The online gaming industry is one of the most enduring and progressive in the world. Research has shown that in 2015, the market volume of online gaming market was approximately $38 billion USD and is expected to reach $60 billion USD in 2018.
The main products that are associated with online gaming are sports betting, lotteries, casino, poker and bingo; with sports betting and casino games being the most popular. When looking at online casino games, it is the slot machines that are the clear favourites with online players.
With this mind, it is plain to see why gaming development companies like Net Entertainment and Microgaming are constantly creating more and more innovative online video slot games filled with exciting game play and bonus features. Slots players would probably notice at least one slot machine release a month; so it would be easy to think that making an online slot game is easy, but that is far from the truth.
On average an online slot machine takes about 12 months, from being an idea to being released to multiple clients. There is a core development team comprising of technical staff to handle the design, testing, game engine set up, creative work and configuration. In addition to this, there has to be co-ordination between the core team, the marketing department, business development and management to ensure the actual game has every chance of being a success.
Truth be told, no one really knows if any slot game will become a hit until it is released to the public. However, there are certain basic guidelines that one should adhere to, in order to minimise the chance of failure.
Any game has to find a balance between sticking to the basics and incorporating just enough game bonus features; which do not make the game predictable but at the same time does not have too much elaborate game play that confuse the player. Everyone involved with the initial concept and design should always do extensive research into any slots games that are similar in nature; so that lessons can be learnt on what works and what doesn’t, and factor these findings into the new game.
Payouts and jackpots are essential to any game, as ultimately this is what every player wants to win. So ideally, any successful game will have to RTP (Return To Player) of no less that 95%. The size of payouts and jackpots should reflect the volatility of the game. This means games with high volatility should have sizeable winnings as their are payouts are less frequent than games with low volatility, where players will receive more payouts but less valuable.
Furthermore, it is advised not to be cheap and leave out specialty personnel. So for example, experienced mathematicians, legal advice on intellectual property and specialist graphic designers are just some of the people who maybe required from time to time; depending on the type of game being created.
Bottom line is that every aspect of the new slot machine has to be perfectly weighted and balanced. A successful game should have great payouts, engaging game features and bonuses, together with state of the art graphics, animation and audio; which all come together perfectly for players to enjoy and win loads of cash.
For anyone interested in sampling the best online slots, there are a number of reputable online casino operators and gaming review sites that offer a play for free option on their slots games. Players can then compare and gain an appreciation of how much goes into making a successful online slot machine.
