Pragmatic Renames Fat Panda to “Pragmatic Play POP”
Pragmatic Play has reworked its sub-brand Fat Panda into a casual line called Pragmatic Play POP. It is built around simple rules, high hit frequency and softer graphics, and flagship IPs are being re-released in POP versions.
Key takeaways
- On July 31, Pragmatic renamed its sub-brand Fat Panda to Pragmatic Play POP.
- With simple rules, high hit frequency, and soft colors, it targets beginner and casual players.
- Sweet Bonanza, Zeus vs Hades, Starlight Princess, and Gates of Olympus are the first targets.
Where Fat Panda used to be
Fat Panda was a sub-brand run by Pragmatic Play. On July 31, Pragmatic announced it was renaming the brand “Pragmatic Play POP.” All existing Fat Panda games are moving to the POP brand. It is more than a name change, since the direction is clearly set too.
Who is the brand for?
The company says its target is casual players and beginners, so it leads with three things: simple mechanics, high hit frequency, and softer, brighter graphics. That points in a different direction from the main line, which leans on complex bonus structures and multipliers in the tens of thousands.
Sharon McHugh, the marketing director, said, “POP has a bold new identity and a playful personality,” calling it “a lighter, more fun side of our portfolio.” She added one more line: “Yes, even Zeus, our most beloved character, got a makeover.”
The first POP is Zeus
That Zeus is the one in Gates of Olympus POP, released on August 31. As the first game in the POP series, it shrinks the original’s 6×5 grid into a vertical 3×5 grid. A small, cute Zeus with nearly two-head-tall proportions guards the side of the grid. The detailed rules and numbers are covered separately in the Gates of Olympus POP article.
The numbers are the interesting part. The grid got smaller, yet the RTP is 97.05%, higher than the original, and the max win is 25,000x, five times the original. Even though it is aimed at beginners, the smaller grid is not the whole story.
Gates of Olympus POP also adds jackpot symbols that weren’t in the original. Two appearing pays 500x, and three pays 25,000x. Instead of complicated bonus buys or ante options, it creates big results from a few symbols dropping onto the screen.
Up next
Pragmatic named four IPs as its first POP targets: Sweet Bonanza, Zeus vs Hades, Starlight Princess, and Gates of Olympus. Gates came out first, and the other three appeared in the Q4 lineup announced on September 24.
McHugh said, “there’s a roadmap in place for more well-known titles to get the POP treatment.” Pragmatic Play already releases up to eight new slots a month. That means some of them will come back as POP versions going forward.
Why casual now?
The slot industry has been in a multiplier race for years. 1000 versions, 2500 versions, even Super Scatter’s 50,000x. As the numbers grow, games get more complicated, which becomes a barrier for first-timers. POP plants a brand on the opposite side. It’s a strategy of running a high-multiplier line and a casual line separately within the same company.
There were games heading in a similar direction in the Fat Panda days, but as a separate brand it didn’t use Pragmatic Play’s flagship IP. POP is different. It brings over the company’s best-selling names as they are, like Gates of Olympus and Sweet Bonanza. Since the characters and worlds are already familiar, first-timers feel less out of place. That’s the real reason behind the rebrand.
The phrase “high hit frequency” is also worth noting. In slots, frequent wins also mean each win is small. What POP is aiming for isn’t one big hit but the experience of something landing often. It’s a design meant to keep first-time slot players from quitting after a few spins.
Source: Pragmatic Play official news