Slot machines to become more like video games

27 Comments by Kyle Orland Dec 11th 2007 2:15PM
Filed under: Arcade, Culture, Retro

There's usually not that much overlap between the gaming industry (the gambling one) and the gaming industry (the one you actually are about). That seems poised to change, though, as the New York Times reports slot machine manufacturers are adding skill-based gaming elements to the one-armed bandits in an effort to attract new players. "We can't just make a slot thinking about the 55-year-old lady who comes to the casino a few times a month," said Rob Bone, marketing director for WMS Gaming. "We need to appeal to new buckets of players, or we'll die."

To that end, Bally Technologies has signed a deal with Atari to make machines based on Pong and Breakout, which let you play simplified versions of the games during a bonus round. Don't get too excited, though -- your gaming skills won't let you break the bank at Vegas. As the Times points out, "skill will take a player only so far as these machines are still calibrated to pay out less money than they take in." That's OK though ... back in the '80s we put money into these games without expecting to get any money back.

[Thanks Vlad]

Tags: atari, Bally, breakout, casino, classic, gambling, gaming, pong, retro, slot machines, SlotMachines, vegas

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(Page 1) Reader Comments

billychaos: Dec 11th 2007; 2:19PM

Hmm, I dont see this as a good thing. I'll ahve to think about it more. I know skill based slots were illegal for the longest time and I can understand why. It puts some players at an unfair advantage. Especially since, in Vegas they are almost literally pouring alchohol down your throat.

Chris: Dec 11th 2007; 2:31PM

you can simplify pong?

Speddy: Dec 11th 2007; 2:32PM

2 years ago, the AC Gaming commission did a study and found that the next gen of "gamblers" are the first "gaming" generation.

Exploitation of a generation's vice. And legal!

Gangsta Smurf: Dec 11th 2007; 2:37PM

$100 on the left paddle.

hvnlysoldr: Dec 11th 2007; 2:42PM

I'll bet 599 US DOLLARS and break my bank in doing so.

Donald: Dec 11th 2007; 2:58PM

As such a high roller, we are pleased to offer you this complimentary giant enemy crab.

It's already been flipped on its back so you can attack its weak point and do massive damage to your hunger.

Abscissa: Dec 11th 2007; 2:43PM

I think this is a good direction for the casinos to be moving. I tried going to a casino once and found it absolutely beyond boring (at both the slots and video poker) to keep putting coins into a machine without getting either food, drink, REAL gameplay, or at the very least, clean laundry. Heck, they should replace some of those slot/video-poker machines with real arcade games, even if they don't pay out at all. THAT would get me to go to a casino.

Abscissa: Dec 11th 2007; 2:48PM

They still have to do better than pong or breakout, though. Hell, my PDA and portable music player both play breakout. And sokoban. And Doom (with clunky controls). And a whole bunch of other stuff. But they're on the right track at least, just need to get some games that aren't already running on every piece of electronics I own.

GRANTED: Dec 11th 2007; 4:11PM

no shit. i went to a casino last month with my girlfriend and a couple of her family members and it one of the most anti-climatic experiences ever. i wasn't expecting to be that bored. i'm not a 70 year old retiree: i want some stimulation/fun. i don't get how people can sit on a row of machines for hours and press a button. but then again my parent's don't get why i can sit in front of a tv for hours and play video games. different kinds of addiction for different generations. besides, all those old people are basically gambling away OUR social security; if I weren't gambling with my own money, I wouldn't give a fuck either.

WiNG: Dec 11th 2007; 2:53PM

I'm pretty sure video games, or at least pinball machines, began as gambling devices in some manner.

Lemmiwinks: Dec 11th 2007; 2:56PM

No. They didn't.

Vexorg: Dec 11th 2007; 3:27PM

Pinball machines were used as gambling devices for many years (and banned in many jurisdictions as a result.) This had to do with the fact that most pinball machines were made by manufacturers of gambling devices (Bally, Willams, etc.) Video games, on the other hand, developed separately, and although there has been some overlap, in general video games haven't had much to do with gambling.

