iGaming Business magazine iGB 112 Sept/Oct 2018 | Page 31

Casino & Games
IMMERSIVE
TABLE GAMES
Table games are no longer a commodity, says Robert Lee.
So investing in a high-quality product will result in greater revenues
If you were to place today’s slots alongside what the industry
was producing 10 or 15 years ago the contrast would be stark.
Customer demand for new features and innovation has seen
the product change beyond recognition.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the majority of
table games that are currently available. Many table games –
such as roulette – have not being given the same level of innovation
that slot games have seen over the years.
Players who have had experience playing roulette, in both
land-based and online casinos, often find that their experience
is far different online from the physical game. Juddering ball
movement, poor sound quality and low-quality graphics is far
from the experience they enjoy elsewhere.
The way in which these games look, sound and feel can make
a huge difference to their popularity, as players are looking to
be entertained by, and immersed in, the game’s action.
The same is true of the next generation of online players, who
arrive expecting an experience on par with videogames and don’t
necessarily get the same experience. This can often lead to players
not returning and seeking the experience elsewhere.
Furthermore, with advances in smartphone hardware and
HTML5 technology, game developers now have the opportunity
to create a smooth, slick and engaging offering equipped with
authentic graphics and sounds, even if it has been underutilised
to date.
The technology now exists for games to be created where
the wheel can spin smoothly, the sound can be authentic, and
the lighting can create a more immersive environment, so that
players experience a more engaging product. There appears to
be a huge opportunity which is currently not yet being grasped
by the industry.
In addition to this, as a supplier, we have seen on numerous
occasions that high quality table games generate more revenues
when placed next to their lower quality counterparts.
The time we have spent creating and developing our first
3D table game has ensured that Realistic continues to lead
the way in this important area while maintaining existing
commercial agreements.
Robert Lee is commercial director of
Realistic Games. He has almost three
decades of experience in the gaming industry,
having spent almost 20 years at Gala Bingo
in various roles. He then moved into product
management at Ladbrokes, before leaving
to join supplier IGT where he was bingo
product manager.
In the past, operators would simply take three or four versions of
table games and leave it to the players to decide which they preferred
to play. We are hoping that the industry will realise the missed
opportunity here and shift its approach from quantity to quality, so
that players get a better experience and keep coming back for more.
With space limited in the mobile version of a casino lobby,
operators can’t afford to have valuable space occupied by low quality
versions of games that players tend to avoid.
Players will migrate to better quality games that provide them
with the immersive experience they are looking for. Once these
players find a game that keeps them engaged they are more likely to
keep returning to the games that give them the best experience.
This is why Realistic Games has released Realistic Roulette.
The game has been built using the latest WebGL technology,
creating a 3D environment where players can control the view of
the action.
We have also focused on capturing the small details from the
real-life game such as the sound and ball spins to captivate players
and to try to emulate the experience players get in a live casino.
Realistic Roulette really has been developed with players in
mind. It has utilised the latest technologies to give players the best
experience possible on their devices, as well as closing the gap
between existing table game offerings and land-based casinos.
First impressions really do count when it comes to table games.
There is no shortage of options for operators, but in order to stand
out from the crowd – and generate better revenues – a better
experience of online table games needs to be offered to players.
This is something we feel we can offer with our exciting new
Realistic Roulette.
i GamingBusiness | Issue 112 | September/October 2018
29