Pulse
BetConstruct: Championing VR in the gaming space
By William - 20 January 2020
G3 talks to BetConstruct’s Rafael Badalyan, the company’s Chief Innovation Officer, concerning Virtual Reality and the opportunities this technology offers gaming operators to engage with new and current audiences.
You are now a pioneer for virtual reality in the gaming industry. Could you tell us about the VR content you offer, such as BetConstruct VR Casino, and other virtual reality products?
Virtual Reality is a whole new world in gaming which comes with a lot of problems and misunderstandings. How to make players feel comfortable? How to provide quality content? From playing mode to emotions the players get – everything is different in VR. Once entering the VR space, you become a part of the scenario and the real time experiences of joy and adrenaline are real here.
BetConstruct has managed to deliver high-quality content, where everything is possible without limitations for players. At the moment, we have several new innovative projects which range from gaming to business and educational platforms. VR Football and VR Boxing are an absolute novelty in the field of Esports, serving our purpose to create a fundamentally new community which is VR Esports with a completely new kind of athletes. A few of our innovations will be presented at the annual ICE London 2020.
Could you tell us about what inspired to enter the virtual reality market?
In fact, there are a lot of inspirations, but one of the most significant one comes from the desire for innovation and extravaganza. We strive to be the first to provide people with the opportunity to feel new emotions and new experiences. More seriously, we are confident that this market will expand exponentially and eventually become an accessible leisure, let alone offer an interesting investment potential.
Is there a particular demographic you are targeting with virtual reality?
We have no limits or boundaries for VR. We see the development in different spheres – tourism, education, healthcare – we are planning to integrate all the possible aspects in VR. We are creating the most breathtaking scenarios for games. And of course, gambling is another niche which will find favour with all casino lovers. Just imagine yourself sitting at home in your favorite armchair and playing crazy monkey in one of the best casinos in Las Vegas or, more thrillingly, with a live dealer. BetConstruct’s technology can bring this experience to any home.
How does VR BetConstruct Casino replicate the excitement of a land-based casino without leaving one’s home? How does the technology drive engagement with customers?
The Live dealer experience is totally new in virtual reality. We can call it one of the unique features in VR that we have accomplished. But this is not the most important aspect. The list of advantages is long enough, but just to be more specific, we plan to integrate visuals from real casinos, so our VR space will drastically differ from the 3D visualization with a fresh true-to-life look. So, the dreams of visiting Vegas or Macau BetConstruct’s VR Casino with a chance to have a virtual tour, explore and experience things that one has always been dreaming of. This is a new wave of opportunities, and the wave is growing every single minute.
The players will definitely be able to socialize, since from the very beginning of the creative process we have been using all hi-tech solutions that the market has to offer to maximize the social aspect of our VR casino and build a social network. This alone is already quite unique for the gambling industry, but we want to extend our possibilities further by creating a united space in igaming industry, where everyone can both play and socialize with the help of online voice chat and virtual gestures available at our VR space.
To access VR Casino, players need VR goggles such as Oculus Rift or HTC Vive with corresponding controllers. What processes are in place to verify the age and identity of the player?
Regulation of any technological innovation is always important. When the need arises it means that the processes of product creation and development are on the right track. At this stage of development, identification occurs with the help of ID at registration. According to the headset developers, the face recognition is to take effect in the near future.
A recent market study by Technavio predicts that the VR gambling market will have a compound annual growth rate of close to 55% by 2022. How soon do you think VR will become a staple product for the industry?
VR has already become a global trending hashtag. And it’s not just a matter of showcase and revenue. It’s the matter of future. We are creating a new reality and a new world of experiences. It might sound weird for the people unaware of the VR world, but once they give it a try they support the idea on a whole new level. In my opinion VR will become a staple product for the industry once the necessary hardware becomes mainstream, just as it happened with cell phones only two decades ago.
Could you tell us about any new virtual reality products which we might see in the near future?
During the last 6 months, we have created a social platform called Alteroom which is a virtual space made for creative individuals to come together for co-working or studying.
We make it possible for people from anywhere in the universe to gather in a VR room to connect, have a meeting and get creative. Our technology makes it possible to design a virtual classroom, build exhibition spaces, call from the real world into VR and ultimately save money and time while co-working with your friends and colleagues.
Some business decisions need an immediate involvement of all interested parties. We bring a true office atmosphere into a much more accessible virtual reality, so users can save money by cutting the costs of traveling and meeting space bookings to benefit to the maximum from co-working at Alteroom where time and space cease to be an obstacle.
Alteroom technology offers a number of cutting-edge solutions. Face-to-VR functionality erases the line between reality and VR. Users can make video calls from real world into a virtual one to show their face and check what is happening.
It takes time, space and a strong effort to create a physical display of a brand at an expo. All three take much money, so we came up with a far more accessible solution. VR Expo Builder allows to organize a VR expo for a brand and/or create a VR prototype of the stand to see it in full detail before its construction.
Expo Viewer application allows to attend and explore real-life expos as well as get information and notifications about the upcoming events. Users become a participant of the event with a full power to interact and talk with people, visit product stands and ask questions about them and virtually navigate in the building by walking or using a teleportation device which makes movements faster and more stable.
What are the greatest opportunities and challenges of virtual reality in the gaming industry?
VR blurs the edge between reality and destination of your dreams. While being physically present in reality, users of VR can really experience the places they dream to visit. The problem at the moment in our opinion is the fact that not everyone has the appropriate equipment. But it’s a matter of time.
In our vision, the younger generation is more flexible in adapting high-tech technologies and seeking innovative solutions to old problems. They will generate demand for virtual reality gaming industry. The new generation prefers social games rather than standard casino games. We give them an opportunity to experience what they want with an unexpected twist like a social network with games and gambling.
We trust VR and AR will be expanding with a greater integration into the gaming industry, and that VR solutions will be available for both online and land-based properties. Players will be able to play their favorite games without leaving their home or in special lobby in a real casino-reality in reality. All enthusiasts, professionals, business owners and innovators will make VR a part of their operations or offering, as it will be profitable for everyone in its own way.
Are we seeing any trends emerge around the type of virtual reality offerings being made?
Trends are observed both in the form of content and equipment. What comes to content, mixed reality solutions are being integrated in almost every sphere. The same technology used as an entertainment may be utilized for educational purposes.
The second trend is the equipment. Only a few years ago VR headsets looked like they were from 80s sci-fi movies. Now the wireless prototypes are attached to powerful computers, literally unchaining users from their physical locations, so they can freely move around and make virtual reality more real. Facebook, the most popular social network, has done much to popularize VR with its oculus quest. The industry is in full swing.
