The online casino industry has grown massively over the last decade and is now worth more than $60 billion. However, this is just the start, and estimates predict that its revenue could more than double by 2030. With more players playing every year, developers have had to get creative to make their games stand out in lists that are packed full of options.
When you look through online slots pages now, it’s clear that studios are putting a greater focus into ensuring that the titles are attractive and eye-catching. Graphic design and artwork are now key components to making a successful slot game.
Slot Games More Impressive Than Ever
The most striking thing that players notice when they log onto an iGaming site in 2023 is the amount of choice available. The online casino at Paddy Power has hundreds of games, giving players a tough decision to make when they join the site. They need to scroll through lists of reel spinners, with top titles like Age of The Gods III: God of Storms and Wisdom of Athena to choose from. Sometimes they’ll stick on a game based on its theme, but this isn’t the first thing they notice.
The initial point of contact between player and slot game is the thumbnail, which they may only glimpse for a matter of milliseconds. Indeed, according to research from Marketing Essentials Lab, it only takes three seconds for a viewer to decide whether they want to watch a YouTube video or not. That means thumbnails at online casinos have even less time to grab people. This has led to an influx of games with impressive thumbnails that feature intricate artwork.
One Day Slot Games Could be Seen as Classic Artforms
Slots have evolved so much throughout their history that they barely resemble the offerings that existed in the early 20th century. Back then, artwork wasn’t even a consideration, and the reels were adorned with simple symbols. Because they have come so far, it’s reasonable to think that in another century today’s games will be barely recognisable to players of the future.
According to XR Today, VR is set to be huge by 2028. At that time, it’s expected that slot games will enter a new phase in their evolution. They could exist as playable machines within metaverses, or the games could be in VR worlds of their own. For example, a Greek-themed option would be set within an ancient Greece-inspired fantasy universe. Players could go on an adventure and discover reels in the middle of the ancient structures. If this comes to fruition, today’s slot machines will look like ancient artifacts to players of those times. Historians may look back at the thumbnails and view them as classic artforms. They could lead to discussion and debate about the culture of this era.
There’s no doubt that the artistic process involved with slot games has come a long way. Games nowadays have impressive graphic design, and in the future people may look back on them in the same way modern scholars admire the past works of artists like Vincent Van Gogh and Michelangelo.