Jeff: Dec 11th 2007; 2:58PM

Arcades need to make a comeback. Somehow. The pay-per-play aspect of them is dead forever unless they provide us with uber huge screens or some other gimmick, but there is still definitely money to be made. Perhaps they could host tournaments on really badass screens with nice surround sound, with a buy-in that the arcade takes some money from-- and viewers can make bets on certain gamers.

Halo would be good for this, as its extremely popular. Guitar Hero, as it's perhaps the only game I can watch, and obviously racing games.

Gaming is more a part of our culture than ever. Someone needs to find a cool way to exploit that and turn some profit while providing something new and fun.

ColossalHat: Dec 11th 2007; 3:39PM

I'd bet if they tossed a couple Wiis into an arcade that arcade would flourish, but only if they made sure to tell people it was a wii in there, and not the dozens of arcade games that use the exact same technology.

Ryan: Dec 11th 2007; 3:02PM

It has been like this in Japan for a while. It's called Pachinko. "Gambling" is illegal in Japan, but in Pachinko you win metal balls which you then take next door and sell for money.

NATO_Duke: Dec 11th 2007; 3:20PM

Signed a deal with Atari eh? OK, that was a solid move. I am sure this will happen any decade now.

J.Goodwin: Dec 11th 2007; 3:23PM

SEGA has manufactured slots and video poker machines for years, SNK was bought out of bankruptcy by Aruze (also a maker of pachinko and American-style casino machines), before having SNK/Playmore buy those assets back and then sue Aruze for copyright infringement.

The game industry has been tied closely to the gaming industry for some time.

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School): Dec 11th 2007; 3:37PM

You guys haven't been to Vegas lately, have you. All the damn slot machines are video game look alikes. There's a freaking star wars slot machine for crying out loud. And not just with star wars symbols for the wheel. No its moderately skill based with spinning wheels and mini games. Its crazy.

murray b: Dec 11th 2007; 3:51PM

Yeah, the Deal or no deal slots, Hollywood squares, the one where you gotta get the dolphin to jump throw the hoops, the one where you have to find the buried treasure, they are all "slightly" skill based, but thats using the term very loosely. The unlockable mini-games are more luck based then anything, but they call it skill because you have to choose, or locate something rather than just push a button (they've really started to get rid of the levers) they are my favorite games out their though.

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School): Dec 11th 2007; 4:51PM

yeah, I miss the levers.

Abscissa: Dec 11th 2007; 7:27PM

Come to think of it, I'd say that even many modern videogames are only slightly skill based. Videogames requiring actual thought and skill, like Contra or Gunstar Heroes, used to be the norm. But now (with notable exceptions, of course) everything is designed to be beatable by anyone who can push a button.

pezman726: Dec 11th 2007; 5:12PM

I think it's a good direction...and i'm not just saying that because I know 2 people up at WMS gaming that are working on these things! :-D

gonk: Dec 11th 2007; 5:47PM

i've never tried a slot machine, they're all gay looking these days

i'd love to try one that looked like one from 100 years ago though

craps is kinda cool though, as is normal poker

timnc: Dec 11th 2007; 6:03PM

Way to go NYTimes.... you're only years behind what's really going on. How about going to Tokyo and see how slot machines and pachinko has been doing this for a long long time.

joystiq: Dec 11th 2007; 8:00PM

I've seen a slot machine based on SEGA's House of the Dead franchise.

Ethan Rom: Dec 11th 2007; 9:21PM

I really only play the table games and poker, but I'd give these a shot.

Most likely, it will be something where if you get an atari icon you get to play pong to multiply your winnings. Kinda like the Wheel of Fortune machine.

ThornedVenom: Dec 12th 2007; 12:26AM

So wait a second... casinos are becoming game arcade places, except that even though you're still paying for your game, you get a chance to get your money back??

COUNT ME IN.

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