Advances in mobile tech have provided the perfect environment for slots to ascend the throne of casino games. Reliable providers like www.winkslots.com are fully smartphone compatible enabling enthusiasts to play whenever they please.
The miniaturization of computer components over the last decade – transistors on modern silicon chips can be as small as 45 nanometers in size – has led to the creation of affordable mobile devices that are over a thousand times more powerful than super computers from the 1980s. Combine this with equally capable battery tech and the proliferation of 5G mobile data networks (plus more common unlimited data plans) and all the necessary elements are present for the era of the app to bloom.
The Rise of Casual Games
The generation’s habits are vastly changing with many preferring shot-form entertainments.
Many aspects of modern life point to a preference toward short-form entertainment. YouTube is king of the sub 10-minute video, Instagram offers endless scrolling content and there doesn’t seem to be a social media app that isn’t implementing a ‘shorts’ or ‘stories’ feature.
This might be as a reaction to the growth of the next generation of internet users’ video app of choice, TikTok. People are also more likely to get their news sources from sites like Twitter over longer newspaper articles.
Video games haven’t been left by the wayside of the bite-size trend. While consoles and PCs and immersive blockbuster titles are more popular than ever, there’s been an explosion in the demand for casual games.
Casual games are marked for their low purchase price, – often free with in game ads or in-app purchases – short play times and simple entertaining game mechanics. Game mechanics that have a shallow learning curve and can be enjoyed immediately.
Of all the casino games, slots fit this description most accurately. Play times can be as short as a single spin of the reels, perfect for commuters or players with not much time on their hands.
Slots’ popularity has been incorporated into other games where no wagers are involved:
- Coin Master by Israeli studio Moon Active has received over 100 million downloads and has a fruit machine at its heart. It’s the top grossing mobile game in Germany and the UK.
- Luck be a Landlord, developed by indie studio TrampolineTales is a roguelike deckbuilder that sees the player customize their own slot machine in order to create powerful synergies among the symbols.
The Many Faces of Slot Machines
Fruit machines came in many shapes and sizes even before they made the transition into the digital domain. And now the mechanical limitations have been lifted, the sky’s the limit for software developers of slots titles.
Being endlessly customizable is one of the game’s trump cards. Casino providers endeavor to modernize classic table games like roulette, blackjack and poker but the changes are usually only cosmetic.
There are a limitless number of slots titles designed to appeal to every niche gamer you can imagine – from anime themes to official collaborations with popular TV shows and movies, even your favorite band might have a branded slot title.
Some of our favorites include:
- Tomb Raider
- Joe Exotic
- Mad Max: Fury Road
- Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen
- Deal or no Deal
- Beetlejuice Megaways
One-armed bandit purists are well catered for in the online slots market but with the addition of unbounded bonus games, many titles have more in common with arcade games than the original Liberty Bell machine. Furthermore, new mechanics have been developed to expand on the basic concept.
Megaways games feature a random reel modifier that can result in up to 248,832 separate paylines – yes that’s not a typo. Slingo is another innovation that combines the best of bingo and slots into one fun game with a slightly longer play time.
Odds and volatility can also be modified to tailor each game to different play styles and player preference. The return to player (RTP) is the percentage of wagered money that will be returned to the player if played over a long period of time.
If a player is concerned most of all with the house edge, they can easily and transparently find a slot with a particularly high RTP. The volatility of a slot describes how often the machine will pay out. Highly volatile games will likely pay out regularly but in smaller quantities.
You may have to wait longer for low volatility slots to pay out but the reward is likely to be larger. All of these fine details can be quickly adjusted within the code of the games.
A 2006 survey found that casino goers preferred slots over other types of games, avoiding the pressure of the watchful gaze of other more experienced players and being able to dictate their own pace of play. This explains why slot machines occupy the most floorspace in casinos worldwide.
It’s clear slots have plenty more to offer than other traditional casino games. Take the time to find your perfect match and you can enjoy some fast-paced slots action from the comfort of your own home.
