Have you ever thought or realized that there are some similarities between TV series and online casino gaming experiences?
Admittedly, they might be two different forms of entertainment mediums and not always easy to compare. They offer different experiences and one may not always be favored over the other. Nonetheless, they both feature aspects and components that make them comparable than first thought.
Each of them uses stories to create drama and evoke emotion in the audience. Each medium has been able to use dramatic elements to build suspense, tension, and engagement to keep audiences invested in what is happening. These are techniques that are used across both niches, hence why it’s possible to suggest that similarities are shared between them.
Parallels Between TV Shows and Online Gaming
You might initially struggle to understand how watching a TV show that is explosive in terms of the drama that it features and the gameplay of real money pokies in Australia on the best sites in the country can be considered comparable. Indeed, how can watching TV and playing online casino games be similar when they are two very different activities?
As highlighted, both of them use various techniques that evoke the same reactions from those who enjoy each of them. Emotions can often play a huge role in experiences that are obtained. Audiences and players will often become invested in what they are enjoying because of an emotional connection that can be formed.
TV shows featuring intense narratives can have audiences gripped to the edge of their seats. They want to know what will happen next and will continually tune in until they have been given an answer. They won’t be satisfied until they have, which is why they will want to keep watching. Cliffhangers are techniques that are used in the TV industry to keep them hanging on and make audiences return.
For online casino gaming, players can become invested in the gameplay that is offered through the story that is created. If they connect with this component, they are more likely to want to continue playing until they reach an end. The inclusion of a story makes things more interesting, as an emotional connection can be formed. Players can go through the highs and lows of playing these types of games alongside the dramatized stories that have been created, just as they would as if they were watching their favorite TV shows and watching the characters go through their own high stakes.
Suspense & Tension: Techniques Used By Both Mediums
For both entertainment mediums to work, various techniques are used in the same way. Suspense and tension can help to build the emotional connections that are required. As noted, this is an important part of both, as it helps to keep individuals invested.
Building suspense can be achieved in various ways across both, but ultimately with the same goal of keeping audiences and players wanting more. For a TV show, they might use different aspects that can involve the story or the character while an online casino game might use aspects that relate to the bets that are placed.
A TV show may look to incorporate cliffhangers, plot twists or include aspects into the character development of those that are being followed to create suspense. Minor changes can have an incredible impact on what may happen within storylines, thus creating an element of suspense within the audience. As they feel this, they are inclined to continue watching, as they will have thoughts about what could be next and will want to see things be played out in the next episode.
In online casino games, suspense can be built by using techniques like high-stakes bets, the availability of potentially big wins and near misses. Each of these can create suspense as they can keep players invested in what may happen. They become emotional because of what could potentially be on the line. At the same time, the unpredictable nature of online gambling can naturally impact the suspense that is built by the entertainment medium, thus highlighting how this aspect can be seen across both mediums.
Indeed, as suspense is built, a natural degree of tension is also created. Audiences and players become tense about the situations and scenarios that are faced through the unpredictable aspects that can be experienced.
Emotional Highs & Lows of Both
As highlighted, emotions are a crucial connection that both entertainment forms rely on building with their respective audiences. By creating ties of this nature, they can look to play on a person’s brain and create connections that will force them to crave more. Naturally, we all want to experience the highs that can be obtained, leaving us to want even more when they do occur.
For TV shows with drama, audiences can easily become invested emotionally in the story. They may find that they form a connection with a character because of what they are going through, or because of the way that the individual is being portrayed on screen. By showing the wins and losses that they are going through on a personal level, the audience can often find that they are going on a personal rollercoaster with their own emotions at the same time. This will often leave them rooting for the character, hoping that they can achieve a positive outcome. With this goal in mind, it will often mean that they will return with the next episode to see how the character is doing and if they are any closer to accomplishing what is being set out to be achieved.
Given the highs and lows of a TV show character in terms of their development, it’s perhaps a little easier to compare this aspect to online casino gaming than other similarities that can be analyzed. Indeed, there are many highs and lows that can be experienced when playing games. We all know that winning at pokies or tabletop games can be an exhilarating experience and one that we want to enjoy as often as possible. At the same time, we know that wins aren’t always going to be achieved and there will be losses. These can evoke contrasting emotions, such as disappointment and frustration; similar to those that can be experienced when seeing our favorite characters fail.
Final Thoughts
TV shows and online casino games are very similar in the idea that they use emotional connections with audiences and players.
Both entertainment mediums seek to use these aspects to create engagement, as these psychological effects can impact each medium’s success.
With suspense and tension continually built, individuals will want to keep coming back for more, especially if they experience many of the highs and lows that can be experienced.