Have you ever wondered who creates all those casino games and why some online casinos offer identical titles? The answer is that there are software companies specialized in designing casino games and operators partner with these companies to offer their gaming products. Hence, some online casinos offer similar gaming titles as they employ the same software suppliers.
Tech-savvy players know how hard it is to create a gaming product with crisp graphics, smooth animations, and interesting gameplay. Casino gaming development is a crucial part of the gambling industry. Software companies keep their fingers on the pulse of the latest technological advances in an attempt to come up with some fresh ideas.
Most played casino games are the ones that feature crisp graphics and interesting themes. But regardless of the title you wish to play, all games follow the same process of creation. In the lines below, we would like to lift the curtain on game development.
Idea Shaping
The first step is to build an idea of the theme of the game. Nowadays, it is hard to come up with something unseen as there is an abundance of games revolving around different storylines. In that sense, we can safely say that most themes one can think of have been addressed many times. When game developers start thinking of the concept of a new game, they undertake market research to learn more about the players’ preferences and the hottest topics.
Software companies usually use brainstorming techniques to structure their ideas and arrange them in a systematic order. Game developers also take into account the latest technologies they could incorporate to add depth to the gameplay mechanics. Interestingly enough, NetEnt games are among the best in the class when it comes to the main idea and the theme of the game.
Constructing a Prototype
The prototype introduces the main structure of the game that is subject to modifications. In other words, the prototype is the primary version of the game that can be drawn on a piece of paper. It is often referred to as the skeleton of the game. The software companies usually utilize various tools to create a prototype, including Framer, Marvel, InVision, Proto.io, and Unity. Needless to say, these tools are paid, except for Marvel that has a free version, allowing for 1 user and 1 project. The prototype paves the way for the creation of the game.
Coding
Coding is the hardest and most time-consuming step of creating a casino game. In this stage, software developers, designers, and artists all work hand in glove to create a gaming product in which all the elements coexist harmoniously for a better immersion of players. Interestingly enough, the majority of the games utilize HTML5 technology as most devices support this format. HTML5-based games nicely scale with the limited screen real estate and resolution of various portable devices.
Some of the most widely used tools for coding include JavaScript, Angular, Node JS, VERT.x, Vue JS, and MongoDB.
Testing
Testing is the final step before the official release of a given game. A team of experts thoroughly checks the game to find whether there are any inconsistencies. This stage is quite complex as it consists of various casino game testing techniques which we will briefly describe in the lines below.
The first one is called combinatorial testing and it covers value combinations of the game’s parameters, including game components, features, events, etc. The second technique is called functionality testing and it helps to find out any bugs that may occur. The third technique is referred to as compatibility testing and it checks if the game works properly on different devices.
The fourth technique is called regression testing in which experts check the unchanged components of the game once again to make sure that the game does not lose out on its functionality after the modifications. The fifth technique is referred to as load testing and it checks how well the game performs when it is played by a number of players at the same time.
The last technique is called play testing and it allows testers to try the game, discuss its weak points, and possible areas of improvement. The final decision is taken by the regulators as they need to approve the game before it is introduced to the gambling community.
