Since the Internet debuted for public use in the ‘90s, online welcome bonus casino gaming has developed at an exceptional rate. From a few online venues that offered a small selection of gaming machines to the hundreds of casino sites that provide hundreds of games, multiple banking options, lucrative bonuses, live dealer options and much more, everything has changed. Yet the sector continues to grow and expand, with ever-expanding game choices and playing options being offered to the gaming public.
The coronavirus shutdown has brought new changes and challenges to the industry. Some game production has slowed but there are new many indications that online gaming is one of the industries that will see a strong year. Some of 2020’s expected trends include:
Game Innovation
Industry observers have commented that there hasn’t been nearly enough innovation in new game releases in the last few years but that seems set to change. One of the factors that’s driving this type of creativity is the increase in mobile gaming which means that the games must be appropriate for both a large PC screen and a small mobile screen.
Game developers have been scrambling to find arrangements that empower HD design gushing on mobiles and they seem to have solved the issue. This will lead to online casino designs that offer mobile options that are similar in speed quality to PC games.
The improvement in portable innovation is also empowering live spilling so gamers have more opportunities than ever to play against a live dealer or against other players. This is especially prominent with online poker and allows poker players to play a more authentic poker game.
Optional Reel-Spinning
Spinning the reels of a slot machine has been a standard feature of slots since the first slot machines were invented in the early 20th century. Now the industry is trying to appeal to a younger audience. That that end, a number of manufacturers are moving away from the “old-fashioned” reel-spinning slots towards games that are more similar to those found on mobile devices – matching games, first-person shooters, puzzle games, etc.
They are often referred to as “skill games” though they’re not really based totally on player skill – skill is only one element, as is chance. But, they’re a different type of gaming challenge and involve more of the player’s interactive involvement. Casino operators and game developers believe that this is what the younger gamer wants today so we can expect to see more of these type of games on the market this year/
Table Games
Further, in noting the need to appeal to younger players, casinos are expanding their table game menu so that gamers can more easily enjoy games that require some measure of strategy and skill. Traditional gaming machines, particularly slots, are mostly luck-based but the old favorites, especially poker and blackjack, demand that the player be more actively involved and engaged in decision-making aspects of the gaming event.
The need to offer these kind of games carries over to the live dealer events which have proved to be very popular in the last year or so. Gaming manufacturers are devoting more of their Research and Development budget to the production of these types of table games. Simultaneously, the casinos are featuring these games more prominently on their websites.
Some game developers are even considering how to bring the “live” dealer experience to slots. That, however, will probably not happen this year.
Systems
System technology continues to move ahead. The goal of systems technology is to reward players with their bonuses immediately. In addition, via the system, casinos can hold tournaments, both on-demand and scheduled events, as part of the player reward club. Initial testing has shown that players like these enhancements and they are expected to become more commonplace as new titles are released during the year.
VR and AR Casinos
With virtual reality and augmented reality games growing in popularity, many online casino gamers are questioning when that technology will arrive at the online casino. Casino programmers are working on this development. There’s already an expanded reality element to many of the 2019 games which enables players to enjoy a genuine 360-degree gaming event. The ER element integrates the real and the computerized world with 3D images.
Computer generated reality will come next to deliver a framework that allows players to see each other and engage with each other. So, for instance, when playing poker, you can watch your opponent as he makes his moves and better decide whether or not he’s bluffing.
The easy availability of the Google Cardboard, MaxBox and Vusion 3D Google VR headsets means that these options will be available to everyone.
Mechanics
One mechanical enhancement that has been on many game designers’ to-do lists for 2020 involves mechanics including the long-awaited hold-and-spin feature. That’s the feature that locks one bonus or jackpot symbol in place and respins the other reels.
Presently, there are only a few games that have this feature which gives the gamer the advantage of being able to collect the largest payouts possible. However, now that it’s been developed, a large percentage of slots players want to play games where it’s included, so you can look forward to seeing it quite a bit in 2020 slot machines.
Proprietary Brands
The popularity of slots that are based on popular music, movies and TV shows has convinced game developers to pursue that avenue in their upcoming slots designs. And, like the movies which have sequel after sequel of popular titles, observers can expect to see more slot machines that continue where the first one of their series left off.
