NetEnt signs Planet of the Apes licensing deal
Supplier giant inks agreement with 20th Century Fox as CEO Per Eriksson tells EGR Intel more deals on the way
NetEnt has sealed a deal to use 20th Century Fox’s iconic Planet of the Apes brand for a new slots game as the firm continues to put its faith in big-name licensing deals.
Using the first day of ICE yesterday to make the announcement, NetEnt CEO Per Eriksson said the slot, which will be based on the famous film franchise, would be released in the second half of 2017 and readied the gathered crowed for another major announcement on day two.
Speaking to EGR Intel shortly after the presentation, Eriksson said NetEnt’s branded game strategy would continue for years to come, with previously released slots such as Guns N’ Roses and South Park having proven themselves to be a successful customer acquisition tool.
The chief exec also revealed the Planet of the Apes deal had been two years in the making and added further licensing agreements were close to completion.
“We have a lot of ideas and a lot of brands that we want but sometimes it takes time to convince people this is the right thing to do,” Eriksson said.
“But we have a nice pipeline of good brands so we’ll be doing this for many years – it is good to have a few new brands each year and it is what people expect from us now.
“These games are a very good tool to bring in new players,” he added. “People love Planet of the Apes and Guns N’ Roses, for instance – they attract people from different parts of the market.”
NetEnt has gained a reputation for making big licensing deal announcements at ICE, with South Park, Aliens and Guns N’ Roses all being unveiled by the supplier in recent years.
The firm yesterday also revealed it was preparing a virtual reality slot, with it set to turn its popular Gonzo’s Quest slot into a VR experience.