The ICE Totally Gaming convention took place on 6-8 February 2018 and allowed developers of online gaming to meet and exhibit their wares and outline the trends expected to impact iGaming over the coming year. With 30,000 people attending from over 150 countries, ICE Totally Gaming provided both a chance to look back on how far iGaming has come and a chance to shed light on the future. The three-day event put slots in the spotlight to showcase some of the new trends that will affect reel play over 2018. Here are some of the top 5 take-aways from developers:

1) NetEnt Does VR

Slot provider NetEnt gave a taster of the possibility of combining online slots with the very real world of virtual reality (VR). Their popular Gonzo’s Quest slot was given the VR treatment, promising no extra equipment needed outside the browser. Ready for summer 2018, the game should be no surprise, given the announcement back in 2016. The current Gonzo’s Quest offers players the chance to play alongside conquistador Gonzalo Pizarro y Alonso set against a Mayan backdrop. The move has leveraged new technology to enhance gaming, while also offering those interested in VR a chance to experience what it may be like without spending hundreds on the necessary equipment. Plus, thematic online games prove to be a lot more successful.

2) Playtech Goes to the Movies

Playtech will continue the strong relationship between online slots and the movies with another in its superhero range, focusing on Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice. The movie tie-in animations allow fans of franchises to further interact with the characters they love. Playtech adds to the already growing roster of superheroes, including Thor, Iron Man, and the Avengers, which the company formerly created. While not a new development for the world of online slots, the dedication to the formula shows that no franchise need go untouched in the quest to create a branded slot. The rise of thematic films is present in other iGaming providers such as Betway also amplifying their offering slot games such as Hellboy, Hitman, and Bridesmaids available on a variety of casino sites.

3) Microgaming’s Future

Slot game-developing giant Microgaming announced at ICE 2018 that they would be working on content exclusively with Triple Edge Studios to bring to the fore a new level of slot game content. The move enables Microgaming to work on more games and to really segment each game for its intended audience with a strong content plan. Microgaming also offered advances in gameplay, with their Cash of Kingdoms online slot based on fantasy role-playing introducing Invading Wilds (wilds that are designed as arrows hailing down). They matched the theme with an archery-themed bar on the final day of the event. To top it off, Microgaming unveiled a steampunk themed game, Fortinium, which added Win Booster devices that ramped up rewards in keeping with the anachronistic inventor theme. To publicise, they offered nitrogen themed ‘steam’ desserts, to further embody the fun nature of slots.

SOURCE: @talking_ice via Twitter

4) APEX’s Cross-Platform Slots

APEX Gaming Technology offered a solution to the gulf between land-based casinos and mobile gaming with software that allows games to be transferred between the two. The iDROP technology developed by APEX allows almost any SAS-enabled system to offer free movement onto tablets from land-based slot machines of the same game. The move shows the similarities and individual benefits of both styles of slots, and APEX showed their ability to anticipate a consumer’s needs in the gaming technology sector.

5) 3D Slots with Realistic Games

Realistic Games unveiled their version of a 3D slot. Improving upon their designs for 3D roulette, the 3D slot content will reportedly stay true to the roots of the gameplay, while showing a key move towards modernity. NetEnt, Betsoft, and Rabcat have all already brought 3D slot games to the market, but Realistic Games aim to change the format by offering multiple viewing angles for their 3D offerings. The 3D games market will, therefore, be faced with the choice of either following suit or lagging behind.

The event allows developers to showcase and test new gaming developments – but also allows them to witness what the competition is doing. Healthy competition is key in the world of online slots, as developments in one area help ameliorate developments in other areas, ensuring the end-consumer, the player, has the optimal gaming experience. Adding a further 2,000m2 to 2017’s exhibitor stages, and almost doubling the size of ICE 2012, the event shows that the industry is one that just keeps improving.