eGaming Review March 2013 | Page 7

[C O L U M N I S T ] R O B S T E V E N S O N Consultant CROSS PLATFORM GAMING: Any screen, anytime, anywhere ast year was a tumultuous 12 months in gaming and 2013 is set to be exactly the same with new technologies being polished and harnessed for commercial scaling. The prime mover this year will be cross-platform or multi-platform gaming. Platform owners such as Microgaming and Playtech have had mobile games within their portfolios for many years, while companies such as mFortune and Probability have run mobile casino since the days of Java handsets. Today, there are only a handful of companies blazing a trail in cross platform games including ProgressPlay and Yazino. So, why have a number of companies spent years and millions of dollars developing these platforms? One statistic has always stuck in my mind. A few years ago I was lucky enough to be in the audience when Charles Cohen, chief executive and founder of Probability, gave one of his impressive presentations. The statistic that stood out was that more than 80% of his customers gamble and play casino on mobile, no other platform. At the time I found that odd, but now, with the bene?t of hindsight, it is obvious that mobile and online games players Cross-platform gives players the freedom to choose and pays off, not only in time but also monetises, explains gaming consultant and social gaming expert Rob Stevenson. L were hampered by a lack of technology. They simply couldn’t continue their experience and/or the games they were playing on another format. Play patterns of those players were, in general, different; mobile players tended to “snack” with quick sessions when time allowed whereas online players settled down for longer sessions. Players played on the format they enjoyed and that was that it seemed. This is now counter intuitive to the new knowledge we have from emerging consumer habits in their usage of smart devices, tablets and PCs – as a collective content solution. Smart devices and tablets are the massive disruptors. As content providers we need to consider – in the same way as we did in 1993/94 when online gaming arrived – that we will have to adapt to new consumer habits As content providers we need to consider – in the same way as we did in 1993/94 when online gaming arrived – that we will have to adapt to new con 7V?W"?&?G2?'W6??W72??F?72??&?6??66?&R6???VBF?RW?&W76???( ?F?v?F?????f?&W>( ?v?W&R6??7V?W'2v???6??7V?R6??FV?B??F?R67&VV?F?N( ?2??7B&?&?FRF?F?V?BF?BF??R??V?&W"?b6????W2??6?VF??r&?w&W75???B??????fR'&??V?F?v?F??6R&'&?W'2?b??&??R?F&?WB?B????Rv?F?6V??W72?Ff?&?2v?F?v?W2F?B6?&R??VB????67&VV??BB??F??R?WFW"???&R?bV?V7G&???2'G2?26???GFVBU2C#S?F???'2F?'V??F??r7&?72??Ff?&?v?W2??B?R6?3?( ?vRF????F?BF?RgWGW&R?bv??r?27&?77?Ff?&???v?2?f??r6??WF???rv?F???RF?N( ?2v??rFWf?6R?'WBWfW'?F???r??RF?6???V7G2?( ????"6?6??v?W2FWfV??W"?BV&?6?W"v?RGVV??&V6V?F?V&?6?VBFF&Vv&F??r?G2??W'2F?B?????V?F??R?Ff?&?2?7&?72??Ff?&???W'2????R??&Rv?RF?6??&VBF?6??v?R?Ff?&???W'2?7&?72??Ff?&???W'2???WF?6R#RR??v?W"??B7&?77?Ff?&???W'2?6?&V???????rf?"3RR???vW"F??6??v?R?Ff?&???W'2?6?6??g&VV?V?v?W2FWfV??W"??????2?6?V&?6?VB7&?72??Ff?&?FF6??v??rF?BF?RfW&vR&WfV?VRW"W6W"?%R?f?"?fW&vR6?6??v?Rv2&?WBC?R??B&W?'FVBF?B%R??wW&W2f?"???v??W"&R&?V?BF?RC?#?&???F?W"6?6??&VV??&6VBv?W2&W?'B%R?b&?WBC?3?v???R?????v?F?7&?72?Ff?&????2?%R?bC?C"?7&?72??Ff?&??2?fb???B?????F??R'WB?6????WF?6F?????Bv?fW2??W'2F?Rg&VVF??F?6???6R???r?f?"F?R??'7BF??RF?W&^( ?2&V????W?v??rg&??F?R??W2?b&?w&W75????B??F?V?"v?&G2??B?ffW'2F?Rv?&?N( ?2??'7B&V????W??66W72???v?W&Rv??r?Ff?&?f?"6?'B???W2?F&?WG2?B72???W'26?V??????&RF??#??&??R?B2v?W2g&??6??v?Rv??WB??G2?Ff?&??2gV???6W'f?6Rv??FR?&V?66???6??WF???F?BV?&?W2'F?W"6????W2F??V?6?F?V6??66???W?W&?V?6Rv?F???vVV?2?F?R?Ff?&???6?VFW2f&?WG??b66???v?W2???6?VF??r6??G2?67&F6??67V???6??G2?F&?Rv?W2?B?fRFV?W"?wwr?Vw&?v???R?6???p??