G'day punters, gaming entrepreneurs, casino billionaires, journalists, gamers, wrestling fans and Hulk-A-Maniacs!... one and all. The Hulk Hogan Hulkamania slot game will soon be coming to an online casino near you!. Media Man and Gambling911 catch Hulkamania as the red and yellow runs wild...
There's been talk of a Hulk Hogan themed online slot game for years, and it was only last year when Hogan's 'The Hulkamania Experience' slot hit a couple of American land based casinos, thanks to an Eric Bischoff deal inked with Rainmaker Technology, ID Interactive and the Dreamseekers Foundation. In the process some substantial funds were raised to help out Native American Indians with the support of the National Indian Gaming Association.
Hogan's latest gaming effort may be more commercial in nature, but we think just as newsworthy, and you can bet long time rival, Ric Flair aka 'The Nature Boy' is closely watching the situation, Flair with his own themed Carolina Lottery deals in place, with his trademark Woooooo! It's most interesting timing with WWE, Hogan's former home turf promotion where he largely built his fame, launching WWE Poker just last August to mixed, mainly positive response.
To say this is a major coup for Endemol Games UK is an understatement, and numerous media and gaming commentators predict more pro wrestling themed games to follow, with the names of Ric Flair, Andre The Giant, Jimmy Snuka, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Kevin "Big Sexy" Nash being thrown around. Nash, earlier in his career being known as Vinnie Vegas, has featured some online casino games on his website for a few years, so an official slot game for the NWO mainstay would not be a surprise.
A little known fact is that over a decade ago the then World Wrestling Federation purchased a land based casino in Las Vegas, but never got far with the project, actually selling it for a 2 million dollar profit (something unheard of these days).
Online casinos on the surface appear just as good a fit with pro wrestling aka sports entertainment, as action figures and wrestling video games. One may expect for security checks and age verification checks to be ramped up at online casinos as the trend towards pro wrestling slots continues.
A Media Man spokesperson said "This is one of the biggest online casino news stories in years. Hulk Hogan is of course one of the most recognizable people on the planet and a genuine living legend. Having met the man, we can say he's one hell of a great guy, generous of heart and spirit, and an innovator. He was one of the original pro wrestling entrepreneurs, having gained great experience working with the likes of WWE's Vince McMahon, Eric Bischoff and Jimmy Hart over the years. Hogan can create buzz and set trends like few other entertainment stars, and we predicate mega success for Hogan and his team on his latest venture. We're hopeful that the likes of PartyGaming and Virgin Games get his world class online slot machine, as we are keen to show it off to our loyal and vast readership. What's ya going to do when Hulkamania runs wild on you?"
For the record, here's the press release...
ENDEMOL AND HULK HOGAN TEAM UP FOR ONLINE GAMING DEAL
Los Angeles / London: 15th October 2010
Hulk Hogan is taking to the ring again, this time online. The world-famous wrestling champion, actor, TV host, entrepreneur and reality-show star has formed a new tag-team with global production company Endemol, and the licensing division of Bischoff Hervey Entertainment, in order to take on the online gaming industry.
Seen weekly in over 120 countries as the star of TNA Wrestling, Hogan has now partnered with Endemol, one of the world’s largest producers of TV, film and digital content. The result is Hulk Hogan’s Hulkamania, an online slot created by Endemol Games UK. The game is slated for worldwide release early next year and will be distributed internationally by Endemol Worldwide Brands, a global division dedicated to brand partnerships and digital media. Hulkamania will be one of the first games of its type to integrate original video content of its star, who appears personally throughout in order to inspire players and personalize the gameplay experience.
Endemol Games UK is the recently launched division specializing in online gaming and headed up by Managing Director, Jurian van der Meer. Van der Meer comments; “Endemol Games UK is expanding into new areas and this deal marks one of our first third party licensing partnerships. Hulk Hogan is an icon with massive global appeal and we aim to attract his fans with creative online slot games. This is a great addition to our portfolio.”
