Are graphics really one of the most important aspects in the appeal of a video game? If you consider how visuals have evolved from the very first days of Pong to the present day, it’s difficult to argue otherwise. High-quality graphics dominate all forms of video gaming today; even the iGaming industry. In the world of online gambling, one would think that casino players are much less fussy about the calibre of what they are seeing on screen and are more focused on winning the cash prizes. Somewhat surprisingly, that is not the case at all. In fact, iGaming software developers are helping to lead the way in terms of state-of-the-art visuals for video games across a range of media.
From Flash to HTML5 visuals and audio
Net Entertainment, one of the world’s leading iGaming software providers and champions of engaging visuals has this month converted its leading iGaming slots and classic casino games into HTML5 in order to benefit from digitally advanced, refined graphics, sound and animation. Global support for Flash-based video games is coming to an end and iGaming developers have spent some time now expanding their technological reach, upgrading their most popular titles and capitalizing on the growth of mobile gaming. HTML5 technology is designed to transcend desktop, laptop, smartphone and tablet devices.
Fellow iGaming software pioneers Microgaming has also recognised the benefits of HTML5 as a means of providing a slicker gaming experience in mobile web browsers. It has become particularly pertinent with mobile gaming expected to generate $46.1bn of all gaming revenue in 2017, representing a 19.3% year-on-year growth, according to Newzoo’s 2017 Global Games Market report. The need for cross-platform capability is greater than ever before in the video game industry and Microgaming has now launched legendary slot titles such as Thunderstruck II and Mega Moolah. One look at the Euro palace review, which is a leading Microgaming-powered casino, and you can discover Mega Moolah, as well as themed video slots such as The Dark Knight and The Lord of the Rings, all of which are developed in HTML5 language.
How live streaming is bringing the buzz of the casino floor to players’ fingertips
iGaming sites have not just focussed on improving the visual experience for fans of video and 3D slot titles, they have sought to add an extra dimension to classic table games such as blackjack, roulette and baccarat too. Immersive live casino technology featuring television-quality video streaming that updates at 200 frames per second has led to the development of live dealer games that give players a casino experience as good as any they would receive in a bricks-and-mortar casino. The crystal-clear visuals make it easy to see the dealer and the action and the use of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology enables online casinos to overlay data on-screen to plays to enable them to make informed decisions about their next bet. As with video and 3D slot games, the live casino games have been optimised to provide a seamless user experience regardless of device type. Nokia’s return to the smartphone market, sees the Finnish brand go head-to-head with Samsung’s Galaxy S8 next year, which suggests they still see immense value in mobile entertainment.
Aside from the need for impeccable visuals, a solid video game still requires that pick-up-and-play ability for the casual gamer demographic. The ease and speed of playing a video game are more important in the iGaming industry than ever thanks to the growing library of gaming titles to choose from today.
