When you go into nearly any old casino, you will see row after row of three-reel (and in some cases four) machines that basically do the exact same thing: Three reels, a lever, a bunch of symbols, and a payout table attached to the front. When you pull the lever, the reels spin and you wait for those cherries or bars to align. This was pretty much the entire experience for the bulk of a century and, quite frankly, it was successful. Players enjoyed it. However, if we jump forward to what is currently on your phone, you will find yourself staring at something virtually unrecognizable. These new games have six moving reels, changing numbers of symbols per spin, and payouts that create well over 100,000 different ways to win.
We didn’t go from a mechanical three-reel machine to a modern smartphone app in one giant leap. We took a series of small steps. Mechanical tinkerers first created a hybrid of mechanical and electronic slots. Next, we converted to completely electronic slots. Then we transformed those electronic slots into mobile apps. Finally, we used mathematics to redefine what a “reel” really is.
I’ve spent my fair share of time around slot machines – both the physical cabinet version and the Digital online version — and what I’m most impressed with is how each major evolutionary step addressed a specific problem that players didn’t realize they had. No one in 1965 complained about there being too few paylines on fruit machines. No one in 2008 asked for six reels instead of five. However, as soon as each major innovation emerged, it seemed apparent that it was what was missing.
Classic reel slots (mechanical beginnings)
Early slot machines were purely mechanical. They featured Three physical reels with strips of symbols wrapped around each one. The reels were connected to a central shaft and spun based on mechanical linkage/spring/friction. Because there was no software involved in deciding the outcome of each play (there was no software), the probability of landing a specific combination came down to how frequently each symbol showed up on the individual reel strips, as well as where the physical stops ultimately rested. For example, a cherry may show up eight times on one reel and only twice on another. Therefore, the machine could provide smaller, more frequent wins on partial matches while keeping the large jackpot symbols rare enough to keep the operator’s profit margins intact.
Thus comes the term “one armed bandit.” it didn’t come from any one person’s branding. Rather, it came from the fact that players yanked on a lever arm and the fact that the machine slowly drained players’ wallets throughout a session. The classic configuration of Three reels, one payline running horizontally across the center of the reels, fruits, bells, and bars were selected for two reasons. first, it provided the simplest form of production that could be manufactured consistently. Second, it allowed operators to have complete control over payout frequency. There was no room for wilds, free spins, or scatter symbols in this configuration. Either the machine lined up identical symbols on that one horizontal row or it didn’t.
There is something very fascinating about this earlier time frame in regard to how much slot psychology was incorporated prior to having names for gambling psychology. Near misses (the painful feeling when two cherries hit and the third symbol hits literally nothing) occurred due to design elements of reel strips and weighted symbols. Operators realized early that near misses encouraged players to continue playing even on losing spins. This technique disappeared when machines evolved to digital, but it certainly improved.
Digital machines using random number generators (RNGs)
The Shift away from mechanical to electronic slots did not occur instantly and was primarily focused on providing operators with more control and versatility. With RNGs determining outcomes (as opposed to physical weights on the reels), designers were limited only by their imagination regarding what could be represented by a virtual reel strip versus physical reel strips. Specifically, a virtual reel can represent tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of potential stops in software while presenting players with only a handful of visible symbols on the screen. This singular aspect opened up almost every possibility for future advancements.
At this juncture, developers were able to take advantage of a multitude of options previously unavailable in a mechanical environment. Suddenly, five-reel layouts were plausible. Adding more reels enabled developers to increase the number of potential symbol combinations thereby enabling development teams to add twenty-five paylines instead of one; allow players to choose how many active lines to bet on; and develop complex pay tables involving wilds, scatters and multipliers. Developers were now able to implement free spin rounds using rngs and make progressive jackpots feasible by allowing a percentage of each bet placed across multiple RNG-enabled machines to contribute toward a progressive pool.
I vividly recall sitting with a five-reel video slot for hours upon hours after spending years interacting solely with Three-reel machines. While the primary aesthetic differences were noticeable, the gameplay experienced significantly differed. The pace at which gameplay unfolded changed immediately when transitioning from Three-reel machines to five-reel Video Slots. Video Slots introduced pick-and-click bonus rounds; wheel bonuses; and expanding wilds that could convert a solitary symbol into an icon representing an entire reel of identical symbols. None of these features existed in the mechanical gaming world because none could exist until RNGs began determining outcomes. RNGs also allowed for remote access via servers, thereby making online casino distribution possible.
A word of honesty here is warranted: RNG validation became a serious concern as RNG technology transitioned into online gaming environments. As such, independent testing organizations exist exclusively for purposes of verifying whether an RNG indeed generates truly random/biased outcomes or merely favors the house. Online slots certified by reputable testing organizations possess this verification, whereas an uncertified online slot represents the difference between a true RNG-based Digital slot machine and one that is simply rigged. Any online gambler should be interested in whether their current game has been independently verified.
