How Tablets Are Powering The Next Generation Of Online Game Shows
Tablet screens have moved on from being solely used for casual browsing and are now popular viewing devices for an increasingly live and interactive form of entertainment, which may combine traditional TV with real-money games of chance.
A new screen for a new format
The shift toward tablet-first design is not accidental. Streaming-capable tablets have become the preferred screen for live game show formats, and online UK casinos have accelerated this shift by investing heavily in broadcast-quality studios designed specifically for mobile and tablet viewers.
New statistics for live game show growth released by the UK's Gambling Commission show that Remote Interactive games now account for a large percentage of online gambling in the country and are on the rise. The large screen and portability of the tablet make it the perfect medium for this type of play.
Shows like Crazy Time and Deal or No Deal Live feature fast-paced interactivity with rapid visual feedback and quick host banter.
Such formats are often less suitable for the smaller screen real estate of the phone, but may offer an even more immersive viewing experience on a 10-inch or 12-inch tablet screen.
Hardware that makes it possible
Innovations in tablet screens have kept pace with the higher frame rates and studio-quality video streaming becoming more prevalent. IEEE Spectrum explores the growing trend of using touchscreen panels with high colour accuracy and fast enough refresh rates to display desktop monitor content on the go.
IEEE Spectrum reports that high-resolution, high pixel density screens are now adequate for watching high-frame-rate video on a tablet, providing producers with a wider range of options for delivering high-quality video content without compromising on the nuance of the image.
Unlike its modern online cousins, mobile games that incorporate live countdowns rely heavily on both fast hardware and low latency to render and react to player input in real time.
Fortunately, mobile chips are often up to the task: betting on a live countdown during a mobile slots game is near-instant, just like it would be at a land-based casino.
Regulation shaping the experience
The remote gambling industry is growing rapidly. Increased attention from government and industry regulators has led to the publication of remote gambling technical standards by the Gambling Commission. These set high standards for fairness, transparency and software integrity for all operators supplying customers in the UK.
UK policy for the digital economy is increasingly influenced by the findings of DCMS research into online interactive media, and in particular the need for operators to be transparent about their offerings and to have effective age verification in place.
This in turn is shaping the design of game show content and interfaces, with prominent disclosure of terms and conditions and warnings about spending potentially appearing above the fold on tablet layouts.
Where tablet gaming and live entertainment converge?
By marrying high-end broadcast production values with the technology and gameplay of casinos, the new format has found the perfect medium on the tablet, which is increasingly dictated by the oversight of digital entertainment and hardware developments. This trend may continue as live game show formats become more tablet-optimized than not.
Jim's passion for Apple products ignited in 2007 when Steve Jobs introduced the first iPhone. This was a canon event in his life. Noticing a lack of iPad-focused content that is easy to understand even for “tech-noob”, he decided to create Tabletmonkeys in 2011.
Jim continues to share his expertise and passion for tablets, helping his audience as much as he can with his motto “One Swipe at a Time!”