Beyond Spins: AI Tools Crafting Smarter Game Mechanics
Slot developers keep trying to come up with new ideas to make their slots stand out from the competition.
AI, or artificial intelligence, is a popular, albeit rather controversial, subject matter these days. While it’s shown itself to be extremely capable and efficient, it’s attracted criticism for being biased, putting out misinformation, and generating text that doesn’t read as human. Some have also expressed concerns about relying on AI too much and not wanting it to replace people’s jobs.
Online casino games are steadily becoming more advanced. Visit a site with new slots and you’ll see that there are games with all sorts of features and gameplay mechanics. Slot developers keep trying to come up with new ideas to make their slots stand out from the competition.
The Complexity of Slots and Video Games
When it comes to gaming, video games are considerably more complex, layered, and content-heavy than casino games. Video games are designed to offer in-depth gaming experiences and are meant to be played for dozens, if not hundreds, of hours. By contrast, casino games are designed for quick play. Even so, they can still benefit from AI.
Online slots are very simple games. When you play one, you spin the reels, and if enough matching symbols line up on a payline, you win. Even when a slot has a different way of determining wins, uncommon mechanics, and multiple bonus rounds, its gameplay is still quite straightforward.
The Role of AI in Online Slots
So where does AI fit in? In video games, one of the main uses of artificial intelligence is to make NPCs (non-player characters) as humanlike and responsive as possible. In short, it’s about making elements of the game adapt to whatever you’ve done in the game; i.e., what you’ve made your character do.
Even though slots are all about quick gameplay, they can still incorporate characters that are trained by AI to respond to particular things. A character standing at the side of a slot grid can react to wins, losses, and feature triggers, for example.
When it comes to AI in gaming, the focus has been on making gaming experiences personalized. It’s about training a computer programme to adapt to what the player does. Some casino sites incorporate artificial intelligence to evaluate player preferences and show them bonuses and games they’re more likely to engage with.
In terms of slot mechanics, there are already lots of great ones that feature in many slot games. AI can come up with ideas for new ones and come up with ways of making existing mechanics adapt to different players. In other words, some slots may see their gameplay become more fluid and flexible.
Quite a few slots have several bonus rounds, with players getting to choose which one they’d like to play. AI can use things like this to ‘learn’ about a player and tailor the gaming experience to suit their needs.
Let’s say there’s a slot where you pick between free spins and respins; it also has a bonus wheel with both of these rewards up for grabs. If you play and select free spins, the slot could make it more likely for you to win free spins the next time you spin the bonus wheel.
Smart AI
In the near future, we could see more slots with ‘smart’ AI embedded into their gameplay. Artificial intelligence can make a player’s experience much more tailored to their tastes and gameplay style. Your own experience can differ greatly from that of other players when AI allows for personalization.
Human developers will no doubt continue to come up with mechanics and features of their own. Some may turn to AI for help in creating these core aspects of slots. The key role artificial intelligence will have will be in making slots more engaging and individual.
