Popular Aristocrat Pokies to Play for Free and for Real Money
Who is Aristocrat?
If you’ve played an online pokie, chances are that you’ve encountered an Aristocrat title somewhere along the lines. While you may have seen the titles scattered across various online casinos that operate within the Kiwi market, how much is known about the organization? The fact of the matter is that you’ll need to have a good understanding of a company to understand the direction that it’s heading.
In this segment, we’ll be taking an in-depth look at what this organization has to offer, especially when it comes to its history, game selection, and everything in between.
Playing Aristocrat Pokies
There are two ways to play Aristocrat pokies, online and offline, both have their benefits; however, the aim of the game should be to win and also have a good time.
Offline at Actual Pokie Machines in Land-Based Casinos
Playing at a land-based casino will provide you with an experience that can’t be found anywhere else. Here you’ll find a range of Aristocrat pokies in a variety of themes and unlike the online version of the games, here you’ll also be able to marvel at the wonder of the beautiful cabinets that are also manufactured by Aristocrat.
Offline gaming at a casino will also allow you to physically make your bets by swiping your casino card and pushing the button to spin the reels. You’ll also have the luxury of experiencing what the casino has to offer, from live entertainment to restaurants. While it may not be as convenient as online gaming, you’ll still be able to have a great time.
Online
Online gaming has become incredibly popular and there are two ways to go about it.
Free Aristocrat Pokies
Free Aristocrat pokies can be found at most online casinos as the operators will allow you to test the game before you decide to invest real money into it. Most of the Aristocrat pokies will be made available; however, progressive titles might not be. Free Aristocrat pokies are incredibly popular as there are players that don’t want to put their cash on the line but they do want to have a bit of a casino experience.
These will offer a safe experience with the same features and will allow players to become accustomed to particular games.
Aristocrat Pokies online for Real Money
Real money Aristocrat pokies are no longer available as the brand has withdrawn from providing players with real money online gaming. Other casino software such as Microgaming and NetEnt will provide you with a similar gaming experience with a better interface.
Aristocrat Casino Games Online
Over the years, especially most recently, Aristocrat has become incredibly popular because of the branded game selection that it has to offer. The Walking Dead pokie was the most anticipated casino game in the history of the Las Vegas gaming industry as it had received hundreds of pre-orders from various operators across the state of Nevada.
Other branded games included titles such as Classic Batman and Sons of Anarchy, both of which have proven to be very popular with all kinds of players. Furthermore, the branded games have proven to work as they generate a lot of hype which ultimately gets more people involved.
Market Leader for Pokies
When it comes to the size of the company, Aristocrat takes the number two spot behind IGT (International Game Technology); however, this is by no means a bad thing, as it remains one of the most popular gaming brands in the world and it remains a big fish when it comes to the manufacturing of gaming machines.
To add to pokies, Aristocrat provides a range of services to land-based companies as it assists owners to make their way into the iGaming market. Land-based operators are now able to use the Live solution that’s offered by Aristocrat which allows them to create an online casino.
Aristocrat is also known as a leader when it comes to innovation and general tech, as it has development centers that are located in various regions such as India and the US. This allows it to keep making progress regarding hardware and systems which will allow it to support the gaming portfolio of the organization.
Some of the hardware that’s been developed by Aristocrat includes the ARC cabinets, which provide the user with a cinema-like experience due to its curved screen, the Helix cabinets, the Behemoth, which is the largest cabinet, and the VIRIDIAN WS, which is an incredibly sleek cabinet. Aristocrat focuses on quality and variety, which is what makes it so successful as a brand.
Best Known Brand in NZ and Australia
As an Australian company, it would make sense for the largest following to be based in Australia and New Zealand. Aristocrat is dedicated to creating some of the best games that can be found in the industry and it allowed them to assert their dominance in both markets. Furthermore, Aristocrat is licensed in more than 200 regions worldwide where it provides its gaming portfolio.
Aristocrat has also created some of the most popular pokies that can be found in most gaming markets. This includes exceptional titles such as Miss Kitty, Where’s the Gold, and Queen of the Nile. The majority of the games that have been made available to players in New Zealand and Australia are from Aristocrat and this is the reason why it’s become so successful, as it’s established itself as a brand that players are happy to show their loyalty to.
