Software Providers: NetEnt
Some say the Casino Veteran trialled the very first online roulette game on his Atari 8-bit. Netent might not have been around for quite as long as that, but it is nevertheless one of the best-established developers in online gaming – and it looks certain to remain so for years to come.
Some say he was Timothy Dalton’s stunt double while filming the casino scene in Licence to Kill. He is the Casino Veteran and what he doesn’t know about online casino games just isn’t worth knowing. Here’s his take on Netent, one of the longest-established game providers in the online gambling world.
About Netent
Netent has been providing online games for discerning casino goers since the very earliest days of the internet, back when AltaVista was the main search engine and Snake was considered the height of mobile gaming. Many of those early pioneers have since faded into irrelevance – AltaVista was quietly killed off by Yahoo five years ago, and the only snakes that the Casino Veteran encounters on his mobile these days are at the live poker tables.
However, Netent has remained at the cutting edge of gaming, and a quick look at its portfolio shows that it has consistently delivered some of the best-loved games of the past 20 years. Jumanji, Gonzo’s Quest and Starburst are games that feature heavily in TV ad campaigns for a range of online casinos, and will be familiar even to those who have never entered an online casino in their lives. They are all from the Netent stock.
While Netent is mostly associated with slots games, this is a provider that has also developed traditional table games such as poker, roulette and blackjack, particularly in the online casino sector.
Netent Live Casino
For the Casino Veteran, it is not just about the big-money wins. He loves the atmosphere of the casino and the thrill of the chase. Netent’s live casino games bring these real-world aspects to the virtual casino platform. The first live casino offering came out in beta format back in 2013, showing that this developer has lost none of its pioneering spirit.
In the five years since, Netent has focused its development efforts on bringing players a realistic, engaging and, most important of all, tailored live casino experience, based on its tireless work with the gamers themselves to identify what it is that people really want.
One of the main tools that Netent uses to achieve this is technology called Chroma Key. Put simply, this is technology that allows the developers to deliver a far more diverse range of live casino experiences in terms of the background effects, colours and environments, but without needing to go to the cost and time of building each one from scratch.
Netent has also taken a strongly “mobile first” approach to its live casino development – further evidence that it is in touch with the wishes of its customer base and the most common trends in online casino culture. Having said that, the desktop offerings are also on a par with anything that the competition has to offer.
Latest games by Netent
Gonzo’s Quest and Starburst continue to attract both experienced casino goers and newcomers, and their familiarity and widespread availability mean that they will continue to be popular choices for those scouring the casino sites for the best free spin bonuses and other special offers. However, in the modern tech sector, no developer will last long if it stands still, so the Casino Veteran infiltrated the R&D department to see what Netent has been working on for 2018. Here are some of the highlights:
- Halloween Jack Slot – yes, it really is getting to that time of year. Netent’s all-new game for Halloween 2018 will be released on 24 October, but the Casino Veteran tracked down some preview footage on YouTube. This is typically spooky Halloween fare, and the horror genre is one in which Netent has a proven track record. This one has a free spins bonus round in which you can collect lantern symbols and a walking wild re-spin feature that is certain to prove popular.
- Wild Bazaar – Netent has also chosen 24 October as the release date for its new Wild Bazaar game. The exact nature of this one, however, is shrouded in mystery. The Casino Veteran assumes from the name that it will involve trading of some kind, but whether that is from an East End barrow, the New York Stock Exchange or the markets of Ancient Egypt remains to be seen.
- Vikings – it’s one of the most anticipated games of the year and could become as big as Jumanji. Netent announced the launch of this game, which is based on the immensely popular TV series, back at the beginning of the year. Now, at last, we have a formal release date of 22 November. For the Casino Veteran, Christmas is coming early!