MUMBAI: Former WWE wrestler Hulk Hogan is taking to the ring again, this time online. The 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.
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 the star, who appears personally throughout in order to inspire players and personalise the gameplay experience.
Endemol Games UK is the recently launched division specialising in online gaming and headed up by MD, Jurian van der Meer.
“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,” said Van der Meer.
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.
Bischoff added, “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.”
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.
Ike Mcfadden of MX Gaming added, “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.
“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."
