Over the past couple of years, the term “online casino” has been entering the vocabulary of those in the entertainment world with greater regularity. iGaming, as it is also known, has become an established form of entertainment, aided by the rapid digital developments also happening around us. Technology and software seem to have no boundaries, and the entertainment industry is benefiting massively from the ability to export their products to far corners of the world and explore new markets.
The pandemic was a huge help for iGaming, which also includes online sports betting. With people starved of physical social interaction, many turned to the internet to pass the time. Online casinos have been around since the early 1990’s, but only during this wretched time in life did classic casino games such as blackjack, roulette, poker, and slots in online forms come to life. Word began to spread, and the online casino movement began to gain momentum. And there is plenty more to come from the online casino industry and the game developers that bring casino creations to life.
Spinning to Success
Out of the wide range of online casino games available, including live casino rooms with real-person blackjack, roulette, and baccarat dealers, one game has proved a particular hit and is growing exponentially with the increased popularity. Online slots have captured the imagination of online casino enthusiasts around the world. The fast-paced, reel-spinning action has garnered a loyal following due to the huge range of games available on online casino platforms and the ever-improving mechanics involved.
Game developers of all sizes such as NetEnt, Pragmatic Play, Betsoft, Fazi, and Wazdan are responsible for producing and engineering the thousands of titles found on the majority of online casino platforms that players can play the latest video slots games on. These companies are also responsible for the rapid evolution of online slots to the point now where many contain features found in traditional video games.
What is Gamification?
The term “gamification” is a well-recognised one in gaming circles. The idea of gamification revolves around the concept of player engagement. Game developers will focus heavily on gamification to maintain user interaction with a specific game or platform. Examples of gamification in action include bonus levels, leaderboards, or objective based storylines. While traditional gaming has been utilising this strategy for decades on games for PC, PlayStation and Xbox consoles, there are more signs of gamification at work in the increasingly popular online casino world.
More than just a Spin
When online casinos started out, online slots would replicate an old-fashioned slot machine in the most basic fashion. The same size grid would perhaps have different tiles on for a bit of variety. Over time, with the aid of advances in software, online slots have added more features to the overall gameplay mechanics to create an experience beyond just spinning a reel. Coding has taken centre stage in recent years and the ability to create innovative features by inputting digital language is changing the whole gaming experience.
The introduction of animation in the form of characters and other moving objects around the screen created a means for a game to interact with an online player and simultaneously gave the player a virtual embodiment within the game.
Furthermore, the coding of bonus levels into a game gave players something to aim for and achieve. Game developers used the concept of bonuses to create more variety in online slots. The standard square grid was played with and remoulded into different shapes to keep the player engaged. Small tweaks like changing the grid allows game developers to continuously reinvent online slots.
The gamification aspects that are now standard parts of games such as Gonzo’s Quest and Starburst are a sign that online slots are not just a flash in the pan. With game developers constantly looking at ways to reinvent the online reel, online slots are beginning to take after video games beyond just having titles such as Lara Croft: Temples and Tombs, Hitman, Street Fighter II, and Resident Evil. Gamification is also constantly taking on new meaning and trying to find new ways to enhance the player experience. With the implementation of Augmented and Virtual Reality into online slots play edging closer, gamification could take on even greater meaning in years to come, which could in turn accelerate the rise of online slots.