Global Gaming Expo Asia 2016: The Industry Continues to Win

Global Gaming Expo Asia has broken attendance records, welcoming thousands of guests and hundreds of VIPs and buyers from all over the globe
Global Gaming Expo Asia has broken attendance records, welcoming thousands of guests and hundreds of VIPs and buyers from all over the globe (source: reuters.com)

If you’ve not heard about the Global Gaming Expo Asia (May 17-19, 2016), or G2E Asia as it’s otherwise known, then you’ve probably been under a rock somewhere because it’s now one of the largest gaming conferences in the world.

Organised by the American Gaming Association and Reed Exhibitions, the event has broken its own attendance record and welcomed 10,984 visitors from 83 countries; an increase of 11% on 2015’s total. As well as welcoming more guests than ever before, G2E Asia hosted 950 buyers and VIPs (up by 43%) from all sides of the iGaming industry.

For all intents and purposes, G2E 2016 was a commercial success, but it also revealed a number of wins for the iGaming industry as a whole.

iGaming Experts Spill the Beans on Industry’s Fortunes

Operators put a particular emphasis on their mobile provisions during this year's G2E, with 32Red.com presenting their new "touch and pull" slots software
Operators put a particular emphasis on their mobile provisions during this year’s G2E, with 32Red.com presenting their new “touch and pull” slots software (source: flickr.com)

Aside from the wave of products and exhibitors, G2E saw the industry’s leading experts offer their take on the year to come. On the dais during the three-day conference was a number of keynote speakers who discussed the ever-evolving mobile gaming world. Thanks to improvements in smartphone technology and a growing acceptance of gaming on the go, operators are now bolstering their mobile provisions.

One of the latest trends to be incorporated inside 32Red.com’s mobile slots lobby is a more efficient navigation system. Instead of the classic “point and click” dynamic that seems to have carried over from the desktop world, 32Red’s mobile software now uses “touch and pull” software. After loading up games like Break Da Bank Again and Mega Moolah, players can swipe up, down, left and right to move through the game’s internal options as well as navigate back to the main lobby.

Mobile Improvements Make Gaming More Appealing

Operators put a particular emphasis on their mobile provisions during this year's G2E, with 32Red.com presenting their new "touch and pull" slots software
Mobile gamers are being offered a new environment, more adapted for the medium they use (source: flickr.com – anykeyh)

These sorts of subtle improvements are not only taking mobile gaming further away from rigid desktop dynamics, but making the games themselves more appealing. Indeed, instead of having to follow a pattern of play that works well in the desktop world, mobile gamers are now being offered an environment that’s tailored more towards the medium they are playing in.

As a testament to the ongoing development of the mobile casino genre, Playtech was given the Best Mobile Solution Award at the conference. Supplying a catalogue of games to operators across the industry, from The Incredible Hulk slot at Slots Heaven to White King at Titan Casino, Playtech is one of the leaders in its field and proved it once again with an Asian Gaming Award.

Beyond the tributes to innovation in the mobile gaming industry, Aaron Fischer, head of Consumer & Gaming Research at brokerage and investment group CLSA, discussed the current state of the global gaming market. Focusing initially on Asia, Fischer painted a positive picture and reflected on the recent news that the market is now worth around $18 billion and is still growing.

Industry Innovation is the Key to Continued Success

Gaming operators understand that innovation is key to success and they constantly work on improving their products to make them more appealing and in line with desires of their customers
Gaming operators understand that innovation is key to success and they constantly work on improving their products to make them more appealing and in line with desires of their customers (source: flickr.com – re-publica)

Indeed, as the availability of mobile games continues to increase and companies keep on innovating it’s likely the iGaming industry will further expand as we head towards the end of the decade. In fact, it’s not just current technology like that seen at 32Red that’s giving industry insiders reasons to smile.

Although it wasn’t lauded at G2E, Microgaming’s Virtual Reality Roulette received critical acclaim at another gaming conference in 2015. Awarded the Digital Product of the Year prize at the Global Gaming Awards, Microgaming’s experiment with Oculus Rift and Leap 3D technology has been hailed as the future of online gaming.

By giving players the ability to play roulette in a virtually real setting, Microgaming is satisfying their desire for the realism of a live casino combined with the efficiency of an online platform. While the product is a few years away from being released to the public, it’s yet another sign that the iGaming industry is moving with the times and is willing to innovate at every opportunity.

This, in a nutshell, was the overriding message industry experts were trying to convey at G2E and will continue to crow about as we head into 2017. Indeed, by the time G2E 2017 rolls around in a few months we’ll likely be talking about a raft of fresh innovations that have once again made gaming more engaging and enjoyable for the average player.

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