COVER STORY THINK MOBILE FIRST
However, cost and perceived complexity are not the only issues to have held a number of operators back. The irony, adds the developer, is that while gambling companies specialise in risk, many are risk averse when it comes to developing mobile products, while they are also often limited by what their software providers develop for them, due largely to long-term contracts. It is only recently, he says, that many suppliers have adopted updated or futureproof mobile technology. “Many suppliers have technology that ranges from new to near 10 years old in order to support some function that a slow-moving operator thinks they need. Another reason [why some operators have been slow off the mark] is understanding mobile. A mobile is far more than a stationary PC that sits at home or at work. Mobile is everywhere, while in the home it is no longer con?ned to
the dusty corner of a spare room it is in front of the TV, in bed, everywhere. Its understanding these user behaviours that operators struggle to adapt to.” Paddy Power’s Lovell says a large part of his role is researching how consumers interact with technology. “Most mobile betting is done in transient situations so it needs to be as quick and as simple as possible. You’re appealing to a very small user interface. You need to consider how you reduce the form factor without taking away any functionality and enjoyment. You have to understand how people are using it in a number of different environments,” he explains. However, as with the majority of projects in gaming, it is a technology play. One technology that has come to the fore is HTML5, the latest version of the internet’s mark-up language that includes new features that make it easier to
888POKER/ POKERSTARS
888 does its best to win over new players as soon as they join through the mobile app, with a free $8 allowing you to start playing immediately after depositing, and without entering any banking details. Ease of access is perhaps even more pertinent on mobile, where players can flick from one app to another even quicker than on desktops, so this smooth transition seems crucial. One senses that the app is geared towards the recreational player, with a “beginners” screen acting as the default when you log in. This provides the player with six options – three levels of cash game and three sit-n-go, none of which require the player to part with more than the starter bankroll provided upon registration. Higher buy-ins are also available, catering to those players who already hold an account with 888 and want to test out the mobile offering. The app itself is easy to use, with a bet slider which isn’t too intrusive, even on a small iPhone screen. I had no trouble placing bets, and the timer display was big enough to see when I was running out of time to act. However the app does have its limitations in relation to others, notably the lack of poker variants other than No Limit Hold’em and the inability to multi-table. There is a danger that catering to the majority could isolate those who specialise in other variants of the game, a particular concern if and when mobile overtakes desktop as the channel of choice. In comparison, PokerStars – while not replicating its full offering on mobile – offers plenty of variety to mobile players, and this has provided the operator with free publicity as it can draw attention to players using the Stars app while playing live at its European Poker Tour events. The one stand-out is the Zoom offering, which replicates the speed of the desktop equivalent. However the multitable functionality on iPhone – having only one table on display at any time but bringing up whichever table requires the player to act soonest – makes multi-table Zoom on the mobile almost too fast. On regular cash games this proves less of an issue, while the iPad version arguably even has room for several tables on screen at once, though Stars has not opted to go down this route yet. Furthermore, there is far more variety in terms of available games, with Pot Limit Omaha on offer in addition to No Limit Hold’em and various higher buy-in tournaments
888POKER
RANKING
USABILITY DESIGN ENGAGEMENT PLAYABILITY
79 |100
22/25 20/25 18/25 19/25
OVERALL
POKERSTARS
RANKING
USABILITY DESIGN ENGAGEMENT PLAYABILITY
89 |100
22/25 23/25 24/25 20/25
OVERALL
included on the app. Also, and perhaps most crucially, you can use your mobile to play on the operator’s usual calendar of tournaments, so you can register and play while on your
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