The Future of Slots

The sheer volume of competition in the online slot industry has led to software creators becoming more and more innovative with their products. Usually this will mean that an extra bonus round or more free spins are added, but occasionally new forms of online slots are created. Below are some forms of new online slots that look set to take the online gambling world by storm.

i-Slots

i-Slots are an enhanced form of video slot, which have been created by casino software developers Rival. i-Slots are multi-reel video slots that allow the player to assume a role within the game’s storyline. This added benefit adds an extra interactive touch and means that there’s endless enjoyment to be had while you’re playing.

So far, there are only a few online i-Slots available, but they’re bound to increase in popularity. This will be aided by the fact that they can be downloaded as an application and played on Android cell phones, meaning you can play when you’re not within reach of a computer. In terms of game play, i-Slots work in exactly the same way as video slots do. All of the mini-games that are involved have instructions available, but for the most part they’re fairly self-explanatory.

The range of different storylines and bonus rounds means that i-Slots are never repetitive and, when you consider that they include the same winning opportunities as regular slots, they become a very attractive prospect.

Android Cell Phone Slots

As previously mentioned, Android cell phones have already been used as a platform to play slots on and as they become more popular, the number of phone compatible with online slots looks set to rapidly increase. Applications are constantly being created by thousands of companies across the world, so there could soon be as much choice on cell phones as there is online.

The transfer of online slots onto cell phones means that they can now be played with ease anywhere in the world. A particularly impressive feature of cell phone slots is the array of bonus rounds available. On some cell phones, bonus rounds consist of merely tilting the phone, and through this action you can win extra credits, creating a skill factor that has rarely been seen before on slots.

Casual Game Slots

Casual game slots are quite different to the rest of the games that have been listed so far and are more similar to arcade games than actual slots. The major difference tends to be that they usually don’t have any reels but may instead use a grid to determine wins. Casual game slots are often themed on other arcade games but are altered slightly to create money winning opportunities.

Instead of winning by matching symbols on pay lines, casual game slots may for example award wins for matching colours in horizontal, vertical or diagonal lines. The fact that they’re so different is what makes them entertaining, but if you decide to play a casual slot, always make sure that you understand the game and how it differs from normal online slots.

Social Networking Games

Social networking sites such as Facebook now include various applications and games for their users. Naturally, these applications have included many casino games, with Texas hold’em poker in particular proving a hit with players. However, slots are now starting to build up quite a following on social networks and as a result; the quality of the games available is constantly improving.

The ever increasing popularity of online slots on social networking sites means that as well as the quality of slots improving, the variety of slots available is expanding. Playing online slots on social networking sites opens up the possibility for players to create tournaments in which they can play against friends, compete with other players all over the world, or just enjoy the impressive slots on offer.

Multiple Level and Storyline Slots

Slots have already started to develop more complexity, with extra bonus rounds, characters and storylines now available on some games. Two prime examples of multiple, or multi-level slots are the Circus slot, developed by PartyGaming, and Thunderstruck 2, created by Microgaming. Slots such as these often require you to choose a character when you first play the slot and then allow you to follow them through a series of bonus rounds and cut scenes.

In addition to the winning opportunities that you’d expect from high quality video slots, these particular slots also include fantastic graphics, entertaining characters, stories and even features that can be unlocked during play.

With games such as these already available online, the mind boggles as to what weird and wonderful slots may be created in the future. Certainly, the use of themed slots is becoming more and more popular in casinos, and PartyGaming in particular have spent much time creating slots based on a range of popular themes.

Don’t be surprised if themed slots, especially those based on TV show and movies soon take over, as their storylines could be adapted to fit an online slot. Another possible development is the use of multiple levels where a certain amount wagered or won will unlock more winning opportunities, bonus rounds or even jackpots. With these ideas possibly making their way online, the future of slots looks extremely exciting.