Innovative Features and Graphics
Aristocrat takes great pride in having their ideas come to life and they are constantly seeking new methods to enhance the gaming experience that’s provided to users. With an inventive mindset, the Aristocrat team is looking to create the following generation of iGaming technology. The most intriguing aspect of the innovation of this brand is the creative studios, which is where the magic happens.
This is where you’ll find most of your favorite pokies being made. Once the team has agreed on a concept, they’ll get to work on making it come to life. The team consists of 800 people that are located in different corners of the world. The best part is, the team takes great pride in the products that they produce and while the graphics might be simple, the gameplay is intricate and has a lot to offer.
Aristocrat is known for many things; however, the graphics have a reputation for being very simple as it features a hand-drawn style. There’s a good reason for this, as many of the games that have been developed by the brand are fundamentally remakes of the most popular games that the brand has to offer. However, these games are usually over 20 years old, which explains the appearance of the games.
The graphics are quite vibrant and this is what catches the eye of the player, as few gaming fans will nitpick at the graphics of a game that has the potential to be incredibly lucrative. It’s clear that Aristocrat games may not feature the most flamboyant graphics; however, these games are just as enjoyable as the titles that are provided by the majority of the competitors.
The mobile version of most Aristocrat pokies is well-optimized to be played on a mobile device, which makes it perfect for those that are always on the move.
Wide Range of Themes
When it comes to pokies, each one has a specific theme, as it would be a waste if all of them looked alike. Each player has a different taste and you’ll need to be able to like the look of a particular game before you get started with it. Aristocrat offers players a range of pokies that are available in the following themes:
Branded Pokies
Branded pokies are exactly what the name says, these are pokies that are based on a particular brand such as Batman or The Walking Dead. These games tend to be very popular as there are die-hard fans of these brands and this could entice them to try their luck.
Ancient Egypt
The majority of the most popular pokies that are offered by Aristocrat fall under this category. These are games that are set in Ancient Egypt, which means that the symbols that are used are based on the theme too. These pokies generally share a color scheme of gold and brown with a range of different characters.
Nature
For those that are fond of the outdoors, Aristocrat has you covered with pokies that are based on the outdoors. These will include various animals and regions while also being incredibly popular because of their features.
Asian Culture
Japanese and Chinese-themed pokies are quite popular with various dragon and lion-based games. These include red and yellow color schemes and will sometimes include a traditional soundtrack to match the theme.
The History of Aristocrat
Aristocrat Leisure Limited is a public organization that’s based in Sydney, Australia. This organization has grown to become one of the most popular gaming brands and it’s one of the largest organizations operating within the iGaming industry. The success of this brand has been emphasized by the way that it has expanded into the international market along with the establishment of a range of offices in different corners of the globe, this includes the US, Russia, Japan, and South Africa.
Aristocrat is based in North Ryde, a suburb in Sydney, and it’s where the majority of the development and research work takes place. The marketing and development offices are based in South Africa, the US, and Russia. Aristocrat was founded in 1953 and had released its initial gaming cabinet known as the Clubmaster.
This was the first gaming machine that introduced more than one payline along with scattered payouts. This made it the ultimate gaming machine when the government of New South Wales opted to legalize pokies in the late 50s. This also means that Aristocrat was the best option for the new market.
In the 60s, Aristocrat decided it was time to expand and this saw it make its way to Europe, where it brought games that were presented with lots of love and music. This also saw it bring games such as Moon Money and The Grosvenor, which it had procured from Aristocrat Nevada, along with a handful of great games.
The 70s saw a lot more happen with regards to technical innovation and this also ushered in the digital age of casino gaming. This saw Aristocrat become the trailblazers of the industry and it went on to produce the first 5-reel video slot in the game known as Wild West. This was also the game that secured a seat for Aristocrat at the head of the table before it went on an international conquest in 1979 when the game was released.
The 80s saw a lot of changes within the iGaming industry, and this includes the addition of virtual reels which also meant that payouts would be increased a lot. On the flip side of the coin, this also means that Aristocrat saw massive increases in profit. This was due to it being able to capitalize on the market as it was in a frenzy because of the new technology.
