Slots are the primary revenue-generating machines for most casinos. But even a successful slot game requires ongoing updates and new features to keep players engaged.
Slot development can include new reels, additional paylines, and bonus prizes. It can also include progressive multipliers, which increase with each consecutive win. During the ideation phase of slot development, developers should focus on a number of factors including market research, user feedback, and industry trends. Then, they can narrow down the list of possible features.
Traditionally, slot machines had mechanical reels that spun when the player pressed a button. But as microprocessors became more advanced, the machines began to incorporate electronic components and algorithms for generating random numbers and determining outcomes. This allowed the manufacturers to weight particular symbols and alter the odds of winning by increasing or decreasing the frequency of a specific symbol appearing on the screen.
As the popularity of video slots grew, operators wanted to increase their internal machine hold percentage by varying the types of games offered. But existing systems did not allow them to easily evaluate a particular mix by denomination or type. This led to the introduction of server based slots, which made it easier for managers to change machine returns on a daily or weekly basis.