Animation is the art of adding motion to still images such that it breathes life into them. This art has proven helpful in creating media content, designing websites, advertising, and making video games. As a subset of video games, animation also has many roles in slot gaming.
There are several reasons animations have become a major player in the popularity of online slots. They include but are not limited to the following:
Better Player Engagement
Slot players respond better when the animation is tailored to get them involved. Players stay interested when they get to participate rather than watch reels spin. Properly animated slots make it effortless to engage players and ensure they stay engaged throughout their gaming experience.
With so many different slots to choose from, and so many developers and options constantly flooding the market, animations have emerged as a simple yet effective way of separating the wheat from the chaff. This is especially true for real money slots, as users have money on the line. Sergio Zammit says that slots are the most popular casino game category and feature an incredible variety of themes, mechanics, and bonus features – so choosing one with animations that align with your interests is a good way to narrow down the choice of which game to play.
Adequate Visual Appeal
Online slots represent the motion of reels as closely as possible to physical slots to make the game appealing to gamers. Well-animated moving parts, attractive symbol designs, and the right background would spark attraction from every slot fan.
These intricate animations, in the manner in which they are employed, stimulate the imagination of slot fans. This enhanced visual and mental stimulation makes for a grander experience that could only be enjoyed since the introduction of animations to online slots.
Improved Gaming Experience
Playing slots at any online casino can very quickly become boring and mundane since it lacks the atmosphere that players have come to know, love, and expect when playing slots at brick-and-mortar casinos. The sound of the reels, the vibrant colors, and the hustle and bustle around the machines create an experience that constantly keeps the player alternating between excitement and immersion.
However, when playing online, the player is left alone with their internet-ready device, which is when these animations come into their own, being able to mirror the glitz and glamor of an actual slot machine. The vibrance and responsiveness of the animation create an experience that nearly resembles bringing the slot machine to the home of the player. This is especially true of crypto casinos, which tend to feature an even bigger slot library with innovative titles from all the top developers.
Allows for More Expression and Innovation
Unlike physical slot machines in brick-and-mortar casinos, which are pretty much an open-and-shut case barring the occasional maintenance and software updates, online slots are significantly flexible, much easier to innovate with and leave room for an unprecedented amount of expression—all of which is displayed and brought to life by cutting-edge animation.
With a tap of your mobile screen or a push of a button on your computer, you can alternate between different types of slots, from three reels to five, sometimes six and seven reels. The interactive nature of some online reels can create a storyline with progressive difficulty, portrayed using excellent animation.
Personalization
Artificial intelligence has improved many industries, and one such area where the benefits of AI have been most felt is in gaming. The application of machine learning to learn player habits and react to them by creating non-player characters that adapt to player inputs has significantly changed the gaming experience for most players.
While animation is not AI or machine learning, it has the same effect on online slots and their players in the sense that it gives them an opportunity to experience personalized gameplay. This can be achieved using different animated themes to simulate environments that will be most appealing to different players.
Sports fans can have their favorite slot titles displayed in sports themes, their favorite football clubs, and their favorite football moments. Instead of having the reels be generic, they can be tailored to feature avatars of their favorite sports players. The same can be said for players who prefer Wizard of OZ themes, Harry Potter themes, or random points in history.
The wealth of choice that animation immediately opens to players allows them to enjoy these titles in different ways, and it constantly renews the experience every time they log in to play.
Conclusion
While convenience is enough to start the conversation about why online slots have become so popular, it is not enough to explain why players keep coming back for more until you bring up animations. Completely enhancing the experience, these animations have transformed the casual online slot experience into something iconic by allowing for more personalization, creating more engaging content, allowing for more expression of novel innovations, and bridging the physical and language barriers that before existed in the space.
