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Why it's time to let go of Norse mythology in video games

Or maybe something never goes out of style

By Mariam PagavaPublished 3 years ago 5 min read
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Why it's time to let go of Norse mythology in video games
Photo by Monica Diaz on Unsplash

Ancient mythology has been an inspiration for many popular video games. If you have ever taken part in playing any of the world’s popular video games, you should probably know that many of them have their roots in the mythologies and the supernatural and fantastic heroes from ancient stories from different nations have attracted thousands of players worldwide. The genre of fantasy is still a leading force in the gaming industry for over decades now.

Most of the fantasy games are inspired by monsters and heroes of centuries-old mythology and many of them are still very popular. Among them are the Witcher or God of War which never lose popularity and attract millions of PlayStation lovers but the reason for their popularity may be the fact that developers sometimes try to revise the story and provide innovative elements. But in many cases, nobody tries to adjust ancient mythological figures to today’s challenges and that’s why many players now tend to be fed up with the ancient themes and the same applies to the Norse mythology in video games.

The number of games based on Norse mythology is so huge today and game developers continue to create many new games inspired by traditional Norse stories. This tendency turns out not to be pretty favorable for the players anymore and the reason is simple - they have seen everything, they have followed stories of many different Norse characters, they have rescued the heroes, fought with the beasts, and literally have done everything that could be done with the Norse mythology. This is why on the international forums you can see that players now prefer the old Norse mythology era in the gaming industry to finally come to an end and believe that their favorite gaming companies will realize someday that it’s time to offer something different, something that is more relevant for today’s world.

But the reality is different. Most of the time players are just sitting, waiting for their favorite game provider to create something different, something that will meet their requirements and fulfill their needs but the result is always the same - a new video game with Norse ancient legends and no innovation in the story. Therefore, we strongly believe that it has become time for video game creators to let go of Norse mythology and try something new.

Despite the fact that many customers involved in the iGaming industry lost interest in Norse mythology, there are still many online casino players out there who still enjoy Norway themed slot games. It’s a little bit weird considering the fact that other types of players are starting to switch from Norse mythology to some modern themes. But when it comes to online gambling there are still many popular slot games inspired by Norse mythology.

Usually, Norwegians love online gambling they are the ones who tend to still enjoy taking part in slot games like Viking Voyage. It’s a video slot game developed by Betsoft that takes players to the Vikings of the Middle Ages and revives one of the most important periods in Nordic history which actually shaped modern Norway and had a great impact on the Scandinavian neighbors of the country. This slot game is still a trend among Norwegian gamers and they look forward to more releases like this in the future.

Therefore, still, Vikings and Norse mythology are among the most popular themes for slot developers today. One of the reasons for this success can be attributed to the fact that many gaming companies are from Scandinavia. For example, Yggdrasil which is a popular iGaming developer based in Malta is named after a traditional Norse mythological sacred tree. But another reason for this can be the success of the Vikings TV series.

Viking themed games

While searching on the internet to find a video game it’s highly likely that you will end up with something Viking-related. Stories about Vikings are an integral part of Norse mythology because, in fact, the whole framework of Scandinavian mythology was upheld around the ancient Viking times. Therefore, not surprisingly everyone who adores Norwegian culture is fond of these many slot games online most of which are based on stories about Vikings. But the majority of players don’t think the same.

Today many players argue that whatever they search for on the internet, they end up with games like Viking Runecraft, Vikings go Berzerk, or Viking Wilds. While many people think that Viking Runecraft developed by Play n’Go, a slot game that dives deep into the mythical symbols of the Vikings and provides relaxing soundtracks really makes playing worth spending time on. Just like this, some players think that Vikings go Berzerk is so entertaining as well as Vikings provided by NetEnt which is a favorite of Ragnar Lothbrok fans. But the reason for the popularity of these games may be the fact that the players don’t have other options. However, if gaming companies start to create something different, the situation may change.

Why do iGaming companies need to end the Viking era?

Looking at all of these Viking-related ga, we can certainly say that there’s literally nothing left from the Norse mythology that hasn’t been used in the video games. iGaming companies have already created games featuring all the protagonists and antagonists, all the stories, and all the themes from the Norse mythology. But as the iGaming industry develops, they need to provide their customers with more and more new games which is why today they definitely need to switch to something more original. Maybe something related to the modern age, or even the future which will probably be more interesting for the players than returning to ancient times again and again. One thing is for sure - today’s gaming industry desperately needs some innovation. Vikings can’t satisfy the needs of the players anymore and if the companies want to continue inspiring their loyal customers what they have to do is to bring some new themes to the games and stop developing new games with the old themes of Norse mythology which are no longer relevant and no longer interesting for anyone for once and for all.

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