How Online Casinos Are Pioneering Hybrid Games
In the hyper-competitive online gaming industry, the most successful developers are those that can constantly create an innovative and immersive new entertainment experience for their users.
We’ve seen how mobile developers have been attempting to do this through the use of hybrid digital/AR gaming experience, or how game console developers are implementing cross-platform products that can be played simultaneously on mobile and TV.
However, one sector that seems to be going all-in on hybrid gaming products is the online casino industry, which has been merging several different gameplay experiences to create completely novel real money games. Here are some of the most notable examples.
Bingo + Slots = Slingo
Despite being a relative niche concept until just a few years ago, so-called “slingo” games, which combine bingo and online slots, have rapidly emerged to become one of the most popular online casino offerings around. One of the major providers of bingo slots today is the gambling platform Paddy Power, which has dozens of hybrid games that combine the very best of classic bingo with cutting-edge video slots.
In these games, the player receives a digital bingo card, with the goal being to match the numbers by spinning the slot reels until you get a winning combination. It’s such a simple concept that works because players of both online slots and bingo can appreciate the merit of merging the two into one, all-inclusive game.
Digital scratchcard games
Once upon a time, you would have to go to your local convenience store and purchase a physical scratch card. From here, you would have to scratch out the numbers and, if you won anything, you would have to take the scratch card back to the store and begin the process of collecting your cash prize.
Nowadays, leading online casinos offer fully digital scratchcards, which combine the experience of playing online casino games with the classic scratchcard experience.
You use your mouse cursor to scratch out the squares, and any prizes that you win will be instantly credited to your online account, which can be withdrawn as cash via a platform such as PayPal or Apple Pay. This is a great example of how hybrid game experiences can also bring added convenience.
Live casinos
Before the world went crazy for remote social gaming experiences, online casinos were at the front of the pack offering live stream casino games. These games blend the best aspects of online gaming with an immersive real-world experience. The most common offerings are roulette, blackjack, baccarat, and poker.
To play, all you need to do is enter a digital live casino lounge, where you will be connected to a real-life table and dealer via a live video uplink. You can use an on-screen interface to instruct the dealer to hit you with a card or spin the roulette wheel, with real cash prizes paid out to the winner. This is high-tech hybrid gaming at its best.
Hybrid games that merge different gameplay experiences together into one novel experience are the future. As these online casino examples show, even the simplest games can be innovated in this way.
