The importance of graphics in slots has been underestimated by many, with lots of players believing that players who are serious about playing slots to win money won’t be interested in how they look as the graphics don’t influence how much you win, or lose.
Whilst it’s completely true that the quality of the graphics of a slot game has no bearing on how much players win and don’t influence the outcome of the spin of the reels, the evolution of slots has shown quite clearly just how important high-quality graphics are to slot games and the gambling industry as a whole. What’s more, slots aren’t intended to be taken “seriously” – they are developed to be as fun and entertaining as possible and graphics can play a significant part in elevating the user experience. To understand just how integral graphics have been to the best online slots, let’s take a closer look at how slot graphics have evolved over time.
The first slot machines: playing card symbols
The first slot machines did not have much of a focus on graphics and all the emphasis was on physically pulling the slot level to spin the reels. Original slot machines were three-reel and mechanical and utilised classic playing card symbols on the reels which still feature in a large number of slot games to this day.
The electric 60s
However, as technology and graphics advanced the humble card symbols were replaced or supplemented with over symbols including classic fruit machines symbols as well as the BAR symbol, bells and the Lucky 7 symbol. When slots became electrical in the 60s slot machines became more lucrative but graphically hung onto the classic appeal.
Video slot machines
In the mid-70s the slot industry took a huge leap forward with the development of the world’s first video slot game in Las Vegas. Although the graphics may seem simple in comparison to the outstanding graphics of today, they were a vast improvement and cutting-edge for their time. The revolutionary technology and the futuristic appeal of the graphics helped video slot’s popularity to soar and they soon became the norm!
The age of the Internet
Once players could access their favourite slot games via the Internet on a range of devices it was a whole different ball game and animation really came into its own with the creation of 3D slots and graphics which stunned players.
Modern-day slots
Any online casinos which are vying for the attention and business of players both new and experienced gamblers focus heavily on the visual appeal of not only their site, advertisements and social media but also on the slots on offer. This is to attract as many players as possible and many new slot releases in 2019 featured themes from films and TV series such as Jumanji, Ghostbusters, Captain America and Iron Man as well as famous rock bands including Guns ‘n’ Roses and KISS. This has all been made possible with advanced graphics which bring a cinematic experience to the slots and make the experience even more enjoyable and dynamic for players.