Interactive MOBILE GAMING
Mobile thinking
Yggdrasil’s CPO Krzysztof Opałka on why a change of mindset is required to develop games which hold true mobile appeal
Operators and developers have been talking about entering the mobile-first era for several years now, but the truth is that online casino continues to lag behind sportsbook when it comes to embracing the mobile channel.
Many operators and suppliers are still taking less than half of their revenues from mobile; Yggdrasil currently leads the way in this field, with 56% of total gross gaming win coming from mobile during Q2 2017.
From a development point of view, achieving this figure – not to mention growing it further – is the result of a change in the way slots are developed.
Te mobile-first transformation must begin at the very start of a project lifecycle; it cannot be an afterthought where a game is adapted for mobile having been primarily conceived for desktop.
There is a fundamental disconnect between development for desktop, which tends to be displayed in landscape mode, and development for mobile, which tends to be displayed in portrait mode. Trying to force one into another leads to an invariably poor user experience. P74 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE /
247.COM
Tere is a fundamental disconnect between development for desktop, which tends to be displayed in landscape mode, and development for mobile, which tends to be displayed in portrait mode. Trying to force one into another leads to an invariably poor user experience.
Te way slots are played on mobile also tends to be different. Sessions are shorter but average a higher bet per spin, so this needs to be considered in the fundamentals of the slot, particularly the maths and volatility.
While the majority of mobile content continues to be consumed via native apps, HTML5 technology means we are now in a position to deliver a similarly immersive experience via mobile web, and this needs to be considered seriously by both operators and suppliers alike.
When we first sketch out a new game, we work hard to ensure the interface is touch friendly, all UI controls are big enough, the gameplay is easy to follow and the layout adapts correctly to different resolutions.
Small touches, such as mimicking native apps in mobile web mode so buttons, lists, checkboxes and other UI elements have a similar look and feel can go a long way to creating a seamless experience.
And critically, when delivering a truly multi- channel experience, it is important that the same experience is provided across mobile and desktop, allowing players to freely migrate between the platforms.
Players want the flexibility to begin playing on desktop and then continue on mobile when they
Krzysztof Opałka Chief Product Officer, Yggdrasil Gaming
Krzysztof Opałka is chief product officer at Yggdrasil Gaming, where he builds technology, process and the multi-disciplinary team behind the most sophisticated casino games in the industry. He has previously worked for a number of different IT and gaming companies, including the maker of Candy Crush, King. Follow him on LinkedIn for monthly Tech Talk insights.
leave home, and if the mobile experience cannot match up, you will lose the player.
Of course, all this is only possible via a flexible platform which does not compromise on the mobile experience, and has the power to run all the full-blown animations and special effects fluently.
It is also vital to consider ways of optimising loading times. Tere are a number of advanced techniques to make games load rich content quickly, and this is crucial for mobile when many people are still playing on a 3G network, particularly in emerging markets.
For many years, operators could rely upon general mobile uptake to drive revenues. As mobile gaming markets, particularly in Europe, begin to reach a degree of maturity, this is no longer the case.
To compete on mobile, you must offer an experience which has been designed specifically for the channel, while not neglecting the desktop offering. Only those who find new and innovative ways to engage players on the mobile channel will succeed.
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