The tail end of 2019 will see some huge releases in gaming. Pokémon Sword & Shield are set to launch on the Switch in November, while Luigi’s Mansion 3 is out the month before; a Just Dance 2020 compilation game and Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition will also help relay some of the nostalgia of franchises that were popular over a decade ago. Two Stadia Tomb Raider games are set to be released in November, while Final Fantasy 15 and Football Manager 2020 will also see gaming fans through to the end of the year. Mobile gaming will see Mario Kart Tour, Call of Duty: Mobile, and Disney Sorceror’s Arena.
With so many titles in long-running series joining the sporadic new releases, how have these franchises been able to capture a gamer’s attention for so long?
Once a gamer, always a gamer seems to ring true and many enjoy engaging with games they remember from their past. While some franchises may continuously provide new content and updated ways to connect with fans, others, such as the re-launched Crash Bandicoot and Spyro games allow us to fully sink into our memories as we reunite with the heroes of our youth. The nostalgia factor has definitely been key to old games standing the test of time and for them to be able to evolve from console to console, adjusting to various modes of gaming and gamers’ habits. It’s taken franchises years to cultivate the right audience and appeal to the right gamers and many franchises have fallen out of favour.
The online casino industry has a unique opportunity to introduce players’ favorites to a completely new platform, such as the series of Marvel-inspired slot games which tied into the successful movies. The jump from one form of entertainment to another highlights the versatility of the franchise and opens the style of gaming up to new audiences. Other franchises are able to migrate from device to device – as Pokemon has done from the various consoles including Gameboy, Gameboy Advance, Nintendo DS, 3DS, Switch, even Gamecube and now mobile with Pokemon Go. Newer titles should look to some of the most nostalgic ones – especially Nintendo’s offerings – for tips on how to create a timeless and enduring gaming brand that transcends the very console that gave it life.
There are so many different styles of gaming on offer for gamers today that developers have to be savvy with how they engage with new players. For instance, some use the competitive aspect – for example, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite pits you against your friends and people you know in order to progress through the professions – while Niantic’s popular title, Pokémon Go, had you holding gyms near where you lived to fight off weaker challengers.
Where the competitive aspect doesn’t attract and keep players, an incentive might. Aspers casino offers provide players with the chance to benefit from a 100% bonus up to £100 to continue gaming on the site and investigating other styles of gameplay, engaging players who might have come through other avenues. Players can also collect loyalty points, which will attract them to the series of slot games that have gained a strong reputation, such as Mega Moolah.
Sometimes players are attracted to a game through nostalgia – but often they are attracted by a cleverly cultivated strategy enforced by developers. These strategies are adopted by newer franchises to keep fans and players for generations. These may include incentives to show that the developers value the players, or it could be by making the game competitive enough to draw in those who love a challenge or simply by reflecting the zeitgeist of what is being played and allowing players to connect and build a social community as they game.
