Why did pick features go extinct?
It seems like they were ideal feature: easy math, players blame themselves for low wins instead of the game/math, and short duration of non-paid play. Now everything is hold and spin. Where pick features exist today, the outcomes are typically predetermined.
Do they test that poorly in focus groups? Wha' happened?
Quote: itsmejeffDoes anyone know why pick features, which were the standard 20-30 years ago, have gone extinct?
It seems like they were ideal feature: easy math, players blame themselves for low wins instead of the game/math, and short duration of non-paid play. Now everything is hold and spin. Where pick features exist today, the outcomes are typically predetermined.
Do they test that poorly in focus groups? Wha' happened?
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What are pick features on a slot?
That said, I seem to remember the (subjective) best pick features on WMS games like the Jackpot Party group and Airplane.
I believe WMS was rolled into SG in 2013, which is now LNW.
LNW seems to be heavily focused on very very tall cabinets, and I think the aesthetics of very tall cabinets may not interact well with pick features. 22 inch flat screens were state of the art when pick features were fairly common. I'm not sure I'd want to invest a lot of development resources into adapting old favorite games to barely utilize the premium hardware offering.
Quote: 100xOddsQuote: itsmejeffDoes anyone know why pick features, which were the standard 20-30 years ago, have gone extinct?
It seems like they were ideal feature: easy math, players blame themselves for low wins instead of the game/math, and short duration of non-paid play. Now everything is hold and spin. Where pick features exist today, the outcomes are typically predetermined.
Do they test that poorly in focus groups? Wha' happened?
link to original post
What are pick features on a slot?
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I believe an example would be :
Play 25 games at 2X or 15 games at 3X or 6 games at 5X
Now the stuff where plays picks stuff is either fake or part of something like "choose your volatility" free game features. I want to pick eggs.
Quote: DieterI don't know the exact internals.
That said, I seem to remember the (subjective) best pick features on WMS games like the Jackpot Party group and Airplane.
I believe WMS was rolled into SG in 2013, which is now LNW.
LNW seems to be heavily focused on very very tall cabinets, and I think the aesthetics of very tall cabinets may not interact well with pick features. 22 inch flat screens were state of the art when pick features were fairly common. I'm not sure I'd want to invest a lot of development resources into adapting old favorite games to barely utilize the premium hardware offering.
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I wonder if it is an accessibility thing for big screens and tall cabinets. I think I had to stand up or at least move closer to reach screen on that IGT "Wheel of Fortune" game. Which actually has me searching for stuff about ADA compliance and slot machines.
Oh, and I have also seen people, mostly elderly, sitting confused in front of Bally's giant stepper cabinets as the buttons stop working on Quick Hits. They do not realize that they need to stand up to touch stuff on the top screen.
Quote: itsmejeff
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I wonder if it is an accessibility thing for big screens and tall cabinets. I think I had to stand up or at least move closer to reach screen on that IGT "Wheel of Fortune" game. Which actually has me searching for stuff about ADA compliance and slot machines.
Oh, and I have also seen people, mostly elderly, sitting confused in front of Bally's giant stepper cabinets as the buttons stop working on Quick Hits. They do not realize that they need to stand up to touch stuff on the top screen.
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Good observation. When I've seen really big cabinets they're usually against a wall, and wall space is limited. It might be a surveillance/safety issue where those things will create blind spots for the cameras on the floor.
Quote: itsmejeff
I wonder if it is an accessibility thing for big screens and tall cabinets. I think I had to stand up or at least move closer to reach screen on that IGT "Wheel of Fortune" game. Which actually has me searching for stuff about ADA compliance and slot machines.
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(snip!)
I think we may glean some insight by looking at what has become common instead.
I'm seeing a lot of "hold and spin" features, often with vertical expansion.
I suspect that the 6 foot tall screens don't translate well to a tablet, and that casinos are trying to offer a gaming experience that cannot be readily replicated at home.
Quote: DieterQuote: itsmejeff
I wonder if it is an accessibility thing for big screens and tall cabinets. I think I had to stand up or at least move closer to reach screen on that IGT "Wheel of Fortune" game. Which actually has me searching for stuff about ADA compliance and slot machines.
link to original post
(snip!)
I think we may glean some insight by looking at what has become common instead.
I'm seeing a lot of "hold and spin" features, often with vertical expansion.
I suspect that the 6 foot tall screens don't translate well to a tablet, and that casinos are trying to offer a gaming experience that cannot be readily replicated at home.
link to original post
It could also be the opposite. Something I did not think about until you posted is the rise of online gambling. A pick'em with 50 stars or dollar signs does not translate well to a phone. I guess it could be predetermined, but even so you will have complaints about fat fingering and selecting the "wrong" one.
Free spins, hold and spins, and such features do not require input or precise choices. They can be instantly completed and simply replayed to inform the gambler of their result. A true pick feature requires interaction and eventual random selection to be completed.
