It’s common to see movies get modern makeovers and sequels added on to extend the particular franchise, while music bands commonly release remastered old albums. Regenerating the past is nothing new, and this phenomenon reaches into the world of online casinos. In such a wildly competitive market, the popularity of a slot machine can be temporary, before it gets relegated to the back of an operator’s catalogue.
But some slot machines gain the status of “classics” that, despite their age, continue to be enormously popular, like Gonzo’s Quest, Starburst and Book of Dead. These titles are still easily found in the catalogues of many online gambling sites. Players can also use casino bonuses on them – for instance, 5, 10 or 50 free spins, provided the terms and conditions allow it. But why do casino game developers remake a classic if the original is still much-loved?
Remaking a Classic
A classic slot machine typically has features that have helped sustain its popularity, as the game has to have a strong foundation to have lasted so long. Importantly, for developers, a classic slot also has a well-established brand attached to it.
So remaking it and releasing newer versions is a strategic move because it’s likely to immediately appeal to players who are familiar with the original. That makes putting a modern twist on a classic a much safer bet than trying to sell an original new release to an entirely new audience.
The unproven title path has a lot of risks, so instead, game developers take what has already become popular, and then add on newer gaming features that won’t have been around when that original was released.
Feature Upgrades
Most changes in remakes come in the form of feature upgrades. A newer version of a game, for example, will naturally have more modern mechanics than the original title. Newer features can appear in many different forms, from things like sticky wilds and cascading reels to changing the size of the playing grid.
But while new elements are added into the mix, core elements of the original are always retained, so that for the end user, it doesn’t feel like a totally new game. A good example is in the case of Gonzo’s Quest series of slot machines.
In Gonzo’s Quest Megaways (2020), the developers preserved the signature mechanics from the original Gonzo’s Quest slot – namely the avalanche / cascading reels system, progressive multipliers tied to consecutive avalanches, wilds and scatters (Free Falls / free spins trigger) — all embedded into the upgraded Megaways engine. By retaining those familiar mechanics, the remake still feels recognisably connected to its predecessor, even as it introduces more modern enhancements.
Megaways
The “Megaways” structure, a feature developed by Big Time Gaming, is one of the major ways that old games get remade. Megaways means that the number of symbols that can appear on each reel changes with every turn, and it can create up to 117,649 ways to win from a single spin. This is a drastic modernisation feature of newer games, compared to older versions, which are more likely to have a set amount of fixed paylines. For instance, The Dog House Megaways by Pragmatic Play and Fishin’ Frenzy Megaways by Blueprint Gaming are both remakes of their original titles, upgraded with the Megaways mechanic and new bonus features while keeping the core appeal of the classics.
Bonuses
Remakes also give developers the chance to throw in some modern base game features like respins and multipliers, along with bonus rounds. A good example of this is the newer Wilds that were introduced into the Starburst XXXtreme game, which weren’t part of the original title.
The revamped Wilds were introduced with random multipliers, which meant they ranged anywhere from 2x to 150x, and those wilds could also be combined to produce bigger wins still. Starburst XXXtreme, while keeping the feel of the original, also introduced a feature where Wilds could be purchased for higher stakes per spin.
Bonus rounds are a common feature of newer releases, and they can range from “pick and win” style formats to board games, big multipliers, free spins and even prize wheels. Adding in bonus rounds is a way to give an old, established classic a very fresh look. Another example is Twin Spin Megaways by NetEnt, which kept the signature Twin Reel mechanic from the 2013 original but added cascading wins and a full bonus round with multiplier wilds.
Changing the Game
Remakes of games also allow developers to introduce new Return To Player percentages and adjust volatility to make them more appealing to different types of players. Along with that, significantly raising the payout potential can have a dramatic effect in making new versions of classics popular.
Newer versions will also automatically benefit from much-improved graphics and sounds. The inclusion of better animations, backgrounds, and even integrating new game symbols alongside old ones can help to make games more immersive and appealing. Remaking old classics is simply something that’s a reliable way for game developers to launch new titles.
