For those who were born in the 2000s, imagine trying to play your favorite online games game with a dial-up modem. Imagine not having a cell phone to reach for to play a quick hand of bingo or poker. Well, for use who are old enough to remember how the first wave of online gaming and casino sites with the frustrating dial-up modem, we can safely and accurately say that the online gaming and casino industry has gone through several transformations for the better. This article goes deep underneath the hood of technology’s impressive and continued role in the online gaming and casino industry.
Understanding the Online Gaming World: A New Gaming Chapter
We thought we were playing the apex of gaming for those old enough to remember the original home consoles like the Atari, especially the 8-bit Nintendo. Little did we know that these original home consoles were a stepping stone to get us to the present-day online gaming experience. Online gaming has come so far that many of the leading home consoles like Nintendo and PlayStation now serve the bulk of their games for online play and download.
At first, the casino industry was slow to adapt to the online gaming model, but it has been working at light speed to fill that gap, especially in the past ten years. The online gaming and iGaming sector easily produce over $100 billion in annual revenue by successfully integrating the latest technological trends.
The Rise of Game Engines
Besides the entertainment value, successful online games are usually built on a unique game engine. For example, elite online game series like “Assassins Creed” and “The Legend of Zelda” are equally celebrated for unleashing innovative game engines, especially with the release of a new-generation home console.
Some of the most popular gaming engines today are the Unity and CryEngine game engines. In addition to developing jaw-dropping graphics, these latest game engines, like Unity, also deliver real-time rendering. Rendering speed is essential for smooth gameplay and the elimination of glitches. With the addition of shader programming, even the background gaming atmosphere gets a massive enhancement for super ultra-realism. Studies show that online games with cinematic and super-realistic graphics significantly increase membership and retain customers.
The Rise of HTML5 Technology
In many ways, HTML5 technology is what the Unity game engine is to today’s online gaming blockbusters. For decades, online casinos leaned heavily on Flash technology to power the early online casino games. While the results were hit or miss at best, Flash technology was at least a start to get the online casino world off the ground.
Thanks to massive technological advances in the Internet, both online gaming and online casinos were able to take their signature games to the next level and, ultimately, what we are accustomed to today. However, for the struggling iGaming industry, the rise of broadband Internet allowed game developers like Microgaming and Playtech to retool their casino games for a better appeal.
However, the online casino industry truly went into overdrive when the official switch from Flash to HTML5 technology happened. Pressured by major tech companies like Google and Bing, the major web browsers like Mozilla and Google Chrome wasted no time phasing out the archaic Flash Technology in favor of the more stable HTML5 technology.
The results for the online casino industry continue to be felt. With the new HTML5 technology came the opportunity to create new iGaming genres, like video slots. Video slots, like jackpots and tumble reels, created impressive and sensational slot game categories. It also allowed online casino game developers to redefine their slot games to five and now eight reels with sensational new titles like Bow of Artemis.
HTML5 technology has also worked wonders for redefining online tabletop games. Traditional favorites like video poker look as sensational to play with crisp graphics and super smooth gameplay.
The Era of Super Smooth UX Gameplay
With the birth of broadband Internet and HTML5 technology came the era of hyper-intense UX design. In addition to a game’s caliber, we successfully judge online gaming and casino sites by the caliber of their UX design. Thanks to technology and programming languages like ReactJS, the templates and page designs are nothing short of extraordinary.
Not only can gamers find their favorite games, but they can enjoy insanely fast page loads. And with sustained and higher bandwidth, online gamers don’t usually have to worry about the dreaded throttling issues during critical gameplay junctures.
Thank Tech for Live Dealer Play
While online gamers enjoy premium online video tournaments, the ultimate expression of technological dominance for online casinos is live dealer play. While live dealer play technology goes back to the late 2000s, it was a massive work in progress, to say the least.
What helped revive live dealer technology was the intersection of broadband Internet and the switch to HTML5 technology. As Evolution Gaming refined its craft, it eventually came up with the ultimate blend of broadband usage with 4k streaming technology, with a seamless UX experience. Thanks to technology, online players can chat in real-time with professional dealers and even catch up with their betting history.
The Impact of Social Gaming Technology
As brilliant as traditional online gaming and casino play has been, the allure of gaming online is for social involvement. Thanks to technological leaps, online gaming quickly turned into a social gaming event, including competitive tournaments.
Seeing the impressive benefits of social gaming, elite social media profiles like Facebook and Instagram worked in tandem with casino technology to build the present-day phenomenon known as social casinos. Elite social casinos like Jackpota and McLuck blend the best of social gaming with top-tier online casino games and social media involvement. Players can play their favorite at social casinos for free with gold coin technology and play among friends to make everlasting memories.
Challenges for Online Gaming Technology
During the COVID-19 shutdown, online gaming and casino technology were put to the ultimate test. With more people than ever forced to stay in their homes, they turned heavily to online gaming and iGaming. Not only did the tech hold up, but massive advancements occurred, most notably AI. Today, AI plays a heavy role in more personalized gaming play. As behavioral AI continues to advance, so will the improvement in personalized marketing and predictive marketing for online gaming.
