There have been slots based on movies and TV shows practically since there have been online slots at all. It seems like these days practically any property is prime for the slot treatment. Some turn out great (“The Avengers”), some not (“Game of Thrones”), and some are just completely unexplainable (“Bridesmaids”). Companies such as NetEnt and Microgaming continue to release licensed slot after licensed slot, seemingly content with the money that their creations are bringing them, with Microgaming recently obtaining the rights to several Universal movies such as “Jurassic World”. And now Zynga, the developer of numerous immensely successful mobile games, the most popular of which being “Farmville”, wants in on the online slot action, and their way of getting a piece of the pie involves making a slot out of one of the most beloved children’s movies ever made.
“Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” was released in 1971 and quickly became a classic, fondly remembered even today. Despite an attempt at a remake by Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, which was received mostly negatively by the general public, the movie still remains firmly planted in the public consciousness. It’s not uncommon to hear people quoting it (“You get nothing! You lose! Good day, sir!”) or spotting the image of Willy Wonka online, which I guess somehow explains why Zynga has decided to select it for a slot adaptation… somewhat. After all, the children who once watched it are now old enough to be actively interested in slots, but still, there seems to be something inherently wrong with turning a movie about a magical journey through a chocolate factory into a slot machine.
Zynga’s chief game designer Joe Kaminkow, however, disagrees with my assessment. “Beloved by generations, the Wonka-verse is full of pure imagination and whimsical fun, making it the perfect setting for an immersive social slots experience,” he says, adding that this slot is developed by the same team who also made slots based on “The Wizard of Oz” and “The Princess Bride”, which I have not played, but if you want to know my thoughts about them, just read this article from the beginning again. Those three are part of a 10-game deal which should see many more movies destroyed forever—err, turned into fun mobile slots for the whole family, or something.
Hey, don’t get me wrong – it’s good that we’re getting some more online slots, especially from developers who specialize in game design and not in slot design. I’m sure that the “Willy Wonka” slot is going to look and play great (though you don’t have to take my word for it – by the time you read this it should already be available to play on Android and iOS), but I still can’t shake off the notion that there’s nothing sacred to those big corporations.