Innovation in the entertainment software industry has traditionally been best recognized at the annual International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles and the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco. Innovations by Microsoft, Intel, Google, Apple, Samsung, Sony, LG, Nintendo, Bethesda Softworks, and other major brands are presented there.
Young developers, who annually take to the same stage with the leading players, are also often commended for innovation. Recognition at these events is a serious step towards the conquest of the market. So, based on the below stated trends, consider what innovations consumers should expect.
TV
Quite a few TV solutions were demonstrated at CES, including the models from industry giants like Sony, LG, Samsung, and TCL. What do they offer? Larger screens, new micro-LED and roll-up OLED technology, advanced dynamic HDR monitors, and other cutting-edge features. Some companies are even planning to implement HDMI 2.1 technology, which allows streaming 8K/10K content. It is impressive, isn’t it?
Following the lead of Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant that began their TV-market invasion back in 2018, more companies will support the option of a personal assistant in 2019. Finally, the most popular brands have presented lots of advanced sound panels that are compatible with cinema audio technology Dolby Atmos. And now, let’s consider particular use cases.
Apple Streaming TV+
In late March, Apple held a large-scale press conference covering a variety of brand new services planned for 2019. There were many expectations regarding Apple’s entry into the market of streaming television, where Amazon and Netflix are dominating now.
The news about the Apple TV+ application was finally made public during the conference. This ad-free application will be launched this autumn and will include content from other services and companies such as Starz and HBO. Moreover, Apple is looking to release their own video content as well. What’s more exciting, the app will be accessible from competing gadgets – Samsung, Sony, LG and Vizio, in particular.
Gaming
Recently, the Consumer Electronics Show has heavily focused on gaming. This year, ASUS, Acer, Alienware, Razer, and some other manufacturers have announced the launch of gaming laptops utilizing the NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics cards. Moreover, the industry is gradually shifting towards game streaming, which is why Microsoft, Google, Apple are working on the projects that follow this new trend.
Google Stadia
March 21, 2019 will go down in history. Google presented its vision of the future of the entertainment industry – and it is in streaming. Thanks to the enormous resources and technical infrastructure at Google’s disposal, their new gaming platform, Stadia, can bring something truly innovative to the table.
With thousands of data centers and millions of servers, Google is the only tech giant that could manage cloud streaming of high-resolution games. Stadia is a game streaming service that requires no additional consoles to be used. All you need is a device, Chrome browser and access to the network. In fact, the service is compatible with any platform – from a smartphone or tablet to a huge desktop.
In addition to watching video streams, the users can actively participate in games. You can connect a special gamepad via Wi-Fi, join the game and play it in real time.
VR/AR games
A while back, CES was regarded as a platform for manufacturers seeking to catch everyone’s interest with the intriguing perspective of VR games. The trends are changing. Even though VR is transforming into a more progressive and affordable tech, the users are not so interested in it anymore. However, the launch of a new functional VR helmet can revive and boost the enthusiasm of the consumers. Oculus VR aims to meet the modern needs of the target audience. The enterprise places high hopes on the Quest headset. Many other VR headset manufacturers have also presented their products, offering both cheaper and more expensive prototypes.
Large casino software providers like NetEnt are also utilizing VR in their games. One of the most popular products is Gonzo’s Quest VR slots. Although some casino operators have already started to introduce the VR innovations by software developers, they are still a far cry from massive use. In 2019, NetEnt announced that they are planning to release another VR-powered game – Jack & the Beanstalk. This one is expected to offer more immersive experience to the players. With the growing VR equipment market, it should be easier for online gamblers to enjoy such games.
Probably, in 2019 more attention will be put on augmented reality as well. For example, Magic Leap with its brand-new AR product, One, can become a trend-setter in the gaming industry.
Dealer-less casinos
Robots and smart machines are increasingly replacing people on their routine jobs. And those roles, which were considered suitable for humans only, are being taken over by computers now. Casino Dealer’s job is no exception. For several years now, the Canada-based company called Jackpot Digital have been engaged in the development of electronic poker tables with a computer as a dealer. Jackpot Blitz is a regular poker table with a built-in 84-inch high-resolution touch screen. Its software allows up to 10 players to play Hold’em, Omaha and many other poker games. Most importantly, for all this, the dealer is no longer needed.
The emergence of new technologies leads to changing software development requirements. To meet the growing demands of the market, developers need to constantly improve their skills and master advanced technology stacks for different business domains.
