It’s no secret that increasingly persons are seeking to play casino-style games while at the go—usually via portable devices similar to iPhones and iPads. This trend has not escaped the attention of slot game providers, lots of whom are within the technique of adapting successful land-based casino content to the mobile realm along with creating exclusive slot games and themes for online sites.

Suffice to mention that the ease to now play popular slot games virtually anytime and anywhere means online slot producers are continually evolving their wares to include the most recent themes and technology to maintain their players engaged and coming back for more. In this day and age it kind of feels as if each time you blink a technology advancement happens and is instantly adopted into the gaming world.  Slot operators was incorporating new features to online slots; subsequently, playing online slots now not includes mindlessly pressing a button and watching the reels spin as your virtual checking account either increases or fades slowly away. The brand new game advancements allow customers to feel like they have got a bit of more control over their play. For example, some slot games now require participants to make choices during bonus rounds, while others incorporate more interactive mini-games throughout the slot to impress greater player interaction.

Online slot graphics also are undergoing a rapid evolution with the goal of creating the games more visually exciting to consumers. The graphics incorporated into online slots has come a ways within the last couple of years, and another jump forward is predicted as game providers experiment with 3D, virtual reality and headsets. “We are attempting to define the brand new state-of-the-art relating to visual fidelity and technology behind our mobile products,” said David Lopez, chief executive officer at American Gaming Systems (AGS).  “Our team is usually testing the boundaries of what the powerful, but limited, smartphone can do and looking to balance that with the visual experience we would like our users to fall in love with.”

According to Facebook, greater than 450 million people play games or connect with games via Facebook on mobile devices and consoles every month. Although the selection of players indulging in mobile play thru mediums reminiscent of Facebook, mobile apps or gaming sites continues to rise, the contest on this market has also grown significantly. “The online slot game market continues to be growing as indicated by the demand from global online casino operators throughout regulated online territories,” said Jason Lim, online gaming manager at Ainsworth Game Technology. “However, this is a very competitive market and the focal point is attaining the best balance with innovative games that perform.”

AGS could also be mindful of the impact growing demand is having and can have at the industry going forward. “It [demand] doesn’t show any signs of slowing down and, in fact, is growing month over month,” Lopez said. “The downside of that, arguably, is that it’s also hyper competitive. That suggests the price of acquiring new players also continues to rise. New entrants into the distance are going to have an overly difficult time competing unless they have got substantial budgets or superior content.”

This need for deep pockets is another factor that plays into the hands of established land-based slot machine providers—companies that experience the backing and game development knowledge required to conform and grow within the mobile casino games space. Below is rundown of a few of the newest online slot advancements and news from traditional slot machine providers:   

AGS

AGS is a number one developer of slot machines and table game products for the casino floor. Its roots are within the Class II Native American market, with recent expansion of its product lines to incorporate top performing slot games for the category III commercial marketplace. 

With the purchase in their interactive business in June of 2015, AGS has become one of the vital diverse suppliers within the gaming industry.  Although its social casino business is comparatively small in comparison to its slot machine segment, “interactive is in growth mode and the market is growing much faster than land-based, that is fairly mature,” Lopez said. 

To date, AGSi has incorporated seven AGS titles into its flagship social casino products, Lucky Play Casino and Vegas Fever, and so they have immediately become their top-played games.  Lopez said, “Number one by far is Royal Reels, followed closely by Colossal Diamonds,” he said, “then So Hot, followed by Monkey within the Bank. On Vegas Fever, we've got integrated two of the newer AGS titles, Fire Wolf and Legend of the White Buffalo. Again, that content is performing much better than the non-RMG (real money gaming) games we've got. We have now an extended roadmap of recent slot games as a way to launch in Lucky Play Casino over the approaching months, and we predict our players to embrace them equally in addition to those we've got already launched.”

For now, AGS has made it a concern to create mobile versions in their games that play exactly like their brick-and-mortar counterparts... new features may enhance the web game but only in some way that doesn’t deviate from the classic land-based slot game format.  “One area we think to improve is cross-promotional opportunities for our land-based casino customers,” Lopez said.  “The the first thing we’re doing is including a ‘Now Playing’ feature in order that our mobile audience knows where they may be able to play these titles in a real brick-and-mortar casino.”

On the technology front, AGS is moving forward with Unity because the development platform for all in their new applications starting with Vegas Fever. “Unity offers us the chance to more closely mirror the high fidelity art, sounds, and music of our land-based titles after we move them to mobile,” Lopez said. “It provides us with deep control over assets, giving us the facility to create pixel-perfect graphics using ultra HD textures and merge them with next-gen effects and image processing tools,” Lopez added.

As for growth, AGS is that specialize in taking proven land-based slot games that experience successful math models and leveraging them onto social.  “These games immediately enhance our content portfolio—a good game is a great game, it doesn't matter what platform you play it on,” Lopez said.

AINSWORTH GAME TECHNOLOGY

Ainsworth Game Technology is a number one manufacturer and supplier of slot gaming products. Today, with an experienced team and leadership, Ainsworth is in a position to provide the worldwide gaming market with a variety of land-based, online and mobile slot content being licensed in real money gaming within the UK and Europe. Ainsworth also had its social casino slot products Players Paradise Slots and King Spin Slots available as social and mobile apps. 

Company literate states that the interactive team has over 50 original game titles slated for development per year offering play free of charge in addition to wager-based game content, that specialize in delivering a cross-platform library of games for simultaneous release of their land based slot machines, online flash products, in addition to on mobile and table devices.  

“Ainsworth is rapidly growing, our social business and immediate priority is to concentrate on providing innovative and appealing slot games,” Lim said. "What sets us apart is that our games offer a payback and volatility that no other social casino offers and that is what made our land-based games so popular.”

