Anyone who has ever browsed online casino sites must have noticed a strong emphasis on promoting slots. The popular slots are almost always displayed on the home page, and even the majority of bonuses aim to incentivize players to focus on slots. As a result, it’s quite common to find a welcome offer that features free spins. The explanation for this is rather simple, slots are the most profitable content for any online casino. So, whenever a new website appears the owners tend to invest in hosting slots, as that’s the best way to get returns.
Given the importance of slots, it’s no wonder that these games have evolved significantly over the years. Let’s go over some of the new technologies that are used to create modern slots.
Quality 3D Animation
One of the things that immediately stands out when you compare older and newer slots is the animation. Nowadays we have devices with hardware that can support complex graphics and 3D animation. So, slot developers are using this to make their games more appealing. Players are excited whenever they score a winning combination or get enough wild symbols. This usually triggers a special in-game event and new animations appear.
Animators are in high demand nowadays, since pretty much any industry uses animation to create unique videos. Even casino websites need high-quality animations to make their brand feel more unique. Moreover, many animators actually want to become a part of the gaming industry, and working for gambling software companies is a good start. Given how slots are all about different themes, the animation plays an integral role in their creation.
Payment Technology
Although payment technology has nothing to do with developing slots, it’s still necessary for the players to deposit money. In other words, it feels more satisfying when casinos can process payments fast. This way players don’t have to wait for hours before they can play their favorite games. Having access to rewards is another element that impacts the overall player experience. So, many users opt to play on fast payout online casino sites since they withdraw their winnings within minutes. Thanks to e-wallets online payments have been fully streamlined. And thanks to blockchain payments, players can even be anonymous while playing slots online.
Game Engine
At the core of any slot game is the software engine. This is a code that tells the game how to behave and it is responsible for fairness and RNG. Thanks to the game engine a lot of slots only need animations, and a few extra mechanics to feel unique. The core gameplay is already developed and re-used, allowing developers to create more games in a shorter time frame. Of course, developers use different engines depending on the type of slots they are making. There are 5-reel, 3-reel, multiple paylines, slots with mini-games, and cluster-based slots.
Virtual Reality
Given how VR is still somewhat new, it comes as no surprise that some studios are playing around with this new concept. Some of the most recently released slots are available in VR casinos and these aim to simulate real-life casino experience. So, players don’t tap on the screen to spin the reels. Instead, they make a pulling motion and pull the virtual lever. That being said, there are also VR slots that have players press a button to spin.
Unfortunately, this can feel clunky at times as you need to aim with your joypad to hit that button. It’s fun and interesting, but it’s not exactly what online casinos are about. The goal is to make games more accessible and streamlined, and VR tends to complicate things. So, it’s a nice experience if you wish to change things up, but it gets old quickly.
Conclusion
As you can see, these games have come a long way from the one-armed bandit. Thanks to the development and accessibility of modern technology, developers have a lot more freedom. We get to play these casino games with amazing graphics and with completely new game mechanics like clusters. Moreover, this content is very accessible. There are hundreds of online gambling sites that host slots and even offer free spins bonuses. Since player engagement is so high, the progressive jackpots can grow at a faster pace.