In the penultimate episode of ‘SlotBeats Spotlight‘, we look at what entices players to prefer a more fast-paced gameplay style and the impact of removing features which aid faster plays would have on these players.
SlotBeats: Slot games have been designed to be quite fast-paced, with the inclusion of turbo and slam-stop features, what entices players to potentially prefer these features and how would players and games be affected if these were removed?
Robert Lee, Realistic Games: These features have been added over time to speed up the gameplay and enable players to potentially hit bonus rounds quicker. But they haven’t always been around, which is why I don’t believe games will be heavily impacted if they were removed from the market.
Slots were still being played before they were available. Seasoned players who prefer these features might take time to get used to the slower pace of a normal slot, but it would eventually become the norm for them.
David Little, Lightning Box: Turbo and slam stop features allow players to move through spins really quickly. Some players use it so they can get to the feature and bonuses in an expedited way.
The UK has recently introduced measures to remove turbo spins and slam outs. Land-based games in Australia have never allowed fast stop, so it’s not a big deal for us. Furthermore, I think the removal is a good thing – and not only for player protection.
Having a three second reel spin heightens player anticipation around how the reels will land, so excitement builds as they get closer to landing the winning combination. As a result, it not only stops people burning through their cash too quickly, it also increases the user experience – which goes back to the point about this being entertainment.
Andy Sekula, Kalamba Games: Fast-paced gameplay builds the brain reward loop much faster and could potentially trigger behaviour outside comfort and responsible gaming limits which is certainly something that should be considered when implementing such features.
Conversely, removing or not including such elements may make players that are used to fast-paced gameplay bored pretty quickly. Careful gearing of games and the math model is paramount to ensure that players are entertained, but never to the point of excess.
Roman Sadovskyi, Evoplay Entertainment: For certain players, removing such features will likely have a negative impact on the gaming experience. There will always be those who prefer playing fast and obtaining quick results.
We are a game provider that always puts the player first before customising our products accordingly to ensure we can please our diverse spread of fans around the world.
Take that away, and you’re effectively removing a preferred style of play for quite a significant demographic – as well as taking away the player’s freedom of choice in how they can enjoy slots. As long as the gaming format is presented responsibly, I believe they should have that choice.