IGT

International Game Technology Plc (IGT) enables players to experience their favorite games across all channels and controlled segments, from gaming machines and lotteries to interactive and social gaming.  IGT recently announced that it now offers content from the legacy GTECH game portfolio on its social gaming app, DoubleDown Casino.  “Launching our first legacy GTECH title on DoubleDown Casino establishes an important milestone for the brand new IGT, showcasing our combined strengths from the 2 legacy organizations,” said Joe Sigrist, senior vp and general manager for DoubleDown Interactive.  

According to company literature, IGT’s online casino, DoubleDown Interactive, hosts the world’s largest online, non-gambling, casino and is likely one of the fastest growing casual game applications at the Web.  With five unique game studios across the world, IGT brings its best land-based games to interactive, and builds new titles exclusively for online play, making the most of unique features that the interactive format makes available.

IGT also recently announced the introduction of 1 of the most well liked slot themes of all time, Wheel of Fortune slots, to online real-money gaming. Online players in Ontario and New Jersey can now place wagers from their computers (and mobile devices in New Jersey) while playing the fan-favorite title, Wheel of Fortune Triple Extreme Spin. “Releasing Wheel of Fortune Triple Extreme Spin to the web real money gaming space is the precise example of IGT’s commitment to cross-platform content creation and deployment,” said Matteo Monteverdi, senior vp of world product marketing, interactive for IGT. “Delivering probably the most in-demand slot theme of all time to our Interactive customers and their players marks a vital milestone for online real money gaming.”

IGT presented an integrated portfolio of interactive solutions for its gaming and lottery customers at ICE Totally Gaming this past February at London’s ExCel Center, featuring greater than 200 products that serve all regulated gaming segments and channels, including a dedicated interactive section where they demonstrated their new interactive game content, platforms, features, applications and technologies.

“ICE Totally Gaming provided the appropriate opportunity for IGT to unveil the following generation of interactive gaming experiences and solutions across channels and devices,” Monteverdi said.

KONAMI GAMING

Konami Gaming recently joined in collaboration with online gaming developer Spin Games to provide popular Konami video slot games for online interactive distribution to social and for-wager gambling environments. Recognized for high game themes including Dragon’s Law, Solstice Celebration, and China Shores, Konami will now empower its customers with proven game content across a large number of potential online channels by launching a best-of-breed remote gaming server (RGS) with Spin Games. Both land-based and online casino gambling entities may have the facility to supply Konami game content to all relevant mobile devices, desktop platforms and internet browsers, through use of industry-leading HTML5 technology, consistent with an organization press release.

“Konami games are highly sought-after by both casino players and operators for the entertaining appeal of our proven game design and mathematics,” said Matt Reback, vice president, marketing for Konami. “We have a longstanding reputation for performance and our hope is that through this new RGS, we will be able to start to deliver our content to our customers with a purpose to help them excel within the Internet gaming space.”

With widespread for-wager distribution and social gaming capabilities, Spin Games’ state-of-the-art RGS, The ROC, streamlines gaming content for plenty of online interactive markets. Its robust technology makes it possible for rapid integration, giving gaming operators the versatility and control to succeed in online customers with the best convenience and functionality.

“This is a huge leap forward in giving casino players the Konami games they enjoy at the platforms they frequent from home and around the globe,” said Reback.

SCIENTIFIC GAMES

Scientific Games Corporation’s comprehensive portfolio includes gaming machines, game content and systems; table games products and shufflers; instant and draw-based lottery games; server-based lottery and gaming systems; sports betting technology; player loyalty and rewards programs; and interactive content and services.

In 2015, Scientific Games enhanced its commercial relationship with Canada and the British Colombia Lottery Corporations (BCLC) with the launch of mobile real money gaming. Along with their desktop games, BCLC’s PlayNow.com is obtainable on mobile with games from SG Interactive’s Bally and Williams game development studios. Content includes player favorites like Cash Wizard, Montezuma, Cash Spin, Raging Rhino, Lady Robin Hood, Zeus and Zeus III with more titles to come.

SG Interactive, a division of Scientific Games, is supplying the featured online real money game content for the brand new innovative Macau themed tab at the William Hill website. The tactic is the primary of its kind for Scientific Games and the tab is a progressive evolution in themed content, moving beyond more traditional themes reminiscent of Vegas-style games to be able to engage a growing, niche player base. “We recognize that giant partner relationships around our intellectual property are a large growth opportunity. SG Interactive is thrilled to be providing William Hill with proven content for the brand new Macau tab,” said Bob Hays, vice president, commercial, interactive for Scientific Games. “With titles which can be built on quite a lot of game engines providing enhanced features, players can expect an exhilarating ride.”

Further, Scientific Games announced in a up to date press release it is going to sublicense selected Hasbro brand rights to Gamesys, allowing Gamesys to launch MonopolyCasino.com. In addition, both parties have enhanced their commercial real money gaming supply relationship, and Scientific Games has licensed selected game patents to Gamesys. “The agreements with Gamesys are a tangible results of a combined force: the out-of-the-box thinking we pride ourselves on at Scientific Games, and Gamesys’ unwavering dedication to their mission of turning into the world’s most entertaining interactive gaming company,” said Jordan Levin, president, interactive for Scientific Games. “We are thrilled with the creative collaboration and sit up for the opportunities ahead for both companies.”

Developed by SG Interactive, Hot Shot Casino Slots was considered one of eight games, and one in every of two social casino games, chosen as a part of Facebook’s 2015 Best Web Games. The once a year list honors the games, developers and publishers that the majority impress Facebook developers and its players. “We are thrilled that Hot Shot Casino Slots was selected by Facebook as one in every of this year’s best web games,” said Barry Cottle, chief executive interactive for Scientific Games. sM&M

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