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The Social Game
There’s no shortage of poker applications in the world, but isn’t it time we stopped worrying about funds and started thinking about friends? Viaden Gaming believes so…
Regardless of the ‘Black Friday’-shaped bomb that went off on April 15th, poker remains hugely popular with online gamers, and as such still features strongly on the radar of developers looking for innovative ways to bring new products to an enthusiastic market. With such a receptive audience it’s no surprise that we’ve seen release after release based upon Texas Hold’em, each boasting more features, options and ‘fun’ than the last.
Online gaming software company, Viaden Gaming, has now thrown its keys into the bowl with a new Texas Hold’em app for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, but this product focuses on the rocketing trend for social network-focused games, and as such leans heavily on players that come to the game using their Facebook or Game Centre accounts.
“There are a lot of regular poker apps on the internet and in the App Store,” explains Viaden’s UK spokespoker, Heather Baker, “So we focused on the social elements of the game, and now our customers are maximising these features and chatting during games, sending private messages, buying gifts for other players and so on. Every player tries to reach higher levels and get as many in-game achievements as possible. At the same time, users make friends and socialise with the help of our messaging system. We believe that this social functionality will attract fans to the new Texas Hold’Em Poker app.”
Viaden Gaming’s Texas Hold’em - which, incidentally, recently passed the 250,000 download mark - requires a Wi-Fi connection for multiplayer games, allowing up to eight players from anywhere in the world to battle at the same table. It also boasts a cross-platform design which means users can play friends regardless of their Apple device.
“Viaden Gaming believes the future of online gambling will be less cash-return focused and will instead be shaped by trends in social networking,” Baker continues, “The company is therefore tailoring its games to suit this rapidly expanding market with in-built chat, messaging and search features, as well as six different language translations, all designed to encourage the highest levels of online interaction.”
Players’ friends can be found via Game Center or social networks and then invited to a table, where their customisable profile with basic user info, status and location is mirrored on the player’s Facebook or Game Center profile. In-game gifts can also be purchased with regular chips or VIP gold chips, and there are 150 achievements to unlock.
As for the future… “Viaden is currently working on new versions of the app which will incorporate enhanced tournament functionality, and be available in additional online and Facebook formats, allowing players to compete against each other regardless of their device’s operating system.”
