3 innovations welcome mobile gambling into 2010

 

An increasing number of headlines and reports are telling us that we are basically in the point of no return from a gadget-run world of consumer electronics. From the emergence of the mighty iPhone the industry has received an impulse for continuous and swift growth. Games have always been „eye-catchers” in mobile devices but still some of their features were called “rubbish” not more than few years ago, e.g. capability of producing an outstanding 3D visual simulation. All of those games, including the casino segment, evolved simultaneously with the arrivals of new age “hand-held consoles” – from iPhone and Blackberry to various smartphones and other PDA devices. Gambling on your mobile became available through download, by instant access or a 3rd party content.

To put it simple, today it’s all about the “app” and where/on what you can use it and make the most of it. If you had a look at our Apps section dedicated to gambling applications for iPhones, you know exactly what i'm talking about. What is driving the app movement is the term on-the-go. Hardware is so advanced and miniaturized that with the obvious aid of a proper Internet connection, it is not affordable to produce mobile devices with a ready-made software capabilities. Thus the newest trend that is sometimes called “war of the app stores”. It is as clear as the sky that there has to be a massive gadget market and “an app for everything”. For everything, yes, but ON everything?

Just at the beginning of 2010 various leading technological companies presented their newest products, as well as solely prototypes, that are said to revolutionize the gaming app market. Let’s take Samsung (one of the highest graded mobile gaming developer), for instance. It has announced a creation of their own app store that will cater to HD television sets and Blu-ray players. Soon we will be able to use our fancy flat-screens not only as computers, since introduction of the Internet to TV (the heart of home entertainment) is nothing new, but also as gaming platforms. So called mobile DTV standard has already been approved in the U.S. in October. You can now play your Texas Hold’em on an iPhone, but imagine your favourite game on the big screen making it so much more enjoyable, more authentic and entertaining. Not to mention a game of roulette or video poker session on your couch. In a similar tone Betfair joined forces with Yahoo! to create an interactive TV platform that is using apps designed specifically for sportsbetting fans. GTECH G2 company follows suit to introduce highly innovative virtual horse-racing game. Intel has been working on creating a base of apps available for your netbook, that will allow to explore developers’ target of combining gaming with social networking and e-stores.

And what allows these companies, that has been focusing mainly on “equipment” research and development, to enter these mind-boggling world of software gadgets? It’s the approach for programming itself – it’s the trend of handling software platforms with open development tactics. Allowing third parties into the creative and technological process enables them to widen range of products and services by relatively non-expensive (software-based) developments, and obtain a valuable argument against crisis-finance, because the ROI seems to be staying high.

Naturally, there is the Apple “tablet” or “slate” device. The tablet, an interface based on touch-screen operations, is said to be bigger than an iPhone for mobile gaming industry; before its debut NYT already calls is a “game changer”. Current fresh-out-of-the-oven comments place this hi-tech device more within the markets of casual, gadget lovers, e-book enthusiast than predict its success in the field of professional business usability. And why not! The gesture-based handling and availability of new touch-screen game platforms can surely add to the “casino experience” and convince game realism enthusiasts. Casino games, although it’s a bit of a simplification, are based on card handling, scrolling and choosing surroundings – therefore the disadvantage raised by the “real games” worshipers, that a tablet is nothing but “rubbing” cannot really be that bad. Newest press release points to January 27th as the day of unveiling Apple’s “latest creation”. The event is said to be “huge” and that possibly the company will include a presentation of their iPhone 4.0. At least some of its features…