An attention economy
“Big Black Cock”… great, it seems I’ve got your attention. And in today’s age, in which you have every song, film, or tv series at your fingertips, not to mention any number of streamers and podcasters shouting at you from a device that fits in your pocket, attention has never been so valuable.
It’s fair to say that double meaning is not lost
In fact, Big Black Cock is the upcoming slot release from gaming supplier Wicked Games. While it actually centers around a black commando cockerel, the name is clearly intended to conjure up another much more graphic image. It’s fair to say that double meaning is not lost on a controversial gaming provider like Wicked Games.
Wicked Games isn’t the only supplier taking this shock tactic when creating new games. So what is this new trend, what has prompted it, and is there any question over the ethics of themes that could be considered akin to click-bait?
The trend of the time
British documentarian Louis Theroux recently released a film called Inside the Manosphere. In it, he confronts some of the male stars of streaming sites, who have been known to broadcast misogynistic, homophobic, and racist speech to their many followers online.
What is apparent in watching the show is that the majority of this behavior is intended to cause outrage. As one of the main stars, HSTikkyTokky explains, he would never be as big as he was if he decided to only convey positive messages to his followers. Instead, they spread hate, telling men that they need to dominate women and should disown their children if they turn out to be homosexual.
Theroux prods and pokes in just the right way to reveal the contradiction
In his typical disarming style, Theroux prods and pokes in just the right way to reveal the contradiction behind HSTikkyTokky’s content. The English streamer tells his followers that Only Fans models are disgusting and not to watch pornography, all the while promoting their accounts on his socials to gain money through affiliate links.
In no way do I feel that gaming suppliers pushing edgy game titles are akin to these hateful streamers. But these streamers paint a picture of the attention economy created by the modern world. Outrage means clicks and views, which in turn turns into profits. The old adage that any attention is good attention has never been so true. And some slots providers are taking advantage of that fact in their own way.
Living up to the name
When it comes to controversy in recent slot development, no one has created more of a stir than Wicked Games. The supplier launched Transformers in June last year, and to say it ruffled a few feathers would be an understatement.
The game features masculine bodybuilders in feminine clothing and makeup competing in a women’s league. The reels feature the letters L, G, B, T, and Q and one of the mystery symbols is lingerie falling away to reveal the blurred genitalia of the athletes.
Clearly, the game is a reference to the hot topic of transgender women athletes taking part in cisgender women’s sports leagues. It’s a topic that has created a lot of debate and scathing attacks by high-profile right-wing anti-woke voices who claim trans athletes have no place in these leagues.
Brian Christophers, the CEO of another slots provider called BC Ventures, criticised Wicked Games for releasing a slot that he deemed “anti-LGBTQ+.” He called it “disrespectful on so many levels,” and found it particularly disturbing that the game was released for the start of Pride Month, when members of the LGBTQ+ community celebrate.
The latest release by Wicked Games, Big Black Cock, again plays on double meanings and stereotypes. The title is deliberately sexual and provocative, employing shock marketing to grab attention in the lobbies of online casinos.
Karl von Brockdorff, Head of Brand at Wicked Games, has defended the company’s strategy. Speaking with iGB, he said: “For me the ethical red line in slot development should not be about taste or whether something offends someone. It should sit around player harm, deception and intent.” He believes that the most important thing is to protect players from problem gambling, rather than protecting them from provocative themes.
A provocative industry
Other slots providers are taking the same tactic as Wicked Games, in fact, it could be argued that Nolimit City is leading the way in this regard.
Riding Moby Dick if you hit the 20,000x max win multiplier
The company is known for its edgy slots that push the boundaries of taboo and innuendo. One classic example is Seamen, featuring a sailor theme with homoerotic innuendos galore, including Riding Moby Dick if you hit the 20,000x max win multiplier.
The supplier’s upcoming release Golden Shower looks set to be another innuendo-laden game. The promo features a shower head with yellow liquid and is described as “a warm and uncomfortable situation you didn’t plan for, didn’t ask questions about, and absolutely decided to stay in longer than you should have.”
There are other examples in the world of slots as well. Endorphina’s Twerk and TABOO play on provocative sexual imagery, while Pragmatic Play’s Wild Beach Party features some very scantily clad women. In a similar fashion, Benchwarmer Football Girls by Playtech and Scandinavian Babes by Play’n GO also draw in players with sex appeal.
The new normal
We’re living in a new world. One in which the official X page of The White House is posting AI imagery of bowling pins to represent Iranian regime officials being wiped out by air strikes (yes, this really happened). It is a world in which US President Donald Trump utilized the attention economy, through podcasts and streamers, to secure his second stint in office.
there is no surprise that it has infiltrated most markets
When the use of click-bait and shock tactics go that far to the top, and see such success, there is no surprise that it has infiltrated most markets, especially one that relies on holding attention as much as the slot industry. Whether or not the likes of Wicked Games are ethical in their use of this tactic is a matter of opinion, but I predict we will see many more of these types of slots in the years to come.
