Online multiplayer slot machines
Originally online casino games were purely an individual form of entertainment. It was similar for online slot machines. On the one hand a player had the advantage of not having to go anywhere for entertainment and could play at home, at work or while travelling. On the other hand he lost the opportunity to meet other players in the casino or in the game room. Online playing of casino games has quickly grown in popularity throughout the whole of Europe. However the absence of socializing between players soon began to bother the casinos as well as the developers of online games.
For casinos to suppress this disadvantage as much as possible, they began to organize online casino tournaments. Here, the best players competed for valuable prizes. Tournaments were held at specified times on specific games. However mutual contact between players was still absent and the only advantage was the competition, but not the real contact between players.
So-called LIVE games began to gain a foothold in roulette and card games such as blackjack and baccarat. Using cameras, players watched the dealer spin the roulette wheel, deal cards and announce the results. In addition to playing, players could chat to each other - the first step towards player interaction. However, this could not be applied to slot machines or other games.
Multiplayer slot machines are a breakthrough in the area of online gaming. Players play the same slot machine in a single virtual room. There is not only the opportunity for communication, players play certain bonus games together. When one of them succeeds in making it to the next level, bonus game or free spin, all co-players get the same benefit automatically. This is a type of tournament game where players don´t compete with each other but together they try to win and beat the machine.
Players create their own groups, inviting their friends and playing together. Individual slot machine playing suddenly becomes a team game. And this is one of the reasons why these slot machines have been called community slot machines.
Some examples are the slot machines from Microgaming. The latest addition in the multiplayer version is the online video slot machine Playboy.