January 22, 2025

How Indie Music Influences the Theming of Australian Online Pokies Games

How Indie Music Influences the Theming of Australian Online Pokies Games

How Indie Music Influences the Theming of Australian Online Pokies Games

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Music plays an important role in the lives of much of the world’s population, including those in Australia.

The country has a rich love for musical entertainment, with many enjoying various genres. Pop, rock, country, folk, and traditional music have all been hugely popular with the community Down Under, with several festivals typically held nationwide. One genre that has been widely enjoyed is indie music.

It’s a form of music that could combine culture, isolation, and relative prosperity for Aussies, which is why it has become one of the preferred genres to listen to. Locations like Melbourne have become known for their strong indie culture, with the city seemingly having a historical importance on its creation and exposure in Australia.

iGaming has benefited from a bustling indie scene

As a result of its strong appeal, it’s perhaps unsurprising that we’ve seen indie music become integrated with another popular pastime that many Aussies have: pokies. Pokies are a popular game of choice for many Australians, with the country hosting the vast majority of the world’s machines.

When it comes to playing the best online pokies in Australia, it has been found that around 1 in 6 play them often. They are simple and offer thousands of options to choose from. Gamers can also obtain incentives that enhance the overall experience.

Although the market has continued to enjoy a thriving community of players seeking entertainment, game studios have continued to seek ways in which they can make their games more appealing. Hence, the inclusion of indie music.

How has indie music been used to influence pokie design in Australia?

Online casinos and game studios have always been extremely clever when it comes to creating new games for the industry. Due to the simplicity of pokies and their basic nature, designers have had to ensure they continue to release new titles that focus on themes that appeal to players to capture as much interest as possible.

As mentioned, indie music is hugely popular across Australia. Developers have been able to use the themes that the genre uses to create new game titles. Among the most notable examples have included the use of bands and indie artists. It’s far from a new phenomenon, though.

The biggest developers have been inspired by rock bands and artists as a way of creating new pokies to try and attract players by latching on to their likes. For instance, there have been games that featured bands like Motorhead, KISS, Guns N Roses, and AC/DC, and artists like Jimi Hendrix and Ozzy Osbourne. In recent times, developers have started to turn to indie artists to try and reach a new type of player.

Developers have used the themes and soundtracks to create new pokies titles that appeal to and resonate with a specific audience. As they have in the rock-themed games mentioned above, they have used various elements that are associated with the artist or musical genre (such as instruments, etc) and incorporated them into the game’s design. It’s not uncommon to see guitars being used as a paytable symbol, or avatars being designed based on the individuals that form the indie band.

Why have online pokies games started to focus on Indie themes?

For game designers and developers, it’s all about making sure they can attract as many players as possible to their games. Indie music can create distinctive atmospheres and connect with a younger audience.

Every year more Aussies reach the legal gambling age. It’s estimated that 27.5% of young adults aged 18 to 25 participate in gambling activities regularly. This is a large market for game providers to try and capitalize upon.

Furthermore, it’s a formula that has proven to work. As noted, we’ve already seen how music-themed games are popular with players. They are easy to create, elements can be incorporated seamlessly to create the perfect gaming experience. The continued growth of indie music in the country in terms of popularity in the charts, especially among younger people, makes it a natural choice for developers when looking at popular culture and potentially winning themes that can help them increase their revenues further.

author avatar
Bernard - Side-Line Staff Chief editor
Bernard Van Isacker is the Chief Editor of Side-Line Magazine. With a career spanning more than two decades, Van Isacker has established himself as a respected figure in the darkwave scene.

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