G2E Vegas reveals 2016 Pokies are Evolving in Big Ways

Every single year, I’m amazed by what poker machine manufacturers are bringing to the table at the Global Gaming Expo, and the 2016 pokies exhibition was no different. We were introduced to a multiplicity of popularized themes, including more blockbuster films and hit television shows, and the most futuristic pokies of all, featuring stunning 4D graphics.

G2E 2016 Pokies Feature 4D Graphics

In the last few years, 3D imagery overtook the market. 3D games like Dragon’s Temple, Dreams of Asia, Plants & Zombies and others wowed the masses with their ability to draw players into the games. This year, while most companies continued to deliver their games in 3D, we were also introduced to the world of 4D, and you honestly have to experience it to understand just how amazing it is.

Sphynx 3D was one of the most popular games of 2015, and I can only imagine how famous its new sibling, Sphynx 4D, will be when it hits the market. The game uses similar graphic technology, but takes the multi-dimensional illusion to all new heights.

“You’d swear the cabinet must be six-feet deep,” said recreational gambler and Atlantic City gaming journalist Darryl McEwen when describing his experience on these futuristic pokies. “The technology allows you literally to reach out and “grab” a symbol in mid-air and “toss” it back into the machine.”

From Big Screen To Pokies Screen

Hit movie themes have always been a sure-fire way to get players to the poker machines, and manufacturers are taking that concept further than ever this year by acquiring licenses to bring a wild array of films onto the pokies screen. New movies, old movies, cult-classics, you name it.

Late this year and early 2017, we can expect the casino floors to be crawling with classic titles like ‘Casablanca‘ and ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blonde‘. Hit comedies like ‘The Big Lebowski‘, ‘My Cousin Vinny‘ and ‘National Lampoons Vacation‘ are on the menu as well, along with the niche-market wonder, ‘Sharknado‘.

As for popular television series, casinos will soon feature poker machines with names like ‘The Bachelor‘, ‘Charlie’s Angels‘, ‘Seinfeld‘, ‘The Voice‘ and ‘The X-Files‘.

Good Luck Keeping Your Eyes On The Prize

Also dominating the 2016 pokies exhibition was games with more screens and spinning wheels than a player could possibly keep up with. A single screen was all it took a few years ago, but more recently dual screens were introduced, and now manufacturers are embedding three and four screens into a single poker machine with up to three spinning bonus wheels at the same time.

It’s so crazy, some of the machines reach as high as 11 feet into the air. This could clearly be a mistake on the designers’ part, forcing players to crane their necks. Just trying to keep your eyes on the prize could induce a major headache.

New Editions Of Old Favorites

When games featuring Ellen Degeneres landed in casinos last year, the response was incredible. Don’t be surprised when new editions of the Ellen Pokies, along with other popular titles like Cleopatra, Ghostbusters and Michael Jackson, make their revised appearance as soon as this winter.