Brian Christopher, Creator and CEO of BC Ventures, has warned that the latest launch from Wicked Games is damaging to any platform directly or indirectly associated with it.
The game, which Christopher described as a deeply misguided attempt to be clever and irreverent, features a masculine weightlifter dressed in women’s clothes and has a myriad of offensive symbols ridiculing the trans community.
Titled Transformers, the game symbols include a lipstick-smudged banana, a clumsily changed identification certificate from a male to a female, as well as the letters L, G, B, T and Q in the base game. The game also has a mystery symbol in which pink lingerie drops to reveal blurred out genitalia.
The synopsis on the Wicked Games website states: “A chemically-enhanced lunatic dominates the women’s league in a shameless slot spectacle. Juiced cascades, fluid wilds, and multipliers that keep stacking, ramping up to a ruthless potential x25,000 your stake. Subtlety left the stadium long ago. It’s loud, aggressive, and probably shouldn’t be allowed. But luckily, nobody’s brave enough to tell him.”
Speaking to iGaming Expert, Christopher emphasised: “There is no place for a game like this in the casino gaming space, or anywhere for that matter. To use words referring to a trans character as ‘lunatic’ and ‘chemically-enhanced’, and then going on to misuse pronouns, is disrespectful on so many levels.”
Furthermore, given that Pride is a celebration of both social and self-acceptance for the LGBTQ+ community, Christopher described purposefully aligning the launch with Pride Month as “disturbing”.
He added that he believes they are “under the classic misconception that they might benefit from any, even negative, publicity”.
This is not a practice that Christopher believes is endemic across the wider industry. He offered wider praise for the gambling sector, underlining that he doesn’t believe it is an indictment of where we are as an industry.
“Gaming is an industry that is quite thoughtful and accepting of all communities,” he said. However, this controversial game is a major reminder that there is always more to be done, as this is by far “a step in the absolute wrong direction.”
It comes at a time when, in many markets, the poor reputation of the gambling sector has made it an easy target for governments in terms of raising taxes, and the importance of moving the industry’s reputation in an upward trajectory has never been more vital.
‘An abominable act’
There was also a major warning from Christopher, who is regarded as one of the most influential figures within the slots industry, of the damage the game could cause to any platform directly or indirectly associated with it.
He stated: “I would never touch any of it if it were up to me, nor would I partner with anyone who does. It is a blatant attack on the LGBTQ+ community, whether they believe they are being funny or not.
“Using statements like ‘Why settle for bronze when you can transition to gold?’ – insinuating a man transitioning in order to compete and win in women’s sports – is outright irresponsible, especially during these times when trans rights are under attack. Trans people represent a fraction of 1% of the population, and choosing to wrongly stereotype a vulnerable minority in slot form is an abominable act.”
When asked to defend the game, Igor Samardziski, CEO of Wicked Games replied by simply stating that he doesn’t believe it is a fair assessment that the game is an attack on the LGBTQ+ community.
Wicked Games, which received venture capital backing from Ikigai Ventures, has also mapped out its roadmap for the year ahead which features titles called Brosephine and Big Black Cock.
Christopher continued: “The only thing it does for me is put a major red flag on their company. My broader message to the industry is to please keep gaming inclusive, respectful, and culturally appropriate. If you are part of the community or a valued ally, join the LGBTQ+ In Gaming group on LinkedIn today to help us celebrate Pride Month and beyond.”
The game, which was slated to launch on June 20th, was released on June 23rd and at the time of writing there is no evidence of official operator partners for the game.
