Any area of the gaming industry that can bottle and resell ideas that created the initial excitement in the first place is onto a winning idea. For those in the casino gaming world, they need look no further than the enduring appeal of classic-themed slot ideas.
In a gambling market that is often hellbent on churning out a limitless conveyor belt of expansive ideas, it can be easy for companies and developers to lose sight of the true essence of slot machines and what made them such a mainstream hit in the first place.
During the nascent years of online slots, there was a demand for fresh themes, reels, and grids far beyond the norm. While their initial success spurred more designers to follow the same ideas, there was still a constant demand for games that did not stray too far from the fabric that made slots so engaging in the first place.
The Importance Of Keeping It Simple
While a global audience that consists of millions will continue to have a variety of tastes, there’s a substantial minority of slot gamers who have no desire to seek out expansive reels and games with a plethora of mini-game bonuses and free spin options. For some, the simpler, the better. It’s a simple mantra. Casino slots also fall into the category of modular design, meaning developers can bend and twist the game’s fabric.
Unlike in other casino games, where the set, rigid game design makes it next to impossible to stray from its foundation, slots can explore a whole new world of ideas, themes, and large-scale designs.
Some of these ideas include 3D slots, video slots, and branching into undiscovered areas of gaming tech, such as VR. While they might look and feel different, there are still thousands of these ideas that tap into classic themes, simplicity, and staying close to the proven path.
Defining Classic Slots
Defining a slot gaming theme can be pretty broad; classic slot games are among the easiest. Generally speaking, they will be on much smaller grids, ideally 3×3 to fall into the classic definition, but there are plenty that have 5×3 and 5×4 grids.
As long as they have a basic design, minimal bonus games, and a theme that focuses on classic ideas, including fruit symbols such as cherries and lemons, as well as the liberty bell and number seven symbols, then these are textbook examples of classic games.
Anything outside of this, such as larger grids or grid squares that integrate other themes, would fall outside the remit and the definition of a trademark classic slot game.
Familiarity – An Underrated Component
There’s definitely a time and a place for new slot ideas to dazzle and amaze. Still, if you are somebody who has been playing slots for a long time, and you also enjoy the experience from a conventional standpoint, then it’s a simple case of seeking the same experience in a digital format.
While this might sound reductive, the familiar, nostalgic element of classic slot themes speaks to an audience that is looking for simplicity. They’re not interested in the glitziness and high-spec design of fresh ideas, which can be overwhelming from a visual and gaming perspective.
The whole point of slots is their simplicity, and it doesn’t get simpler than a classic 3×3 grid with familiar grid designs and prizes. So long as there’s this type of market for slot gaming, then classic slot ideas will continue to work.
Embracing The New
Just because classic slots fall into the initial 3×3 grid design that first exploded into the gaming industry in the late 19th century, it doesn’t mean there aren’t some aspects of it that can move into the future. The rise of cryptocurrency and social media has rewritten the marketing playbook, with the early days of online slots in the late 20th century looking and feeling very different from the modern market.
As you can see in the link below, some providers have gone one better, combining pioneering digital assets with their social media reach, which is one of the key ways to bring slot gaming ideas to a new audience.
Within this market, there are still plenty of elements that tap into traditional ideas, with classic-themed slots still able to find their target audience, even in a contemporary market that is looking to use blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies for online casino gaming.
One Eye On The Future
Classic slots might have a bit more legroom than other themes, as they can maintain their design’s fabric and still find an audience. However, this doesn’t mean that they are afforded the luxury of standing completely still in a market that becomes more innovative with each passing year.
Many slot gaming companies now fuse classic ideas with other popular themes, with many also tapping into the potential of VR gaming and the large amounts of capital flowing into AI game design.
Amid this myriad of changing ideas and the ubiquity of the global market, there’s still a demand for ideas that don’t get too ambitious. As long as the market is out there for people who want to sit and play slots in their most primitive version, they’ll be able to shoulder even the most substantial changes over the next decade or two.
