Gambling on the Internet
The New Internet Software platforms are based on the needs of the Internet casino developers. If you are a regular surfer looking for bookmakers and punters, the variations of technology and its advancements might have held your attention. A number of companies develop casino software or licenses for the operators, who create websites for you, according to those that you are familiar with. With over 800 online casinos, it can be effortlessly said that they have been designed by one of those firms.
Casino Downloads
Before the year 2000, most Internet casinos were based on download - players needed to have the entire software fed into their system. There were two methods of doing this:
i. by downloading it from the website through FTP (file transfer protocol), or
ii. installing the CD
FTP downloads took up a lot of time and space. This issue was taken up by Poker.com, which continues to develop this download system, as it ensures a faster play and gaming security. The games require transfer of small packets of data (or numbers) and not large packets of data (or images).
FLASH
This is the most recent software to hit the arena of online gaming and it requires no software downloads. Flash is a version of graphical streaming, where you start receiving images and audio. Flash or FLASH also requires a plug-in, without which you can't play. Grandscale, Netscape and a few other new browsers ask you whether you want to install FLASH. (The Flash Plug-in can be freely downloaded at Macromedia.com). Sherri Paisley of SoftNet Gaming believes, "Flash and Active-X allows us to utilize ASP, which we believe is one of the best techniques to use if the game is to be played in real-time against the server." Tom Johnson of Grandscale remarks, "Flash produces highly compressed, high quality 3-D renderings and sound. It creates a stable and quick platform, better playability, and a more enjoyable experience for the player".
JAVA
JAVA-based casino games unlike FLASH, requires no software downloads or plug-ins to play. All you need is a Java compatible web browser like Netscape or Internet Explorer. You may also use JAVA for streaming audio and video, or to run numerous windows within a web browser.
According to Paul Mendes of GamblingSoftware.com, "Java is far more secure than traditional downloadable software. There is no chance for malicious codes, bugs or viruses to end up on the player's system. Moreover, there is no sensitive information, such as credit card account numbers or passwords stored on your system. If the player accidentally turns off the machine or is disconnected from the game, he or she can return to the same GamblingSoftware.com game and even the same hand on reconnection". FirstGenX (formerly known as E-VegasGaming) was another company to choose JAVA for the reason for the user to be able to open one browser, and position/resize the multiple windows within that browser again. You can play so many games at once.
The fact remains, whether it's Flash, JAVA or a download based system, the future should decide which one becomes the more popular. |
