By Mitch Rice
The gaming industry has grown significantly in recent years, and forward projections suggest further development moving forward. It’s a resilient sector and one that can continue to thrive, even in harsh economic conditions.That success also means that this is a crowded area of commerce. Along with traditional gaming, the industry widens to include professional video play, online casino operators and more. Platforms have to compete to survive, and one way in which they do this is through their website interface.
Attracting Interest
Gaming industry operators continue to receive significant investment from outside sources. This helps them to grow their brand and to introduce exciting new titles to a waiting public. The sector is continually evolving as it looks for new innovations moving forward.
Attracting that investment is crucial to future success, and each platform must pay close attention to every last detail. No matter what the industry, an effective user interface is crucial, and this is especially true for gaming.
Striking a Balance
The issue for web developers is the fact that an interface needs to tick two essential boxes. The design needs to be attractive in order to catch players’ attention, but it also has to provide optimal functionality.
Some of the most successful games have an essential element of realism attached to them. This means that they require stunning graphics in order to stand out in a crowded market. Those striking images need to be carried over into a website in order to attract the attention of a potential customer.
At the same time, a user interface must be organised. Whether the player is in the throes of a game or seeking a new title to purchase, the categories must be clear and easy to understand. It’s a delicate balance and one that is underlined most clearly by the online casino sector.
Staying Organised
Online casinos make up a significant percentage of the overall gaming industry revenue, and this is another area where the user interface is key. Across each platform, there is a huge choice of games that fall into categories such as slots, roulette, blackjack, bingo, lottery, poker, live casino and more.
There could be thousands of different games on each platform, and the challenge here is to keep things organised. This is where the balance between a striking design and an organised platform becomes even more challenging. The graphics on the website must be appealing, but players don’t want to spend time searching for their favourite games.
Each category that the casino provides must be clearly listed at the top of the homepage. It’s also important for operators to have strong search facilities, along with add-ons such as a list of recently played games.
While this need for organisation is key in the world of digital casinos, it’s a factor for all software developers in any area of the gaming industry.
In-Game Assist
Once the player has found their game, the role of an effective user interface doesn’t stop. Certain in-game aspects have to be implemented in order to make play as smooth and efficient as possible.
Depending on the game in question, players will need to understand information about their performance. They may want to know how much power they have left, or whether they have sufficient ammunition to complete their mission.
Ongoing scores are also essential for a game in motion. Even in a basic card game such as cribbage, players need to clearly understand what the scores are. Here’s where the interface has to be at an optimal level. Graphics relating to gameplay must be easy to understand and some developers make the mistake of concentrating on the main areas of gameplay, at the expense of this associated information.
A Little Help
All elements of gameplay must be backed up with an effective user interface, but players need to understand what they are getting involved with. Another common mistake among developers is to neglect the basic mechanics that explain how the game actually functions.
A developer shouldn’t, for example, assume that everyone knows how their release works simply because everyone is playing it. Standard rules, along with some tips, plus important details over in-game upgrades are among the essential information needed. Not every player wants to find things out as they go along, and one of the overlooked uses of the interface is to outline every aspect of the game’s mechanics.
When designing any website, it’s essential to pay attention to the smallest of details. Some platforms ensure all of their games are included, but they may overlook the importance of the user interface.
Everyone wants a colourful design in order to stand out, but organisation is even more important. Players demand strong functionality in order to find their favourites as quickly as possible and any brand th neglects these key elements will find themselves left behind in a seriously competitive industry.
Data and information are provided for informational purposes only, and are not intended for investment or other purposes.