The deal was spearheaded by producers and longtime Hogan partners, Eric Bischoff and Jason Hervey, for the licensing division of Los Angeles-based Bischoff-Hervey Entertainment. “Endemol is a major player in international media. Titles like ‘Deal or No Deal’ and ‘Big Brother’ are still setting the standard for media properties across the world. We’re proud to be partners”, said Bischoff.
MX Gaming, a relative newcomer in the online world, is co-producing Hulkamania with Endemol and Bischoff-Hervey Entertainment, and was instrumental in the genesis of the deal. “We’ve worked closely with Bischoff and Hogan on prior projects, and when examining our options for online, Endemol was clearly the perfect fit. They know television, and they know gaming, and that’s precisely what we wanted”, said Ike Mcfadden of MX Gaming. “With a 25-year career and millions of fans, a game based on the exploits of Hulk Hogan is probably as close to a safe bet as exists in the highly competitive online gaming industry.”
For more information:
Eliot Nesmith
Memetix Public Relations
tel: + 1. 561.715.5907
eliot@memetixgroup.com
For more information about Endemol contact:
Rae Langford
Tel: +44 (0) 208 222 4176
Rae.langford@endemoluk.com
About HULK HOGAN
Known most recently as the star of TNA Nonstop Wrestling on SpikeTV, host of NBC’s top-rated “American Gladiator”, host and Executive Producer of CMT’s series, “Celebrity Wrestling”, and star of MTV’s “Hogan Knows Best”, Hulk Hogan is one of the best-recognized celebrities in the world. A twelve- time world wrestling champion, including six WCW World Heavyweight belts, six WWE Championships, and a World Tag Team championship belt, Hulk Hogan is arguably the greatest wrestler in sports entertainment history. Rarely has an athlete held so many professional titles to his name in such a vast career. Hulk Hogan is also well known among young fans for his four “demandments”: which include training, saying prayers, eating vitamins, and believing in one self. As a result, he is one of the most-requested celebrities for the Make-a-Wish Foundation children’s charity.
About BISCHOFF-HERVERY ENTERTAINMENT
Bischoff-Hervey Entertainment specializes in the creation and production of television content, as well as licensing opportunities for established entertainment properties. BHE has created, developed, and produced both television pilots and series for NBC, VH-1, CMT, A&E, E!, and SPIKE TV, including two seasons of the hit series “Scott Baio is 45…and Single” and “Scott Baio is 46…and Pregnant” on VH-1, and “Home Again” with Billy Ray Cyrus on CMT. In 2008 BHE produced “Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling” for CMT and is currently in production for an upcoming series on TruTV. BHE licensing has developed brand strategies, licensing opportunities, and retail distribution for entertainment brands including WWE, Playboy, Socko Energy, Hulk Hogan, LG, and WalMart.
About ENDEMOL
Endemol is a global leader in entertainment programming and the largest independent television and digital production company in the world. Endemol comprises a global network of more than 80 companies in 26 countries. Each year the company produces content and partners with more than 400 broadcasters and cross media platforms worldwide. Endemol is also one of the largest independent distributors of formats and finished programming in the world. The company has a growing library of over 2,000 formats and more than 22,000 hours of content across genres including entertainment, reality TV, game shows, animation, comedy, drama, docu-dramas, features and feature films. Endemol’s credits include international blockbusters formats such as Big Brother, Deal or No Deal, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, 1 vs. 100, Star Academy and Wipeout. Its growing drama portfolio includes worldwide hits such as Home and Away, Rush, McLeod’s Daughters; Wire in the Blood, Secret Diary of a Call Girl, Robin Hood and Nini. Endemol is also behind a wide range of multi-media sports content including football, cricket, rugby and motor racing. Endemol is owned by Goldman Sachs, Mediacinco and Cyrte, which acquired the company in May 2007
About MX GAMING
MX Gaming is an independent game developer with offices in Palm Beach and Buenos Aires, distributing games in the US, Western and Eastern Europe, Mexico, Central and South America. MX Gaming Partner Ike Mcfadden placed third in the 2004 Iditarod with a run time of 13 days, 15 hours.
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Wrap Up...
Readers... er, punters, are you looking forward to running wild with Hulkamania? Any other pro wrestling themes you would like to see? Keep checking daily for updates. If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
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