Are slots becoming boring?

[kayenne23]

First slot was created in 1894 by a bavarian called August Charles Frey. It was named Liberty Bell. 

In 1964 software provider Bally created the fist electromechanical slot called Money Honey.

In 1976 Las Vegas created the first video slot which was launched in Hilton hotel in Las Vegas and became extremely popular.

In 1996 WMS created the first video slot with second screen bonus round.

And of course in the late 90s the revolutionary internet brought the new online slots to the scene.

Now we are in 2020 and I can definitely say that slots have become more appealing. But till 2017, slots were great and simple. Megaways came to the scene which I can say it was intriguing to play since it had so many ways to win. From then till now every software provider seems to be using the megaways feature, which in my opinion has started becoming boring. Most slots released seems to be with no particular ideas or any new feature that is going to make the player continue playing it. I know doa2 is the bomb. If you look closely though it's the same feature only with higher multiplier. I believe providers are out of ideas these days due to the safety net they got with the old classics they have released. For example netent released gonzo's quest (clasic game) with megaways feature (safety net) so to be sure it's going to be a hit. 

[Afi4wins]

Hi Kayenne. You seem to be becoming more active here in the forum by the day, but that's a good thing. It reminds me of me back in my earlier days, hehehe.

We all have different tastes and likes, and we all play slots for varying individual reasons. For me, I was simply thrilled by slots from way back when they were played on stand-alone desktops. Then I moved on to the actual slot machines in a land-based casino for an even more thrilling experience. Nowadays, I get all my fun, entertainment and whatnots from my computer screen, with complete privacy, out of sight from prying eyes, in the comfort of my home. I couldn't ask for anything better than that...except for a woman companion by my side who can share the same hobby, but in my country, that's a big no-no unfortunately, but I won't go into that.

I don't enjoy playing 3-reels slots and I find them rather boring actually. 5-reelers are simply perfect for me - the play screen is nice and uncluttered, and 243-ways to win was simply perfect - the perfect combination of 5 reels 3 rows and all-ways pay.

Then the rows became more and more. From 3 rows, to 4 rows and now up to 12 rows. From 5 reels to 6 reels, some with out-of-shape formations that I simply couldn't like. Then Yggdrasil introduced the world's first toilet-paper-format slot game (called Plant something, don't even want to remember the name), with very tiny symbols and god knows how many rows, which was simply ridiculous, and it died soon after...thank god for that! 

All these while, the wins were becoming smaller and smaller, and the nice bigger ones would take ages to get. Getting 5 Wild symbols was paying from 10,000 back in those earlier days to paying peanuts nowadays. Same goes for getting 5 Scatter symbols, whilst the other regular symbols hit seabed bottom win values, with completely and ridiculously tiny winning amounts!

To compensate for all these tiny winy winning payouts, game providers then introduced more winning lines, but with a slightly higher minimum starting bet, absolutely good for the providers, cos each player would need to pay more to win less! 

Naaah! I'm not going to be blinded by their 117,000 ways to win, or Megaways as they named it. A look at their win values is enough to disgust me!

Are slots becoming boring nowadays? ABSOLUTELY! So much so that I would only play my old favourite games and none of the newer Megaways ones!

[cocopop3011]

Yep I agree with both comments! And with the fact that they are running out of ideas.  Rewind 6/7 years and almost every game the likes of MG and NetEnt brought out were original. Then slowly but surely we started seeing copy games until I really started to lose interest in any game new release. 

We all know I don;t play a fraction compared to what I used to but both me and my partner prefer the old favourite games too.

[pinnit2015]

Depends how you want to describe boring? The hit potential in non jackpot based slots probably, though not really checked, outstrips previous games - that's only pertinent if you actually hit on it. There's simply more HV games these days which obviously means longer barren spells, lesser play times and more micro wins - simply can't build an HV beast without them. 

I think slots X years ago had a spread of the RTP more in the sub 500/x1000x range; meant that while you wouldn't hit a 60,000x plus whopper, you could string out a session longer with 250x wins etc. 

Move to lottery type odds in slots have been at the expense of session playtimes. Equally they'll be those who think it's good that you can buy a few cars with a 1 quid monster hit. 

RTP's moving to 90% simply compound that. 

The rise of 'boring'HV games have been driven partly by the providers/casinos but also players - general sweeping thought that a lot of players, who previously thought 100x was a good win, now want 250x, which then gives way to the need for 500x and so on.  You ask a horse racing punter, who rejoices when a 20/1 horse comes in that you were playing a game last night that, for all intents and purposes, 'only' gave you 400x (to them, 400-1), they'd look at you with 2 heads. 

