Narcos is one of the most popular and well-received Netflix titles in the streaming giant’s history. The series began in 2015, ran for 30 episodes, and then morphed into the spinoff, Narcos: Mexico in 2018. It was clear early on that the show which originally followed the story of Pablo Escobar would have big franchise potential. The scope of the storytelling gradually expanded and the new series has shown that there are endless possibilities in terms of plot threads. The sheer thrills and excitement from the show lend themselves well to games, and the video slot is arguably as exhilarating as the series.
How Was the NetEnt Slot Built?
The Narcos online slot is made by one of the biggest online casino software companies in the business, NetEnt. The Swedish developer has been creating content for online casinos since 1996, and is now at the forefront of the evolution of slots. Some of its best-known offerings include Gonzo’s Quest and Starburst, which is one of the headline slots available to play at Wink Slots. This game appears on the first page of search results, and is used to draw players in. The fairly recently released Narcos slot is now catching up with these well-known names in terms of popularity.
NetEnt typically likes to create a diverse range of games which will appeal to a wide demographic. However, until recently, it didn’t have many games based on beloved TV shows. The company opted to buck this trend with Narcos, and pounced on the opportunity to create an online casino game based on the hit Netflix offering.
NetEnt clearly wanted Narcos to become one of its leading games, and employed a highly skilled team of designers to help with this. Matthew Butler was brought in to serve as the art director, and Johan Stenlund came in as the game production lead. Butler’s design on the reels is extraordinarily impressive, as he has managed to create beautifully refined graphic images of some of the show’s iconic characters including Escobar and Steve Murphy. There are also other cool symbols such as cars, money, and guns.
Butler stated how hard it was to create a game around such a vast and varied series, and admitted having to be selective. On the official NetEnt page, the art director spoke of how his team opted for characters and settings which would be recognizable to the player, while at the same time complement the gameplay. For the finished product, the art team went for a mix of 3D and hand-drawn images. The team also decided to set aside the idea of having a clear-cut good vs evil narrative, and the varied wilds leave it up to the player to decide who they are in favor of.
How Does the Slot Differ from the TV Show?
As touched on above, there are some huge differences between the Narcos show and the slot game. Slot games are inherently simplistic in their design and gameplay, while TV series like the 3-season-long Narcos have numerous complex and intertwining plots.
Obviously, NetEnt wasn’t able to have these intriguing and engaging storylines in its reel-spinning offering, but tried to capture some of the aspects that make the show so enjoyable.
One of the similarities which is strikingly obvious when playing the game is the intensity. Both use a rousing soundtrack which adds to the tension. In both the show and the game, players will struggle with their emotions when choosing whose side they’re on.
There is no denying that Escobar is on the wrong side of the law, but he does have some endearing qualities that make the viewer like him. Similarly, the police are supposedly a force for good, but they are often shown to employ unethical measures to get the job done. The NetEnt developers tried to reflect the moral turpitude of the show by offering wilds for Escobar and the DEA. This way, the player gets to choose who they side with. Both options have exciting results and offer enormous win potential.
The fact that NetEnt decided not to use photographs and clips taken directly from the series makes the game stand out as a separate entity. There are a number of strong links between the slot and its source material, but it is clear that the developer has aimed to make this a unique offering which will attract gaming audiences familiar with AAA gaming consoles.
Why is There Such a Boom in Demand for TV and Film-based Slots?
Research has shown that a lot of players search out games with familiar themes, and avoid titles that they don’t recognize. Psychologists refer to this phenomenon as the mere exposure effect, and assert that familiarity breeds enjoyment. For this reason, when players scroll through lists of hundreds of slot titles, they will tend to zone in on names and images they recognize. Moreover, these titles can enhance the player’s overall experience of a franchise. After watching the series, they can get more enjoyment from seeing a different perspective within the game.
In addition to acting as a way to introduce players to online casinos, TV and movie-based slots are used to expand franchises and raise awareness. The games can help direct players of online casino games towards the source material upon which they are based, and increase the viewing figures or box office take in that way. Some particularly successful examples of these franchises include Jurassic World, which is the sixth-highest grossing film of all time, and Game of Thrones, which had an average of more than 38 million viewers per episode.
Part of Narcos’ success was thanks to the fact that it was such an interesting true story which was full of excitement. NetEnt tried to capture the essence of the show, but at the same time has offered players a unique standalone game. Because this game is so popular, the Swedish developer may be tempted to make a sequel based on Narcos: Mexico.
