The Emoji Movie Failed – Will Emoji Slots Follow Suit?
The release of the Emoji Movie on July 23rd put a spotlight on the cultural phenomenon of emojis or emoticons, resulting in two online gambling software developers creating slots games with this theme. Microgaming launched EmotiCoins and NetEnt released EmojiPlanet. However, with the failure of the movie, it may be wondered if the games will suffer the same fate.
Both Microgaming and NetEnt are notable for producing top-quality games, meaning the new slots are likely to be visually pleasing, delightful and captivating. Despite this, commercial success may depend on attracting movie fans, which may prove a challenge for the slots given the controversy of the movie.
Microgaming’s EmotiCoins – Inspired by Contemporary Communication
Microgaming’s EmotiCoins does not reportedly share a connection with the Emoji Movie, despite coinciding with its release. The initiative for the slot came from two Microgaming staff members in 2016, and was approved by the company’s Idea Factory. One year later, EmotiCoins is already a hit among online slot fans.
Emojis are a popular feature of modern communication, and surveys showed that a presence of emojis in social media posts led to a 57% increase in likes on Facebook. The creators of the game drew from this popularity to come up with a tech-rich classic slot game featuring popular smiley faces and an enjoyable soundtrack.
EmotiCoins, which offers two exciting wild features, has great potential of being well received and its creators are justified in being proud of their achievement.
NetEnt’s EmojiPlanet – New Generation of Slots
NetEnt steps it up with the EmojiPlanet, an online slot with unique features that distinguish it from classic slots games. Most notably, it is a 6-reel and 5-row slot, differing from traditional 5-reel systems. NetEnt also introduced the Cluster Pay system and the Avalanche feature to spice up gameplay. EmojiPlanet also has five emoji meter types to maximise the player’s Winning chances.
The EmojiPlanet slot is currently available exclusively on Mr Green Casino where players can enjoy some unique features.
Will Emoji-inspired Online Slots Suffer the Same Fate as the Emoji Movie?
It’s hard to predict the level of success which such games will achieve; however, given the current cultural phenomenon surrounding emojis, these slots games are expected to fare better than the movie. Unlike the film adaptation, the key features of such games are the chances of winning, bonuses, graphics, and soundtrack. The games are not based on a plot and are thus safeguarded from losing potential fans due to a bad storyline. According to worldwide statistics, approximately 92% of the world population use emojis, which added to the quality of these games, are expected to make these online slots successful.