Seen the breaking up up the big suppliers - MG/Netent to give rise to series of smaller providers: there's a lot more smoke and mirrors with like Laser Fruits 60 million ways to not win but suppose on one hand that, unlike MG who have completely destroyed their catalogue, at least they try new things - might be rubbish in many cases but ho hum.

Netent probably have the worse maths model going - games that play as if HV but have LV pays - playing their games, bar 1/2/3 or so, is a pretty turgid affair. 

You're winning on a game, you're unlikely to find it 'boring', even if the actual game play is pretty drab. It's when you're not winning, or winning little, that you tend to go oh this is *****.

Contrary to the terms of a casino etc, i don't think players play predominately to be entertained, they play to win and if their entertained along the way then even better. 

[pinnit2015]

The Megaways makeover is getting saturated now - I don't blame providers; it's what, per their research, that a lot of players want (even if they have their critics) - it's also cheap i think: take a game and slap a bit of MW's on it: little cost and you've got a game that will probably do alright. 

It'll pass - the same way 9 liners, all the way through to 247 ways, which then gave away to MW's etc: cyclical: probably got a good few years left in it though. After that? Who knows.

[Fiekie247]

IMHO all providers releasing MW versions now, are extremely highly volatile IMHO especially iSoftbet

I dont think I enjoy MW anymore, due to the fact that most providers now offer the buy option, and knowing any megaways slot is hard to bonus through base game, so the fact that I opt in buying the bonus feature gets boring.

I miss the good old days where I used to play my way through the base game up to free spins (the excitement and hype) - That faded now.

At least Play'n Go is the only provider that actually hasnt gone that route and I hope they dont, as much as I do not like their latest releases that much, still the good old ones are the best.

No Limit, PP, Push Gaming and Thunderkick takes most of my play time these days, although I did not gamble much the past 2 months and the sequels being released from providers are not the best either.

[ValDes]

Hmm, interesting question... May I try a response in the form of a math formula?  

gambling = excitement

boredom ≠ excitement

excitement = winning

winning = 'good old days'

'good old days' ≠ 'new slot days'

'new slot days' = 'no winnings' 

'no winnings' = boredom

[Blackjax]

I know my comment will look stupid but I have a problem with the title of this topic. It should be - Have slots become boring?

When I read -Are slots becoming boring. 

Its a bit unsettling. 

Sorry @kayenne23

[kayenne23]

17 minutes ago, Blackjax said:

I know my comment will look stupid but I have a problem with the title of this topic. It should be - Have slots become boring?

When I read -Are slots becoming boring. 

Its a bit unsettling. 

Sorry @kayenne23

I typed ''have'' in my phone but apparently my phone decided to give me ''are'' 

[kayenne23]

1 hour ago, Fiekie247 said:

IMHO all providers releasing MW versions now, are extremely highly volatile IMHO especially iSoftbet

I dont think I enjoy MW anymore, due to the fact that most providers now offer the buy option, and knowing any megaways slot is hard to bonus through base game, so the fact that I opt in buying the bonus feature gets boring.

I miss the good old days where I used to play my way through the base game up to free spins (the excitement and hype) - That faded now.

At least Play'n Go is the only provider that actually hasnt gone that route and I hope they dont, as much as I do not like their latest releases that much, still the good old ones are the best.

No Limit, PP, Push Gaming and Thunderkick takes most of my play time these days, although I did not gamble much the past 2 months and the sequels being released from providers are not the best either.

I know. When i open up a megaways slot and see the bonus buy option, i get the feeling that if i dont buy it, its going to be a long long road in order to trigger it by just playing the slot. 

Push no limit and thunderkick to be quite honest have sticked to their own concept but yes i agree their latest releases have been awful.

[kayenne23]

46 minutes ago, ValDes said:

Hmm, interesting question... May I try a response in the form of a math formula?  

gambling = excitement

boredom ≠ excitement

excitement = winning

winning = 'good old days'

'good old days' ≠ 'new slot days'

'new slot days' = 'no winnings' 

'no winnings' = boredom

seems legit big boy

[pinnit2015]

The only feature buys i have a mild disapproval of are No Limit City's - i mean, 750x? Come on - probably set at that with the Streamer 'community' in mind. 

Most of the old slots with buy features, now removed, are unplayable - aka White Rabbit - probably the fairest of them all; 100x and it normally came in on 75x on average. Without the option to buy it's unplayable as the base games awful. Literally. Nothing happens. 