Mobile & feature-rich online slots
While the previous section discussed how advances in RNG technology led to significant improvements in slot design, subsequent sections focus more on accessibility issues related to where/when players can access slot games. In essence, early online casinos required users to download and install applications in order to play slots. Users had to install software on their computers and deal with inevitable updates that could render their installed application unusable. Subsequent iterations included Flash-based instant-play slots that enabled users to initiate sessions in-browser without requiring downloads. While instant-play slots represented a notable improvement in user-friendliness compared to downloading software required by early online casinos, users familiar with Flash-based slots will remember crashes, plugin notifications/warnings and how an update to their web browser would suddenly render half of their favorite games non-functional.
Megaways mechanics
In 2015, Big Time Gaming released Dawn of the Dead utilizing what would eventually become known as Megaways mechanics. What Megaways brought to Video Slots was unprecedented; Megaways essentially eliminated fixed paylines by incorporating mechanisms that dynamically alter the number of symbols displayed per reel on every single spin. Typically, a megaways slot allows users to select from a range of reel configurations ranging from two symbols per reel through seven symbols per reel across six reels. Herein lies the key aspect regarding what constitutes the mathematically unique aspects of megaways: traditional ways-to-win slots don’t utilize fixed paylines; rather wins are determined by calculating total number of symbols on each reel as shown below:
Number of symbols on each reel multiplied together = total ways-to-win
For example, if all six reels show seven symbols apiece on a single spin, the calculation results in 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 = 117649 ways-to-win on that spin alone. Thus megaways has created a sort-of “headline” for each megaways release: e.g., Extra Chilli – 117649 ways-to-win (or whatever).
Notably, what distinguishes Megaways from mere additions of paylines to Video Slots is that the height of each reel varies randomly with every spin. Traditional Video Slots with twenty-five paylines still have a fixed grid; therefore, they present players with differing route possibilities through the same static arrangement. On the other hand, Megaways presents players with varying shapes depending on how many symbols are displayed on each reel; thus, visually presented win potentials differ significantly from those found in fixed-reel formats.
Additionally, Big Time Gaming paired megaways with tumbling reels (also referred to as cascading reels); where winning symbols vanish after each win resulting in new symbols dropping into their places which can lead to further wins without requiring additional wagers from the player. Several titles incorporate increasing multipliers with consecutive cascades; therefore large swings upward in value can emerge rapidly. Ante bets are also becoming increasingly popular among Megaways titles; enabling players to enhance bonus round odds by paying an additional fee per spin. Similarly bonus buy options are appearing; wherein players can purchase entry into bonus rounds rather than waiting for them to appear naturally. Overall, this provides an excellent example of how numerous innovative features can be layered atop the fundamental concept of dynamic reels.
Why did Megaways change slot development?
Although Megaways did not single-handedly revolutionize slot design, it undoubtedly played a significant role in establishing standards applicable to various slot designs going forward. To explain briefly: Big Time Gaming chose to license Megaways rather than retain exclusive rights; thereby enabling other studios to create their own Megaways titles. In our opinion this licensing choice contributed greatly to Megaways becoming an industry-wide standard as opposed to remaining a proprietary element among Big Time Gaming titles. Dozens of studios including Pragmatic Play, Blueprint Gaming, Red Tiger et al.; produced hundreds of megaways titles and numerous branded variants (sequels/reskins) for existing Video Slots re-equipped with dynamic reels.
To illustrate clearly why Megaways influenced player preferences: Extra Chilli; Bonanza and countless branded variants demonstrated that players responded positively to Megaways due to increased volatility and player perception that any single spin possessed greater potential for dramatic increases than any previous spin(s).
What happens next?
Slot design has not ceased evolving since Megaways gained widespread popularity and although Megaways has spawned numerous variations/rivals; it has not monopolized slot design standards. Cluster pays mechanisms have coexisted with Megaways for years; cluster pays reward groups of matched symbols regardless of position relative to each other on a grid rather than aligned horizontally/vertically as they would be in traditional fixed-payout line formats. Some megaways titles combine cluster pays mechanisms with dynamic reel heights.
Infinity Reels; Powerways; etc., are alternative dynamic mechanic systems developed by other studios specifically designed to emulate megaways while maintaining their own separate trademarked concepts/parameters for how reels grow/shrink/expand/etc.. Additionally, big time gaming continues to evolve their own dynamic mechanic system (now dubbed Megapays/Megaclusters) designed to leverage jackpot triggers/cluster pays within dynamic-reel formatted games.
No single mechanism has supplanted megaways as dominant forces in modern slot design; however they have collectively contributed to expanding the universe of high-volatility/high-complexity options available for players seeking such gameplay experiences.
The preceding statement warrants an equally straightforward commentary: many players lost sight of volatility’s implications for their bankrolls while excitedly reading headlines about 117649 ways-to-win. Volatility does not equate better overall performance over extended periods; rather it represents larger swings in both positive/negative directions as well as longer stretches of unproductive activity punctuated by occasional larger-than-average wins. Return-to-player percentages indicate long-term average values over vast samples; not what can reasonably be expected to happen during a single session.
