When one sets out to develop an app, it is usually to fill a market gap or exploit a growing trend.
One such industry which is seemingly thriving right now is the online gaming industry. Whilst still
wrapped up in legislation in many states, revenues increased dramatically through 2020 and early 2022,
thanks to the pandemic keeping people indoors.
Five states currently allow iGaming, according to
cdcgamingreports.com and they’re all showing an increase as recently as July
2022. This means a new group of customers have discovered online slots, casinos, and perhaps most
importantly, poker.
We say ‘more importantly’ because poker differs slightly from slots and roulette. You’re unlikely to play the random casino
games purely for fun, but poker doesn’t have to be played for money. There are plenty of free
poker apps out there that allow you to test your skills, and as popularity grows, so does the market for
such apps.
If you are thinking of developing a poker app, these are a few considerations you need to consider.
Basics
First up, you must consider the basics. You will have to offer at least one type of poker, with Texas
Hold’em the most popular. Your app will surely have to allow for multiple players and get the
presentation right. To keep players in a crowded market, you should pay close attention to the user
experience, accessibility and functionality. UI/UX design is hugely important in app development, and
this won’t be specific to your poker app; it applies to all apps. If you need to read more on this
subject, our article ‘How to Calculate the UI/UX Design
Services Cost of a Mobile Application’ might be interesting.
Or is it a simple process, well you can only figure it out when you itself get in touch with Blockchain
App Development.
is what are you in a need of.
Social Aspect
One aspect of online poker’s growing
popularity has been the social element of play. This has fitted in nicely with restrictions placed upon
movement; people had to do their socializing online, which has fed into the industry growth. Therefore,
the social element of your app is going to be important. How will players interact? Will you offer
closed games for groups of friends? Can you implement a chat function?
Additional Features
What will your app offer that others do not? That’s a key question that could be the difference between
success or failure. For example, Poker.org states that one popular app, Bravo, will show you all the
real poker rooms in your area, should you want to play a cash game. Perhaps your app can have a similar
function or something unique like tracking your opponents in the manner a HUD usually does. We haven’t
got the killer ideas, that’s up to the developers, but it is important to make your poker app stand out
from the crowd.
Revenue Model
Finally, how will you monetize your app? If you are offering a free-to-play title, you might want to
explore the freemium model, whereby players get a certain amount of free time or free chips and can then
buy more to progress further. It’s a model that has worked for Zynga Games, and if the balance is done
properly, it can be a good way of adding a revenue stream to your killer app.
Conclusion
As a new app developer, you are effectively a startup business, and 90% of those fail, as reported by Medium.com. There are
plenty of reasons, but poor planning is almost always involved somewhere. Therefore, even in a booming
industry like online poker, innovation and drive are second to having a firm plan and base. Hopefully,
this article has helped you with your initial concept. The rest is up to you.
