The poker machine market is always changing to keep up with the demands of players. Recently, we have seen games designers working hard to capture the interests of younger, more modern casino patrons. To do this, many operators are developing skill-based poker machines to appeal to punters that have grown up playing video games.
The current demographic of the gambling market consists of adults who grew up in the late-80s and early-90s. They have grown up with the earliest incarnations of video game consoles like the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Sega Megadrive, which have influenced their tastes in the casino world. Another influence on the skill-based poker machine trend is social gaming.
Over the course of the past few years, we have seen social games like Bejeweled and Candy Crush reign over the online and mobile gaming markets. They have created a new standard for gaming, and many players want to see this type of gameplay integrated with their casino games. To meet this demand, Merkur Gaming is currently developing and testing an arcade-style slot machine.
The cabinet is shaped like a pod and the player sits inside for a full immersion experience. In the game, players are required to complete a skilled task in order to win a prize, such as sinking as sinking a ship or defeating an AI character. Another company that has gone this route is Gamblit. These pokies feature skill games that lead to luck-based features.
Completing the skilled task triggers a prize wheel or a dice roll that offers the player a prize. It is a completely new format for poker machines, and it is expected to be a bit hit among 21-year-olds to 45-year-olds. Currently, Gamblit skill game pokies are only available to players in the United Kingdom.
It would be great to see them brought into clubs and pubs across Australia.
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