I think the removal of it here based upon RG concerns is a bit of a stretch but apparently that's why. I'm more likely to sit and bang my head against a wall chasing a feature than, upon being able to buy a few and they pay rubbish, simply walking away. 

There will always be the thought that where there is a buy a feature, the maths has been tweaked/harder to bonus organically etc - when i used to see a buy feature i'd go 'May as well buy it, cos i'll not be able to trigger it normally'. 

Bit like casinos heroes introducing the super hyper spins where you didn't see the game, another move-ish to a more scratchcard feel of slots.

3 Dice, when we could play there in the UK, had more LV type games: unlikely to hit on some of them above 250x but there's a lot of action in between, for those who want a bit of play time.

That being said, you go into some Bingo sites, like Tombola and you'll see some slots with RTP of 98% - there is a bit of hyprocrisy by players though who will, on one hand, shout 'NO PLAY TIME, DEPOSIT GONE IN 10 MINS', yet when you say 'Hey there's a site with 98% RTP games plus?' will then say, no point playing there, you can't hit massive...which ones do you want then 

 

[Afi4wins]

2 hours ago, kayenne23 said:

I typed ''have'' in my phone but apparently my phone decided to give me ''are'' 

Just goes to show that AIs are not that intelligent as yet for now! 

[Blackjax]

Just opened few BTG games today. not just boring but a few expensive for people like us. I am a lowroller who usually starts with 10 to 20 cent bets on Euro currency. BTG dudes have raises minimum bets.

White rabbit, lil devil and opal fruits from 10 cent to 20 cent

Millionare, extra chilli, bonanza and star clusters from 20 cent to 40

[Afi4wins]

Looks like BTG is hungry for more money...  

[pinnit2015]

more likely the casino(s) - still same minimum bets here

[Blackjax]

I am playing on n1 interactive and dama/direx nv.

 

[pinnit2015]

They part of the same group?

Not seen any changes to min stakes around 3/4 other groups here.

[pinnit2015]

Never mind minimum stakes, didn't know that now MG are re-releasing games with 93% RTP until the other day. 

At this rate BTG are going to be the only ones holding firm at 96% - don't know what it says about the world when BTG are the last bastions of decency 

[Afi4wins]

8 hours ago, pinnit2015 said:

Never mind minimum stakes, didn't know that now MG are re-releasing games with 93% RTP until the other day. 

At this rate BTG are going to be the only ones holding firm at 96% - don't know what it says about the world when BTG are the last bastions of decency 

As the RTPs drop lower, my interest in slots disappears even more...all the better for me...and whomever else who wants to quit playing slots. 

[pinnit2015]

4 hours ago, Afi4wins said:

As the RTPs drop lower, my interest in slots disappears even more...all the better for me...and whomever else who wants to quit playing slots. 

Think that's a fair point Afi and there will be others, balancing the tight rope between playing and not playing, who may well have that decision made for them - online at least anyway. Coupled with the unplayable 3 second spins by some providers, SOW, lack of any form of player retention etc, with lowering RTP's etc (many UK tbf): it is getting to the opportune time.

Got an email in from Grosvenor that said if i go down to the Land Based i'll get a 50 quid slot voucher if between certain times, together with 20 free roulette chips - it was the first offer in ages that made me go 'oh, might do that' Problem is not everyone will want to go online to Land for many reasons but still: never thought we'd get to the point where i, having played both, would start to see LB as being more attractive. 

Might not make much of a difference to 'newbie' players but for those of us who played through the Golden Age :-), the difference is  striking getting

[Afi4wins]

48 minutes ago, pinnit2015 said:

Think that's a fair point Afi and there will be others, balancing the tight rope between playing and not playing, who may well have that decision made for them - online at least anyway. Coupled with the unplayable 3 second spins by some providers, SOW, lack of any form of player retention etc, with lowering RTP's etc (many UK tbf): it is getting to the opportune time.

Got an email in from Grosvenor that said if i go down to the Land Based i'll get a 50 quid slot voucher if between certain times, together with 20 free Roulette chips - it was the first offer in ages that made me go 'oh, might do that' Problem is not everyone will want to go online to Land for many reasons but still: never thought we'd get to the point where i, having played both, would start to see LB as being more attractive. 

Might not make much of a difference to 'newbie' players but for those of us who played through the Golden Age :-), the difference is  striking getting

Wheeey...that's rather nice of Grosvenor to offer you some gifts, but yeah, not everyone is entitled to get them no doubt...only those who have deposited A LOT! 

Between land-based and online, I'd choose land-based one too, inspite of the damn Covid thing, hahaha. I've almost forgotten the thrill of approaching the casino and making an entrance into it...then it's a world of my own.