New Planet of the Apes Pokies
Tia Winter | 28 February 2017
In early February 2017, NetEnt announced that it had secured the rights to the entire Planet of the Apes movie franchise, and that its first big Video Pokies release under this banner will come out in October this year. The pokie will be available for desktop and for mobile, and be part of the NetEnt Touch series of games.
Die-hard mobile Pokies fans and movie buffs alike are excited by the news of a NetEnt/Planet of the Apes partnership; the software developer is known for its outstanding games and with this franchise the design team will have a movie legacy to draw on that has been 50 years in the making. The software platform is yet to divulge many details, which is making players and experts shiver with even more anticipation and speculation.
A Big Reveal for NetEnt
The early part of the year is traditionally when the big Pokies and other casino software developers announce who they have managed to sign and what they plan to bring out. In typical fashion, Playtech signed Warner Bros and now has access to huge blockbuster franchises such as The Avengers, while Microgaming went for something a little faddish and secured the rights to the 2004 movie version of The Phantom of the Opera.
NetEnt has always gone for classic, iconic movies, as seen in their Creature from the Black Lagoon and Dracula Touch Pokies games, so Planet of the Apes is a logical step for the team. The last instalment in the modern trilogy of Planet of the Apes, War for the Planet of the Apes, is due out in July 2017. It follows 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes and 2014’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. The timing could not be more perfect for NetEnt, who will be able to cash in on the movie hype as they promote their October Pokies release.
Game Specifics as Yet Unknown
NetEnt has been very tight-lipped about which of the Planet of the Apes movies their first Pokies release will focus on. Many people feel the logical choice would be War of the Planet of the Apes, to best tie in with the movie release and as the title that is freshest in people’s minds.
Some experts have also predicted that NetEnt will go for something truly iconic, which wouldn’t be out of character, and base the game on the original 1968 movie that starred a bare-chested Charlton Heston. Only time will tell – though mobile pokies fans are sure to keep themselves entertained by speculating!