Blending Traditional Gaming and Casino Features Is a New Trend in iGaming
Moving way beyond the conventional slots and into a world of interactive and engaging experiences, iGaming has grown a lot over the years. And as the industry is developing, studios are looking for new and innovative ways to attract the generations of players who have grown up with traditional video games.
This has resulted in a new trend: the blend of mainstream gaming elements with casino mechanics, creating an immersive world of skill-based gambling.
The Rise of Crash Games
Probably the most notable example of this evolution is the highly popular crash game genre. These games are a combination of high-risk real-time betting models with some strategic decision-making that makes players engaged and thrilled with the excitement and danger.
The mechanics are quite simple: players make their bets and then watch a multiplier increase. The challenge is to cash out before the multiplier crashes. The higher the multiplier goes, the greater the winnings, but so is the risk of losing it all if you wait too long.
Players are very fond of crash casino games because of their similarity to arcade mechanics, as well as the possibility of huge bonuses won. This is the prime example of a great combination of traditional gaming implemented into the gambling concept so it appeals to both worlds.
Traditional Gaming Mechanics in Online Casinos
Many key elements from the world of traditional video games are slowly being adopted in online casinos. These mechanics further enhance the engagement and ultimately make the whole experience much more fun. These are some of the most prominent examples.
1. Gamification Elements
Levels, experience points (XP), achievement – many online casinos incorporate these gamification methods to encourage players to engage more and in continuity. These traditionally RPG-adjacent elements keep users engaged by having them complete challenges, streaks, and unlocking bonuses for different tiers and levels.
2. Skill-Based Gameplay
While casinos are traditionally based mostly on luck, modern iGaming is shifting towards some skill-based elements. Games that allow players to influence the final outcome are becoming more popular–not just crash games but also poker and blackjack.
3. Social and Multiplayer Features
Social elements in the service of community engagement are one of the most important takeaways from traditional gaming.
Live chat, leaderboards, competitive tournaments: all these are the good practices that iGaming has taken over from video games and implemented after seeing the pure success story of giving the players the ability to interact and share experiences.
4. Missions and Quests
It’s not that iGaming is not fun on its own, but having a mission or a quest to do while you’re playing slots makes everything much more fun. Having players complete specific tasks to earn rewards and bonuses makes them much more engaged, even if it’s just placing a certain amount of bets or winning with specific hands.
Benefits of the Hybrid Approach
There are several advantages for both players and operators to integration of these mechanics into online casinos:
- Attracting a younger audience: Younger players are usually much more familiar with video games than with traditional casino gambling. Through these incorporated elements, casinos can make the experience more welcoming to them and thus widen their demographic.
- Enhanced engagement and retention: Implementing gamification and skill based mechanics, as well as some social features encourages players to spend more time and return more often.
- Increased entertainment value: However exciting, traditional casino games tend to get repetitive after a time. With more interactive elements, interesting progressions, and rewards, iGaming becomes more engaging and greatly increases its entertainment factor.
- Balanced risk and reward: Games in genres like Crash offer players a blend of strategic thinking and making decisions while providing the excitement from traditional gambling–but with more control over the experience.
Final Thoughts
There’s no denying that iGaming is going through a transformative time driven by the influence of the world of video games. Online casinos are redefining themselves through the implementation of social elements, gamification factors, and skill-based games.
Hybrid models demonstrate the successful blend of these different spheres and provide the industry with a new way towards the evolution of even more immersive gambling experiences.
