How the design of slot machines appeal to people

One of the secrets of successful game developers in creating a good slot machine is by creating a meticulously-designed artwork for it. While many people don’t notice it right away, subconsciously, a slot’s art design is the initial force that pulls people toward it. In the ever-busy slot gaming area of a casino, an observer might see that people only care about winning the jackpot and hitting the spin button repeatedly. However, remove the players from the machines and just try to imagine the unique, lively, and colorful artwork of each of the 2,000 slots housed in the casino. If that doesn’t answer the question as to why 80% of a casino’s earnings are obtained from them, here are some explanations from the top developers of slots concerning why such machines are very much desired.

Slot Machine 1
(Compfight.com)

“How the imagery is represented on the game — the colors, the graphics — is important to the experience,” said Joe Sigrist, vice president of product management for International Game Technology. “And, obviously, you want to connote fun, you want to connote winning, you want to connote the brand that’s being supported.”

As such, it makes sense for developers to take extra time in drawing creative graphics for slots since they’re a major selling point of the game. Without stunning artwork, how different would slots be from the table games offered in Las Vegas that rely on pure game play? This is the reason why the slot games featured on Bubble Bonus Bingo all feature different art styles. There are realistic games such as the Bruce Lee and X Factor slots, and more cartoonish games such as the Happy Mushroom and the proprietary Bubble Bonus game, ensuring that every slot fan will find something appealing when browsing the site. Without good art design, slots wouldn’t attract attention to themselves.

Slot Machine 2
(Compfight.com)

In addition to art design, slots would sell better if people can relate more to them. For example, many slot players in the east are very much superstitious than those in the west. So, it only makes sense to incorporate art designs to slots that feature lucky symbols such as jade bracelets, gold coins, or red Chinese envelopes.

There are “certain themes that resonate with players over others,” says Mike Mitchell, Bally Technologies vice president of game development. “…and the key is that we do a good job of marrying what players are looking for with what we advertise.”

In addition to impressive art design, the slots’ colors also play a key factor in their appeal to people. According to expert opinion, blue seems to have an affinity for casino goers. Whether it’s because the color is pleasant to the eyes or water is a symbol of life for humans, slots with shades of blue have always made a connection to people.

…”And, obviously, you want to connote fun, you want to connote winning, you want to connote the brand that’s being supported.” – Joe Sigrist, vice president of product management for IGT.

With today’s technology, slots’ artwork can tap people’s interests in a different light. Thanks to touch screens, people can now interact with the designs, allowing them to appreciate the machines further. In most modern slot machines, characters move when people touch them. Also, some machines incorporate .gif images to add a sense of realism to motionless artworks.

'Old-fashioned' slot machine
‘Old-fashioned’ slot machine

In the future, no matter how much slots develop, artwork will always play a key factor in their success. And from that perspective, as long as slot developers focus on taking art designs to the next level, people will always be attracted to them.

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Nicolas Franz

Digital strategist