Play'n GO pulls Starblast slot from release

On the 20th of March of this year, Play’n GO were all set to launch their eagerly awaited space-themed slot Starblast. Mysteriously, this game has now been pulled from release following a dispute with software giants NetEnt. This game has caused quite a controversy in the online gambling world as many believe it to be a direct rip-off of NetEnt’s all-time classic slot Starburst. Granted, they both have similar names, take place in a cosmic destination setting, and feature gems and star symbols. So it’s not that hard to argue with NetEnt for causing a ruckus about it as they look to protect their much-loved Starburst brand. You can’t really blame them either as since Starburst was released way back in 2012, it has remained one of the most played online slots of all time. This is quite evident when you visit many online casinos these days as it is usually thrown in as a nice Free Spins Welcome Bonus offer to entice players to sign up.

Blast or Burst?

If you look at both slots side by side then you will see exactly why this game is causing such a big issue right now. For example, both games have 10 paylines, you can bet up to £100 a spin, and most astonishing of all, they both feature Expanding Wilds with Respins! Let’s not forget either that both games are set in a similar cosmic space setting. One has to admit that it was a rather audacious approach by top software studio Play’n GO to try to release this slot when you consider that it is really a carbon copy of Starburst. You have to take your hat off to Play’n GO here for at least trying but they probably knew in advance that this game was certainly going to ruffle a few feathers once released on the market.

The Plot Thickens

Astonishingly, NetEnt have also courted controversy in the past for Starburst as it has often been referred to as a direct rip-off of the hit space-themed slot Power Stars from Novomatic. So NetEnt can’t really claim originality here either. Speaking of Novomatic, they are actually in a legal battle with Play’n Go right now as they look to claim compensation for infringement over their slot Book of Ra being a dead ringer for the hugely popular tomb-raiding slot Rich Wilde and the Book of Dead!

A Worrying Trend

As the dispute rumbles on between NetEnt and Play’n GO, it does highlight a worrying problem within the online gaming sector as some developers seem to be hitting a creative block when it comes to inspiration for new games. For instance, we’ve seen many new online slot releases over the last few months featuring much-explored themes such as Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece as well as classic fruit machine based themes. It almost feels like the creative well has run dry at times and does shine a light on the lack of originality currently plaguing the industry right now. Sometimes, software developers just need to break from the norm and take a risk with bold new ideas and unique bonus features when it comes to creating new slots. Hopefully NetEnt and Play’n GO can resolve their issues amicably, learn from it a great deal, and get back to doing what they do best by releasing top-quality ‘original’ titles for all us players to enjoy!