As the worlds of entertainment and gaming collide, the line between video slots and video games continues to blur. Gone are the days of simple, basic slots with traditional symbols and no fun rounds. Nowadays, the gambling world has taken a page from the video games book and transformed the classic reels into entertaining video slots with immersive themes that keep players engaged during gameplay.
We will examine the evolution of slot games to discover their always-intertwined history with video games and see what popular video games should turn into slot games, too.
How Do Video Slots And Video Games Compare
The most obvious thing slots and video games have in common is their purpose, which is to entertain players and keep them engaged in the game. At first glance, the way the developers go about it may seem very different. But when paying close attention to gameplay, the similarities become blatantly obvious.
Reel Bonuses and Respawns
Incentivizing players is the oldest trick in the book. Marketing often relies on special offers and promotions to attract new customers.
In the world of slot games, incentives take the form of various game or casino bonuses. A popular casino bonus among gamblers is the free spins no deposit or wagering bonus, which allows new players to spin the reels of a slot game without investing money. Moreover, this incentive also allows players to keep all their wins since there are no wagering requirements involved.
For video games, players are also enticed with promotional deals, such as free skins, multipliers or bonus packs, and game passes.
In both cases, the company behind the incentive wants to attract new players to join, play, and, eventually, invest money.
Bonus Rounds and Boss Fights
Bonus rounds are a great way to keep players engaged in games for longer. In many cases, the bonus rounds come with additional features that cannot be found in the base game. These features are usually triggered by scatters in video slots and by completing certain levels in typical video games.
In the bonus round of slots, players may receive free spins, jackpots, and other rewards. The same thing happens in video games.
Boss fights are another great way to keep players entertained. While they are way more common in video games than slot games, boss fights do exist in both. Typically, in video games, defending the big boss means winning big because bosses are stronger and harder to defeat than other game enemies.
In slot games, when a boss fight exists, it’s usually connected to a battle bar you fill by spinning the reels. When the battle starts, the luckier wins you have on the reels, the more damage you inflict on the boss. Completely defeating the boss comes with extra prizes and money rewards.
Versatility & Adaptability
By far, the most important characteristic shared by video slots and games is the versatility and adaptability of the people behind the games, which inevitably makes both industries evolve in tandem.
Game designers and developers must stay current with industry trends. Whether it’s iGaming or gaming, one thing is for sure—preferences change, and games have to change with them. This applies to everything from theme to game mechanics. Pop culture also has a big influence on all industries tasked with entertaining. Thus, adaptability is not just desirable but mandatory.
Slot Games – History and Evolution
Charles Fey, a San Francisco-based auto technician, created the slot machine in the late 1800s. The prototype used actual card deck symbols, usually diamond, spade, and heart. As for the wins, three symbols for a win were the norm. The Liberty Bell paid the most when it landed on the reels as a triad.
Due to tech advancements and digitalization, the world of gambling has changed drastically. Nowadays, slot games are accessible from anywhere; your presence in a land casino is no longer needed. This opened the door to a new market for the iGaming industry and introduced numerous people to the fun of slot games.
Naturally, the competitiveness of the online world is affected or influenced, depending on how you look at it, as is the world of slot games. As we speak, more themes, mechanics, and features are added to slot games. Today, there are endless choices for endless tastes.
To encourage younger generations to participate, game developers inserted various pop culture references into the games or collaborated directly with movie producers or video game developers to launch themed slot games that will attract millennials and Gen Z.
The Evolution of the Slot Themes
Slot games have remained classic for decades, but the more online casinos open, the more varied the games become. The digital world was the start of a new slot era, one where the theme and game mechanics matter just as much as the players’ wins.
The classic themes are still there for nostalgia, but new and better themes are on the rise. Think adventure, magic, fantasy, the animal kingdom, and so much more. A new trend we noticed is themes inspired by popular video games.
As a matter of fact, several video games inspired slot games. For example, Resident Evil slot is a themed slot game that takes inspiration from the game and features the popular characters that made it successful. And so is Deadly Combat, a slot game inspired by Mortal Kombat.
Video Games That Can And Should Become Slots
At the moment, the Assassin’s Creed slot game is under development, so another video game-themed slot will join the iGaming world.
Considering the popularity of video game slots, there are several others we would like to see.
Final Fantasy
Another widely recognized brand with a significant magic system is Final Fantasy. Many players believe that Final Fantasy 7 features the best magic system among all the games in its category. We believe the magic should be replicated in a video slot. Not only does Final Fantasy 7 offer a wide range of spells that let players attack enemies, support allies, and change the course of battle, but it also shows that magic combos create amazing results.
Super Mario
A fun version of the slot game inspired by Super Mario exists, but we would like to see more than that. A slot developed by an experienced iGaming provider would surely make a great impression, especially since Nintendo incorporated slots as mini-games in the Super Mario 64 DS.
Halo
Master Chief is the protagonist of Halo, one of Xbox’s most well-known series that chronicles an interstellar conflict. It would be fantastic to see a video slot machine inspired by the Halo series, with aliens and the memorable characters of Halo in the game. We believe some fun incentives and extra features would make for an even better slot and a more enjoyable experience.
GTA
We had to include Grand Theft Auto on this list because it is still one of the most well-liked video game franchises ever. With American-themed icons like money and police cars, it would be the ideal slot machine. This game’s special features, the large heists with large payouts, might also be a lot of fun.
Pokémon
Your favorite Pokémon deserve their place on the reels of a slot game, as well. Especially since slots were common in the Game Corners and were present in all generations up until Generation IV.
Final Thoughts
Since more slot games embrace storytelling by either creating or adopting engaging themes, we believe the online gambling world will become increasingly exciting.
We’re curious—what games would you like to see transformed into video slots?
