Of course, the latest installment of the Final Fantasy VII franchise, which is already itself a reboot of a game from 1997, is better, prettier, and smoother than its namesake. If developers weren’t interested in improvements, even the most die-hard fan would have trouble deciding whether or not to buy it. The old version still exists and is much more affordable to play, as long as you can get your hands on a classic PlayStation console.
When it comes to interactive online gaming entertainment, it’s normal to expect what’s new to be better than what came before. It’s not just video games in the classic sense attempting to reach, or exceed, gamer’s rising expectations. New online casinos launched within the last year are also expected to push boundaries and build on past industry successes. For the most part, they manage it with a flourish. By raising the bar, they can outcompete older dominant platforms and keep the endless cycle of upgrades moving along smoothly.
Now, is it fair for gamers to expect gaming greatness to come at such a relentless, break-neck pace? In short, yes. Here’s why:
Building on solid foundations
When developers gather to dream up a new game or exciting new online casino platform, they really shouldn’t be starting from nothing. There’s loads of useful data surrounding what works to be leveraged and decades’ worth of innovation to take full advantage of. By taking a look around and really taking a while to consider exactly what has been enthusiastically embraced, developers can learn a surprising amount. If they’re smart, they’ll pick and choose only the best features and mechanics, and weave them together to make something so refined and exciting that gamers all over just can’t help but be dazzled.
The case of new online casinos
New online casinos are a good example of what happens when platform developers pay attention and build on past industry success. Obviously, there are basic expectations that must be met to a tee. The user interface must be good-looking and easy to understand. Games libraries must be new, novel, and diverse enough to cater to every passing whim. These foundations must be solid, or gamers won’t even think about moving away from the casino platform they already know and love. New casinos get it and, for the most part, do this part right.
Going beyond what’s expected
Achieving greatness has to mean doing more. Simply providing what you know your players will like just isn’t compelling enough. So, new casinos go beyond and tempt audiences away from their comfort platforms with especially generous welcome bonuses, the most cutting-edge payment methods, and a dozen more tiny details to set themselves apart. Instead of just offering 24/7 support, as players now expect, the addition of brand-new tech that other platforms might have overlooked, like AI chatbots, sweetens the deal further.
Feedback drives greatness along
Every time you buy a new game or try out a new casino bonus on a new platform, your actions and choices are not go unnoticed. There’s analytics involved, which developers use to get a sense for what’s working and what features are simply cluttering up, or getting in the way of, an otherwise flawless experience.
Online forums, tweets, and discussions are also valuable for game makers and industry think tanks. If a new online casino decides to freshen things up by adding chat features to slot games but notices online communities are complaining it’s getting in the way of their fun, the feature won’t stick around long. The views of the people matter, and if the right decision-makers are listening at the right time, the next installment, platform, or update will be so much more resonant than what came before.
Fresh experiences do better
As you’ve probably seen from the decline of the Call of Duty franchise and Marvel’s cinematic universe, there’s a real pressing need to innovate and shake things up every so often. Even the greatest ideas can, and do, eventually become stale and uninteresting. When developers get too comfortable, new releases stop feeling new. Game sales and box office movie earnings almost always reflect that freshness, with restraint, is key to success.
By expecting nothing less than greatness, and refusing to hand over bank details for entertainment that doesn’t break the mold, you’re all but forcing the gaming industry to never become complacent.
Modern gamers want it all
New games are slowly becoming less simple to fit into neat genre boxes. Stunlock Studios’ new game V Rising is a good example, as the game includes elements of MOBAs, PVE worlds, and survival mechanics, making the game itself something of an oddity. In the casino world, Slingo, a combination of slots and bingo, is another game type suggesting gamers now want it all. Attempts to genre-mix, and subsequently create gaming experiences that are familiar yet entirely new, is a promising sign that gamers who want a bit of everything badly enough can have it if they continue to expect it.
There are limits
Now, expectations are all well and good, but there has to be some balance and realism attached to it. Real ground-breaking change takes time, and studios as well as casino platforms have to keep the lights on somehow. So, not every new platform or game will be completely new, or manage to change the scene in its entirety.
