The slot gaming industry has come a long way since the first slot machines were created in the 19th century. In this review, you can learn about slot machines history and see how far innovative slots have come. Moreover, you will find that the future of slot machines is promising, as we cover all the latest trends in slot games.
AI in Slot Game Development
AI algorithms have significantly transformed mobile slot game development and design. The gaming industry heavily relies on it to produce cutting-edge features that improve player experience.
AI tools can help in slot game development by speeding up the coding process, and helping pinpoint potential bugs. Not only that but they can almost instantly generate unique and polished animations that can be used for symbols.
Another crucial area in the gaming industry where AI is irreplaceable is data analysis. It can help studios process tons of user feedback and apply changes in real-time. We have seen time and again, how big brands use this to personalize user experience. When a casino has thousands of games, the algorithm will rely on player interaction or preferences to recommend relevant content.
These features that narrow down player choices will be incredibly useful for the future development of VR casino slots because navigating big libraries through VR hardware still feels clunky and slow.
Additionally, the algorithm can analyze how players react or interact with game recommendations, bonuses, and promotions. Then it can generate feedback and help studios come up with more impactful incentives and more appealing slots.
Virtual Reality (VR) Slot Games
To provide gamblers with cutting-edge entertainment, gaming providers are also investigating virtual reality (VR) technology. The VR possibilities will include photorealistic 3D animation and graphics, technology that tracks motion and responds to player movement, and touchpads that provide haptic feedback, enhancing the tactile excitement of events. These features of VR casino slots will add to players’ levels of engagement and physical interaction with the elements.
According to analysts, the VR gaming market will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30% until 2028. Even though virtual reality casinos and slots are still in their infancy, major gaming companies are already considering the possibilities for VR slot games. These innovative slots will provide a more vivid and lifelike gaming experience.
Integration of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)
Unlike in VR slot games, augmented reality gameplay doesn’t use a fully simulated environment. AR tech overlays the digital content onto the real environment, which is actually great for games like slots. You can still play from the comfort of your home and be fully aware of what’s going on around you.
VR casino slots are more immersive, but you aren’t really losing that much with the AR version. After all, these are casual luck-based games and even on different gaming systems, the design principles remain the same. So, they don’t change the overall gaming experience. But, with full use of AR development, you can add AR-enabled bonus rounds or other interactive features.
Retail casinos also use Augmented reality. You can get useful stats on the slot machine itself, like when the last jackpot payout was, the probability of getting the bonus round, daily RTP, etc.
It would also be interesting to see future VR casino slots that are fully designed around the capabilities of this platform. In this case, players could have to use 360 view to see all the symbols, and maybe turn around to hit reels during the hold-and-spin round.
Integration of Block Chain Technology in Slot Games
Online gambling has helped expand the acceptance of cryptocurrencies. Gambling commissions in Curacao, Panama, and the Union of the Comoros allow the brands they oversee to accept crypto payments. What’s more, players from Europe, the US, Canada, and Australia are also allowed to visit some of these sites, and they can gamble using their cryptos.
Also, the so-called crash games like Aviator were directly inspired by crypto-trading, and they are a big trend in the iGaming industry. Also, devs leverage blockchain infrastructure in conjunction with VR technology to create metaverse casinos. Many tech-savvy gamblers love this concept and enjoy playing on those sites.
However, the goal here was not to create something trendy and use a bunch of tech buzzwords. The idea was to utilise this new tech and create a unique experience that isn’t possible through traditional systems.
Using blockchain for slot game development opens up new possibilities for reward systems. Instead of real money, devs can create games that rely on virtual currency or other forms of digital assets, like NFTs.
This should allow players to gamble with their own NFTs or virtual coins and potentially win rewards that can be exchanged or traded in other eco-systems. One example would be skin trading or in-game cosmetics.
Designing slot games like this makes them more attractive to a wider audience. There are gamers who don’t wish to spend real money on gambling, so they don’t like slots as a concept to begin with. However, if they can stake NFTs that they aren’t using, then slot gaming would make more sense.
Gamification in Slot Gaming
The main idea behind gamification is to make an activity or learning process more engaging by adding elements of competition. In essence, certain actions generate points or high scores. and those points are used to either determine the winner, or they can be redeemed for prizes.
Gamification has been successfully implemented in education, corporate incentives, loyalty programs, and in the gaming industry. Through tournaments, point-based giveaways and leaderboard, online casinos have made slots more appealing for younger players.
VR casino slots have opened up new design possibilities that can make this content feel more “gamy”. By adding more interactive bonus rounds, or separate mini-games, devs can cater to more player preferences.
Innovative slots also rely on the gamification of bonuses. All of the top slot sites in the UK have free spins as a part of their new comber bundle. Once a player claims these spins, he uses them to play a specific slot title. Any winnings are then transferred to his balance as bonus funds. What’s more, the player can use these funds to play other casino games.
This design philosophy doesn’t only improve player engagement it also helps players gamble responsibly. They get more value for their buck, and they get to see what to expect out of 100 or more spins. In a way their expectations become more realistic, and they can manage their budget more accordingly once they use up those spins.
Sustainability and Eco-friendly Slot Games
Many are unaware of this, but Las Vegas, the gambling capital, is almost unrivalled when it comes to water conservation. As a massive town in the middle of the desert, it has to invest in energy and water efficiency. In other words, top-performing gambling brands have made meaningful contributions to eco-friendly technologies.
Big companies like Playtech, Aristocrat, Konami, and others have strong sustainability commitments and policies. This affects the materials they use for manufacturing slots and even the type of lighting they insert into the machines. They also invest in companies that increase user data security and help players gamble responsibly.
Online slot gaming is more eco-friendly by default as it doesn’t involve the manufacturing of arcades. Still, iGaming brands make commitments to use renewable energy sources and source hardware from suppliers with strong sustainability policies.
Well-established casino operators often take concrete action that leads to betterment of the environment, or human lives. They make donations towards charitable causes, organize fundraisers, and finance help centres. Furthermore, they host games from studios that are fully certified and adhere to fair play practices.
Skill-Based Slot Games
Innovative slot design doesn’t solely rely on embracing several key trends. Some dev teams have slightly departed from the core design principles and added skill-based mechanics to this genre.
Essentially, slots have unique bonus rounds that players can trigger and potentially win more rewards. In newer slot releases, these bonus rounds were designed to be like memory puzzles or similar mini-games. In other words, there is more player-agency, and if you perform better, you can get better rewards or higher multipliers.
This can be an indicator that the future of slot machines will lean in this direction. Even today, machines in Vegas are more similar to gaming arcades with wheel controllers or gun-shaped joypads. Also, virtual reality casinos open up a whole slew of design possibilities, so we will likely see more skill-based slots in the near future.
However, this doesn’t mean that your skill will entirely dictate your winnings. Slots are designed around RNG, and it’s impossible to predict the outcome of each spin.
Conclusion
As you can see there are multiple trends and factors affecting the future of slot gaming. Clearly, next-gen gaming hardware is useful for creating a better user experience. However, it doesn’t mean that the entirety of the player base is looking forward to these changes.
Virtual reality casinos do sound cool and futuristic, but for many casual players, they aren’t that big of a deal. The reason why the industry is moving in this direction is because they want to attract younger generations. Things like blockchain, VR, and skill-based bonuses resonate positively with this demographic.
Additionally, the number of sustainability-conscious consumers is rising. As a result, we are seeing that all industries are embracing eco-friendly practices and policies.
