четверг, 26 января 2017 г.

Virtual Reality that comes to the world of casino games

Once a major talking point in discussions about the future, virtual reality’s progress has seemingly stalled somewhat. Not including 18th century, attempts to stimulate the senses with various 360-degree viewing and listening machines, as far back as 1960, we saw the first headset for virtual reality released. It would be almost another thirty years later that the term ‘Virtual Reality’ was coined in 1987, with the discourse lasting into the late 1980’s and early 90’s as people began to discuss VR as an inevitable part of the future. And yet, we have reached 2016 and things are only just beginning to move on the VR front. To bring things up to the present, at the ICE Totally Gaming in February 2016 in London’s Docklands, the CEO of iGaming software provider NetEnt, which holds a 31% share of its market, and who have expanded 25% year on year, Per Eriksson, announced that this year had been “bigger and better than ever” having launched a series of VR slots games. Some statement that from a company rising like a rocket.

As we stand, these slots games are our only chance to witness, play and enjoy an area of the industry that is very much still in its infancy. The game shown at the convention was Jack’s World, and evolved format of its predecessor Jack and the Beanstalk, and proved popular with its audience.

While slots might seem an odd choice for VR experimentation, given the benefits of other casino games, the important thing to keep in mind is that it is exactly that; experimentation. One of the elements that they discovered really enhanced the experience for players is the 3D sound. From there the company, as well as others, such as Microgaming and PlayTech presumably, will build up and advance forward, adding other elements of 3D and VR into their catalogue of online casino games.


To ensure that they do not miss the boat and keep up with the progress made by the tech developers while remaining an appealing option for the next and newer generation of players, online casinos will need to continually implement fully interactive and immersive technology which is what makes the idea of virtual reality casinos so intriguing. Young blood is the key and today’s youth, 18 and older obviously, want virtual reality games and gambling experiences.

All of the above would seem to suggest that virtual reality will be the future of online casinos and e-gaming, but what does that mean specifically for virtual reality casino games? The idea, unsurprisingly, is that, by way of a headset attachment, players can virtually enter a casino. Maybe walk around, table to table, and play live slots, roulette, blackjack and Texas Hold’em poker. For the latter, this could really bring something completely new and fresh to the online game that is actually a crucial element to the live game – the ability to read opponents’ tells.

Imagine taking your place at the table, maybe against other players or possibly VR versions of Daniel Negreanu and/or Phil Ivey, and then playing with your chip stack. Reaching out in real time, just as the projected image inside your visor shows the movement. You can read other players, from ticks right through to their tells, before triumphantly slamming down those cards, after the river, when you reveal your winning hand. Pretty cool right? Made all the more cool that, in reality, you’re in bed or on the sofa.

It’s possibilities like this that has the online casino industry believing that VR is the future of iGaming and will become its dominant platform, with forecasters like Goldman Sachs already predicting that the VR has the potential to generate more annual revenue than TVs within the next ten years. If you were to add their estimated VR software sales figure of $72 billion, VR would generate $182 billion, almost double the money of the TV market.

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