It is fair to say that the modern day online slot shares only a passing resemblance to the original "Liberty Bell" slot that was the first of its kind. So with that in mind, how will the slots of tomorrow differ from the slots that we play today?
This is an intriguing question as if you examine the slot machine from the very first slot developed by Charles Fey, right through to the latest modern day online slot, there are some radical differences, yet the actual raison d'etre for the slot remains unchanged.
The original slot was a mechanised machine which offered various payouts based on a simple paytable. That formula, while refined and tuned throughout the years to varying degress of complexity, remained very much the case until the development of the micro chip.
New electronic gaming ushered in a new era of slots. Now machines were not just powered by random mechanical processes, but controlled instead by a micro chip, which allowed machines to develop in a myriad of different ways, leading to the development of linked gaming machines in casinos and of course, huge progressive jackpots.
When the internet developed, it was a simple process to transfer these type of games from physical slots, into computer programs. Indeed, computer programs could be programmed using a random number generator to offer millions of potential combinations, thus slots started to develop additional features such as Wilds, Scatter symbols and of course, bonus games.
This very much brings us up to the modern day, where online slots now offer a myriad of different opportunities, with games able to select from retro games which offer simple, single payline games, to some of the most complex slots ever made, with over 1000 different ways to win on ever spin and hundreds of paylines, not to mention plentiful bonus games to play once you've qualified from the base game.
Some of the newest slots available today, such as the popular Jurassic Park slot, feature some innovative new features including 3D graphics, parallax scrolling and digitised sound effects and music, taken from the original film and then enhanced for use in the slot itself.
So in almost 120 years, the slot has turned from a humble, but incredibly popular, mechanised machine into one of the most potent earners for both real world and online casinos across the globe. Several different reports all estimated that between 60 and 70% of a typical casinos income derived solely from slot gamers and in some casinos, that percentage is indubitably higher.
Of course, there is a maxim that goes "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" and while this is certainly tempting for casinos, who don't want to do anything to diminish the appeal of their slots to the typical player, there is also a pressing need to offer innovative new products both to retain existing customers and attract new ones, especially in an increasingly competitive global market.
This combined with faster, more powerful hardware used by the consumer at home and improved speed for Internet and wireless/satellite services (such as 4G), means that we are on the brink of a new era of online slots.
So how will these new slots differ from those that we see today? Here's our educated guess on what you will see as the slots of tomorrow:
1. More/larger progressive jackpot games (perhaps linked with National Lotteries, or similar)
Progressive jackpot games are one of the most popular forms of slots. They tap into the 'small risk/high reward' bracket of gambling which is similar to what is on offer in National Lottery type games.
The chance to win a life-changing amount of money for a relatively low cost per spin attracts many players to the game and as such, I'd expect to see more of these games developed in the future and I can foresee a time when the payouts for some of the largest online games will start to rival the payouts received by some lucky winners of lottery games around the world.
Indeed, given the similarity between the game and the broad appeal across both for players, it would not surprise me to see games developed which link slot play with a national lottery jackpot and vice versa, where a player could win the jackpot by buying a ticket for the weekly draw, or by playing on the slot online.
2. Skill-based elements being incorporated into slots & bonus games
One of the greatest appeals of a slot machines is that it is entirely random and that there is no skill element involved. You cannot become 'good' at a slot machine, you are simply either lucky, or unlucky in terms of winning.
Yet that fact is also one of its biggest downfalls, especially if you are a player who, as in the case of blackjack or poker players, likes an element of strategy or skill within the game to help them achieve success.
I think a new era of slots will see games that combine random elements with skill and strategy based games. Thus offering players the best of both worlds. I can foresee a poker-based slot where a player wins a prize and then can gamble none, some or all of that prize in a single hand game of Texas Hold'em either against another player on the slot, or against the computer, thus allowing them to potentially double their money, or at least win the prize another player earned.
3. A stronger gaming/arcade element being incorporated into new slots
In addition to strategy and skill-based gaming becoming more a part of slot technology, I can also foresee slot developers attempting to tap into the burgeoning computer games market. Gaming is a huge market and although often lumped together with gambling, it is often a very different demographic.
As such, I can see a time when developers look to develop slots that contain a random element, but also a strong gaming element, which allows the players to use their gaming skills to increase their winnings, or some other benefit that can be felt within the random slot game.
4. Intelligence-based slots/games
In a similar vein to the gaming slots I believe will become popular in the future, I think there is also a potential niche market for intelligence gaming. Quiz show apps are generally amongst the most popular type of games a mobile gamer will download.
I can see a slot game where a player wins an amount of money on the slot but can then increase that win by answering a series of questions on a given topic, or who then goes forward into a quiz against other winners that day/week/month with all the winnings combined to see who takes home the big pay day.
5. Multi-player slots and slot games
Finally, although slots are generally a solitary pursuit, I think social gaming is a real boom area in the future and it would make sense to me if slots were developed that could take advantage of this fact.
These games would be more interactive than simply playing a slot and seeing your name on a leader-board with other players of the same slot. I envisage a slot game where you and several other players compete against each other to stay in the game by winning slots, 'stealing' symbols from each others reels to increase your wins and decrease that of your opponent.
There are any number of ways multiple players can be incorporated onto the same slot and the good news is, we now have the technology to develop this type of game for the 21st century and beyond.
Next Post: Are free spins offers on slots really free? What is the catch?
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