The world of consumer culture knows no bounds, especially when it comes to movies and television. Shows barely stream their first few pixels and everything from Funko Pops to themed cereals are hitting shop shelves. This is known as licensing: When the property and images from one intellectual property are loaned to another. And while there have been some whacky combinations, the world of slot games has provided some of the weirdest and most wonderful.
Licensing
Licensing exists for many different things. From liquor to music, most products can be licensed. This is when someone pays to use elements of one property in another. It has been a way to gain additional revenue since movie and television have existed. Originating in Britain, one of the earliest examples comes from the character Peter Rabbit, who was a character in a book written by Beatrix Potter. In 1910 licensed product such as cuddly toys began to be sold at the department store Harrods.
As popular culture began to take shape in the US, notably movies, television and comic books, ample opportunites came to fruition that allowed people to make money through licensing. Post second world war, when people had more of a disposable income, they could spend money on toys and games for leisure purposes. The explosion in animation set about by Mickey Mouse and Disney led to a huge push for licensing in the US.
However, it was the success of Star Wars that really made product licensing blow up. George Lucas, understanding the importance of toys and having faith in his characters, watched as his Star Wars creation revolutionised toys and licensing. This led to a heyday in the eighties, when characters like He-Man and Transformers could be found on everything from videogames to party hats.
Slot Games Based on Blockbuster Movies
Some of the greatest movie franchises in history have their own slot games. They transcend genre, providing everything from horror movies to action films. As an example, there have been a few interations of games that bear the Terminator brand license on the top slot sites, from the iconic Terminator 2 to versions based on the more recent iterations. For fans of action games, Batman has also had a few outing based on his movies, with The Dark Knight being a slot game based on one of the most expensive movies ever made.
Sometimes, the huge Hollywood blockbusters give way to cult classics. If you ever want to play slots and revisit some eighties greats, then you can play a game based on the Goonies. A similar vein is the Tim Burton directed Beetlejuice, which also flips over with the horror genre.
However, sometimes slot games just get weird. It can be hard to see the logic behind the licensing, either because the movie was just too obscure or may not have even been that popular. A great example is the slot game themed with Caddyshack, a comedy golf movie from the eighties featuring Chevy Chase. Others include the adult animation Sausage Party, which bombed at the box office and has garnered little fandom since its release on streaming services.
Outright Weird Licensed Slot Games
Oddly, even the most obscure movies do not even scrape the surface when it comes to the oddest pop culture slot games licenses. Some are just so outright odd that you can often wonder how and why they even came into being.
The first example is the Judge Judy slot game. This pseudo courtroom drama is a reality tv show, presided over by a a former judge. Members of the public arrive, give their side of a problem and must abide by the judges ruling. This can often lead to some quite explosive televised tension and disagreements. Actual clips are used in the slot game itself, and you can hear her voice passing judgement as you play.
If that was not enough reality TV slot action for you, then maybe “The Ellen DeGeneres Show Featuring 12 Days of Giveaways” themed slot could be the one. Based on the television presenters long running chat show, the game actually has a progressive jackpot. This means a small sum from each play made goes into a huge pot, which can be accessed via the bonus round. In fact, it is not even the weirdest Ellen slot and comes second to “The Ellen DeGeneres Show Featuring Ellen’s Dance Party”.
There are plenty more to wet your appetite, and more that go outside the world of television and movies. Oddly enough there is a whole genre of heavy metal themed slot games, from icons like Motorhead to cult European bands like Saxon. From Megadeth to Guns N Roses, rock fans can find plenty to keep them going. There is no doubt slot games will get more obscure and begin to license even more properties, whipping up interest each time they do so.
