You allowed me to ramble last month about why we should market and strategize, develop a thought process, and open up communication lines to get the “X-Game Generation” into the casino. This month, I wanted to focus on what kind of slot machine would pique their interest enough that they will be able to enter the casino and stay there.
As I get ready for my second trip to the Global Gaming Conference, (G2E), it is time to ask myself: “Which manufacturer of slot machines is creating games to attract and keep the younger gaming audience?” It would be lonely if it had a thought now.
Yes, I know that downloadable games are at forefront of the industry. In fact, they are on the horizon. This means that the same games are just waiting for a better platform. Since I can see the casino floor full of machines that offer free spins and clunky but elaborate “bonus wheels”, I am able to see the same type of games, with the same (ho-hum), mediocre paylines and the same motionless screens showing the same clip art bonus rounds. This is not the kind of hype that will leave the X-Gamers gasping for air.
These are my thoughts.
Bonus rounds in the new games should be available where “decisions are made” (not selected). Also, remember your last “decisions”. “Do I move left, right, up, or down?” The game will remind you of the last time you went left when you return to the bonus spot. groza69club You should be able to create your own characters or players and place them anywhere you want in the bonus rounds. Bonus rounds should be interactive. There must be a winner. It is not luck, but skill. You can play against the game, or against another person at the same bank, or in a different location such as an interstate or wide-area network.
Cheat codes should be available in new games. This is not a cheat code that will “beat” the game. It’s more about finding Easter eggs along the way (free spins and additional credits, ads). Yes, advertisements. Others pay premium dollars to have their brands and products embedded in the code of the PS2’s latest game. Only to be discovered by someone who is able to exploit the cheat code (hint hint IGT, Aristocrat and Williams). These cheat codes can only be found on websites where advertisements are sold. What? What?
New games must have the ability to save players’ levels when they return. These new games must have a memory, a saved level card (what we used to call a player card), with password encryption (which we call those PIN numbers) so that the gamer can return to the game and not feel they have lost their “place”. GLI and gaming regulators can relax, I’m referring to the bonus round. You’ll be fighting the same crazed penguins next time you reach bonus round 3. If you are at level four, you will return to the same place. The player must still play the game in order to “get back into the bonus round”, but if they’re returning to your casino, their time spent on the device will increase just like the “legs”.
These games should focus on realistic graphics, sound quality and entertainment value. You can get rid of the “$20 = 6 spins” mindset and use a more effective way to code. The time spent on the device is around $20 and lasts for no more than three minutes. You’re not winning any money at the arcade. Instead, you are winning “times and levels”.
These games allow you to go beyond the (X) box by allowing you to access another screen and send instant messages (IM), text messages, download to an MP3 or make beats. A simple tip: If you add an MP3 auxiliary or headphone jack to the game, the casino slot director won’t have to turn off any sound from another game. We need to face the fact that today’s youth are multitasking far more than we realize.