That’s an almost impossible question to answer, especially as one would have to have access to proprietary information from the slot makers themselves, who are loath to discuss or divulge details of a possible "flop," lest they prematurely tarnish the image of a slot product that might just be in need of a little tweaking to succeed: Such was the case when Megabucks was first introduced (see QoD 1/30/06), and look at it now! Plus, the slot makers continue to consolidate into fewer and fewer companies. Scientific Games, for instance, recently gobbled up both WMS Gaming and Bally Technologies. Also, does one define popularity by years in the market place, revenue generated (if it’s a game that’s leased to the casinos), or number of units sold?
Scientific Games Director of Corporate Communications Mollie Cole says that "One of our biggest games, based on revenue and placements (against other branded games), is ‘Michael Jackson King of Pop.’" So successful was it that it created a franchise: the original "King of Pop" game, from 2012, followed in 2013 by "Michael Jackson Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin,’" and – scheduled for next year – "Michael Jackson Icon."
Slot reviewer and gaming correspondent John Grochowski makes the case for longevity as a metric. "The biggest hit depends on how you look at it," he writes. "’Elvis’ has had several popular incarnations, both on three-reel and video formats. ‘Elvis’ is the long-running King of Celebrity Slots. But Bally Technologies' recent ‘Michael Jackson: King of Pop’ might have been as big or bigger than any one Elvis game." "Elvis" was the creation of International Game Technology, the company that did more than any other to foment the theming craze.
(An up-and-comer in the celebrity-slot field is IGT’s line of Ellen DeGeneres slot machines, "Dance Party" and "12 Days of Giveaways." They may not outstrip Michael Jackson but could give him a run for the, er, money.)
"Celebrity-themed slots have been with us since at least the late 1990s. International Game Technology rolled out the first Elvis slots in 1998, and in the early 2000s started a ‘Diamond Cinema’ family of games that included slots themed for Frank Sinatra, Humphrey Bogart, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, and Elizabeth Taylor," who recorded voice messages so that the machine would 'talk' to players. Grochowski continues, "These were three-reel games with mechanical reels, which still was the most popular format at that time. IGT has been the biggest force in celebrity-themed slots. That's natural enough since IGT is the world's biggest slotmaker, and likes to have its hand in all segments of the slot market."
However, while the highly-publicized Elizabeth Taylor "Dazzling Diamonds" game, which was launched in 2003 and, instead of paying out in cash, awarded winners with diamond jewelry, proved relatively popular with players, the novelty prize structure was its undoing: The logistics of managing the supply of jewels was too much of a headache for the casinos that carried it and which quickly axed the game in favor of alternatives that involved less work on their behalf to maintain.
Grochowski plays down the importance of a theme to a slot’s popularity, saying that TV titles like Big Bang Theory or games like Monopoly, are mainly a hook to get players to try the game. "After that, it's the game play, the math and the variety of bonus events that keep people coming back. One key to the success of ‘Michael Jackson: King of Pop,’ is that his music, his persona, his dancing and well-known moves from his videos provided a number of entry points for bonus events. Bally loaded the game with bonuses based on those points, and players kept coming back to see what would happen next." A celebrity without what Grochowski describes as "well-defined touchstones" is at a handicap as a slot theme because one can design fewer bonus events around them.
(One themed game that promised much and delivered relatively little was Atronic’s "Stargate SG-1" slot, but not for lack of opportunity. Unfortunately, despite having 200-plus episodes’ worth of intellectual property to draw upon, the game delivered disappointingly few bonus events.)
After the industry had binged on every slot theme imaginable (resulting in flops like "S&H Green Stamps"), it pulled back for a time. But themed games have "made a bit of a comeback in the last couple of years. Just last year, IGT introduced its Ellen DeGeneres line, and the year before, there was Dolly Parton. If you want to include broader themes than just individual celebrities," Grochowksi continues, "then WMS Gaming, which has been a major player in themed games for years with its ‘Monopoly’ line, ‘Press Your Luck,’ ‘Star Trek,’ ‘Lord of the Rings’ and more, continued in the past year with a couple of new ‘Wizard of Oz’ games and the addition of ‘Mad Men.’
"Bally rolled out ‘Wonder Woman’ last year, to go with the ‘Beach Boys,’ ‘Pawn Stars,’ ‘Grease’ and, of course, ‘Michael Jackson.’ Aristocrat Technologies launched ‘Sons of Anarchy’ and 'Big Bang Theory,’ a year after ‘The Walking Dead,’" the latter being a particularly noteworthy hit among a crowded slot field. "Themed games aren't going away anytime soon." Grochowski adds that we’ll see what to expect in terms of celebrity slots at the end of the month, when the Global Gaming Expo convenes in Las Vegas for its annual showcase of what's about-to-be-new on a casino floor near you.
As to Ms Spears, her show was just renewed for two years at Planet Hollywood and the slot machine, debuted at last year's G2E summit, features their proprietary design known as "the Arc," a slot cabinet with two 42-inch curved screens, one on top of the other, that bends right over the player. In addition, it includes a special "sound chair" to really immerse the player in the 'experience,' which in Britney's case includes a 190-line 'Equalizer' feature showcasing five of her hit songs. The game only rolled out onto casino floors earlier this summer, so time will tell whether or not Britney: The Slot-Machine Game, will last as long in Sin City as its inspiration has.
