Genie’s Lucky Lamp: Letting the Genie Out Of the Bottle
Since it’s introduction, Genie’s Lucky Lamp has been one of the most popular contests on the PCH Sweepstakes page. Of course, every giveaway is special in its own way, but some – like Genie’s Lucky Lamp – just seem to do a better job of capturing the imagination of entrants like you. After all, who hasn’t dreamed about finding an antique oil lamp and having a genie appear to grant you a wish]
To gain a better understanding of the appeal of Genie’s Lucky Lamp, I sat down with its creator, Senior Games Designer George Berger.
Along with some initial design ideas, George explained that his real jumping-off point lay in assessing PCH’s core audience. “I thought about what our audience would recognize as ‘genies’ and ‘magic’ from the time when such ideas were part of their prime-time entertainment.”
For the costume and general shape of the genie, George took his inspiration from the classic TV program, “I Dream of Jeannie.” To create the depth and robustness of the overall image and its various elements, such as the cave of gold, George looked to the line styles used in early “Aladdin” cartoons. And when designing the stones used in Genie’s Lucky Lamp, George emulated the appearance of similar items in the heroic fantasy adventure film, “The 7th Voyage of Sinbad.”
“I’m a big fan of classic, hand-drawn animation and illustration, especially the style seen in the cinematic animation of the late ’80s and ’90s,” George explained. “The looser, more organic style of line work, such as you might see in hand-drawn comics, is something I always try to add to every design regardless of whether I’m starting from scratch or using stock imagery.”
I asked George about the toughest part of designing Genie’s Lucky Lamp and he didn’t hesitate to give an answer. “The lamps,” he said, with an almost cathartic laugh. “The classic ‘Aladdin’ lamp that so many people know doesn’t really resemble an antique oil lamp. During that period, lamps were much more intricate and ornate,” he continued. “And I wanted to make sure players had a sufficient number of lamps from which to choose.”
George added, “The lamp used in the logo was chosen because it would be instantly recognizable and serve as an invitation to players to give the game a try.”
As we wrapped up our lunch, I asked George what he liked best about the project. “The nicest thing was that the artist has a good deal of freedom. I started with a basic theme and then was able to expand on that, to create a narrative for the contest based on the art.”
Well done, George! We all look forward to seeing what you contribute next to the PCH online experience.
Now, check out Genie’s Lucky Lamp for yourself! Be sure to enter and tell us what you like best about it.
Russell S.
PCH Creative
P.S. Want to see other great George Berger creations? Check out Delivery Dash, Color Blast, Prize Door-Palooza, and Pyramid Solitaire Supreme. Plus, stay tuned for other original games, including Hot To Trot, Mahjongg Enchanted Forest, What’s In The Box?, Top Floor Score, Door Prize, Hat Trick, and Curtain Call, plus others.
