We are all vulnerable to the influences of popular culture. What’s trending on Netflix, the latest people in movies, the latest songs, and the latest fashions. Speculation about celebrity weddings, discussions about casting for movies, talk of breakups and make-ups, and everything in between – whatever it may be, it’s undeniable that in our information-rich world, pop culture has a life of its own, and often lends that life to other sectors.
While choosing how something transitions into the popular culture umbrella could be ten articles in itself, there’s no doubt about it: once something enters the global consciousness, its influence spreads like wildfire.
What games are influenced by pop culture?
There are some obvious answers to this question, but we’ll start with some of the less obvious ones — games you might not immediately think of. If you look at a page like Ozoon Casino Games in Canada, you will see very quickly how widespread the influence of popular culture is.
Take Thor Hammer Strike for example. It was influenced by Greek mythology, sure, but we all know what really made this game popular: the Marvel movies, where Thor is a larger-than-life good guy out to save the universe, even if he doesn’t quite “get” life on Earth. And yes, you guessed it, this game features Loki as the bad guy. What a surprise! In the same vein, there are plenty of other options, such as the 3 Pots of the Gods, the 3 Bowls of Olympus, and more – Greek mythology is a huge influence in this area.
What about booty call? We all know what this game is about, and yes, it’s another game, but we can’t doubt that Call of Duty has had a huge impact on the world around it. It often averages over 100,000 players, and although that number has decreased somewhat in the past year, it is still popular enough to be an inspiration for this slot!
Or there’s Bluebeard’s buried treasure, catch and win. Inspired by pirates in general, sure, but also more specifically by the POTC franchise, and indulging our ongoing fascination with the high seas.
And if we widen the lens a bit, we have Hockey Enforcers, a game that has undoubtedly enjoyed an uptick in interest following the recent Olympics, and the continued fascination with this beloved game in Canada.
If you want more choices, there’s 1960’s Elvis Guava, for the beloved singer and King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Alibaba’s Cave of Fortune, for our passion for the tales of One Thousand and One Nights, Aiko and the Wild Spirit for our newly discovered love of animation, Alice in Fortune Land, and Alice Wonderluck for Lewis Carroll’s famous stories…
We can keep going longer! Game developers certainly did, drawing inspiration from all over the world and leveraging their creativity in many different ways.
But slot machines are just one example of where popular culture has left its mark. What if we zoom out and look at the broader gaming landscape?
How have the biggest games been influenced by pop culture?
After exploring the microcosm of gambling, it won’t surprise you to see how popular culture has influenced it elsewhere.
First, a big one. FIFA, the digital game based on what is often referred to as the beautiful game. soccer. Attracting over 100,000 players at its peak on Steam alone, this game reflects our world’s obsession with football and people’s desire to be part of the magic that happens on the pitch. As the World Cup approaches, we are likely to see more focus on digital variants such as FIFA.
And maybe this doesn’t impress you, but would you be interested to know that some of our oldest and most popular gaming characters were also based on popular culture? Do you remember Popeye the Sailor Man? Well, he was the inspiration for Mario, and if you take a look at their hats… A lot of work has gone into the design and naming of this character, and while he’s undoubtedly unique, you can definitely feel the influences that went into his creation. The funny thing is that Mario was originally going to be a sailor, but they chose another blue-collar career for him – wow, did it work out!
“They started naming the character Mario, and when I heard that, I said, ‘Oh, Mario is a great name – let’s use it.’”
Miyamoto, 2015.
There are many, many examples of course. What about Cars 3: Driven to Win? Of course, the beloved cartoon planted the seeds for that game. If we look at the horror genre, we have Friday the 13th: The Game – a clear title that expresses how much this work is based on the famous horror film. It’s a fascinating showcase of the way we continue to reimagine, shape and explore the things we love in different ways
Moreover, it is very clear how successful this is. Mario looks nothing like Popeye, but he takes something of the spirit of the working man character, and is hugely popular – the first game, released in 1985, quickly became one of the most popular games of all time, selling 40 million copies. not bad!
There is no doubt that going forward, we will continue to be influenced by the rich tapestry of culture around us; We will continue to benefit from it, consciously and unconsciously. Popular culture is many things, but perhaps most importantly, it is a source of constant inspiration, a mine of ideas, intersections, developments, evolutions, and “what ifs.” Creatives in today’s world have so much to look at and explore – it’s the perfect time to imagine.