The 90s saw Aristocrat become a publicly-traded organization on the Australian Stock Exchange and this was around the same time where the company had released the Hyperlink Gaming System. This system resulted in the company becoming the most valuable IP in the country. A Nevada state gaming license was issued to Aristocrat in 2000 and this allowed them to legally access the Las Vegas gaming market. This saw Aristocrat establish another office, where it had proceeded to focus on the Asian gaming market, specifically Macau.
2012 onwards saw Aristocrat shift its attention to the mobile and online gaming markets. The company has done an excellent job at establishing itself as one of the leading operators and the company now consists of over 3000 employees which operate in 90 regions around the world. This is one of the longest journeys an organization has had since it had been established in 1953.
Owners and Company Acquisitions
Since March 2017, Trevor Croker has been the acting CEO of Aristocrat after succeeding Jamie Odell. He is also the former global products executive vice-president of Aristocrat. After spending eight years as the CEO and MD of the company, Odell had opted to step down.
It is to the credit of Odell that the organization was able to make the necessary changes that it had, especially regarding the expansion into new markets and some of the most important mergers and acquisitions. During Odell’s time as the CEO, the market capitalization of Aristocrat had increased from AUD 1.7 billion to AUD 10.6 billion.
Croker had joined Aristocrat in 2009 after enjoying a stint at Fosters Australia, a beverage company, where he was the MD for the New Zealand and Australian brand. 2015 saw him become the temporary chief digital officer for Aristocrat before being established as the executive VP for global products and insights in 2016.
As previously stated, Aristocrat currently employs around 3000 people in 90 countries across the world and the organization's revenue has surpassed the AUD 1.1 billion mark in 2004. However, it hasn’t always been an easy ride for the company, especially after the contractual issues that had occurred at the South African branch along with license rejections in the US state of Nevada.
According to the CEO of Aristocrat, the US crisis had a direct effect on the financial results of 2008, which were quite poor. To make matters worse, many of Aristocrats competitors had seen some of their best results during this year which had also resulted in their growth. With budget cuts being their only option to counteract an expected fall of profits, this had also included some of the largest retrenchments in all business regions. 2009 had also proven to be a very difficult year as the company had reported a net loss of AUD 157.8 million.
These setbacks weren’t enough to keep Aristocrat down as it had managed to acquire Video Gaming Technologies in July 2014 for a figure of AUD 1.3 billion. The reason for this move was to counteract the drop in profits in Australia while tripling the North American business of the brand. Recently Aristocrat had proceeded to acquire Plarium, an Israeli developer, and it had forked out AUD 500 million to merge the mobile game developer as a way of accessing the mobile gaming industry.
Another important acquisition was that of Big Fish Games, which is also a mobile developer, and this was for a figure of $990 million (US) and this took place in 2017.
The Current Company Structure
One of the main reasons for the acquisition of Plarium was due to the impressive lineup of gaming titles it had. This included popular mobile games such as Vikings: War of Clans along with Sparta: War of Empires. When the company was acquired by Aristocrat, it had been operating out of Herzliya, Israel, and employed 1200 people in Isreal, Europe, and the US. Once the company was purchased, the CEO continued to lead the company and was supported by a management team consisting of 12 people.
The reason why this acquisition was so important was due to Aristocrat attempting to move from what had been its fundamental business of social casino gaming and the development of gambling machines. This had proved to pay off as the figures of March 2017 saw that 22% of the profits generated were due to the involvement of Plarium.
Aristocrat is familiar with these types of moves as it had done something similar in the past when it had acquired Product Madness.
Further Information on the Big Fish Games Merger
January 2018 saw Aristocrat complete the deal with Big Fish Games and this seemed to have taken forever as the completion of the deal had been announced in November 2017. This had seen the second purchase of Big Fish Games in 36 months, as it had previously been acquired by Churchill Downs for a figure of $485 million in 2014.
Bill Carstanjen, the CEO of Churchill Downs, had stated that Aristocrats vision could be helped by Big Fish Gaming as it’s a brand with a bright future. This statement was made during the acquisition of Big Fish Gaming, and it has proven to be an integral part of the online and mobile gaming portfolio of Aristocrat.
Big Fish Games has been operating out of Seattle since it was founded in 2002 and has proven to be one of the best casual gaming brands. This brand has developed some of the best titles that are exclusively for mobile platforms and desktops. This has resulted in some of its games, such as the Cooking Craze game becoming an award-winning title.
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