Sonic Needs to Embrace its Casino Heritage to Excel in the Modern Age
Thursday, 9th May 2019, 1:15pm (UTC), 0 Comments


Ever since the Casino Night Zone appeared in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in 1992, the blue-haired hero from Sega has had strong links to gambling. The special level was so popular that it appeared in numerous other titles in the series, and this has led to other Sonic gambling games coming about. Sonic is looking to regain the popularity it had in the 1990s, but it must adapt in order to appeal to modern audiences. One way to do this is to follow the commonly used franchise model of branching out into the online casino industry in order to attract more players.



There is no denying that there is still a huge market for Sonic games. A lot of players seek nostalgia, while others simply love the character and series. However, if the latest games are to become as massive as those which preceded them, Sega may need to expand the franchise in other ways. One of the main marketing strategies for a lot of modern franchises is to spread out onto as many platforms as possible.

The online casino industry has proven a fruitful place for franchises to gain more attention. This is because this sector of the gaming industry is thriving, and rakes in over $45 billion each year. Game series gain more attention by getting into the iGaming scene, and this has been seen with major franchises like Tomb Raider and Hitman.

Sonic has a long history with casino games, one which Sega could use to its advantage. With there already being existing Sonic slot games for mobile, it would make sense to create offerings which can be played by online casino players as well. Sega Slots came out on iOS and Android in 2018, and the game was similar to the modern slot games found at online casinos in design and gameplay.

Sega Slots is a five-reel offering, which is the same format as the slots at Aspers Casino. These include titles like Reel King and Lord of the Ocean, and players who enjoy these types of game can make use of the Aspers welcome offer, which is a 100 percent deposit bonus up to £500. If Sonic slots were made available at sites like this, it would bring the series to the attention of more players who would then seek the other games out.

The Sonic the Hedgehog film from Paramount Pictures is on the horizon, and set to be released in November this year. The Jeff Fowler-directed offering could reinvigorate the Sonic franchise, but only if it attracts enough viewers. Sega should follow in the footsteps of other successful series such as Tomb Raider, Hitman, and Jurassic World, and use the online casino industry as a way of attracting mass audiences to other areas of the franchise. Because Sonic has a long history with casino themes, it isn’t out of the question for the blue-haired hero to be represented in the prosperous iGaming industry.
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