PKR set for major platform overhaul
Poker operator will upgrade client due to concerns over speed of gameplay and attributes Italy withdrawal to its 'unviable market'
PKR will launch a major platform upgrade later this month in a bid to improve the speed of game play while also describing yesterday’s withdrawal from the Italian market as the “smart play”.
The poker operator said the soon-to-be released client, PKR 3.0, would address concerns raised by some players over its 3D graphics slowing down gameplay.
Areas of improvement include removing pauses between animations, stripped down sequences, and optimised logic to ensure smoother, uninterrupted game flow.
“This [update] addresses a concern about PKR that has existed among various sectors of poker player,” Dan Grant, PKR spokesman, told eGaming Review.
“While we are committed to the visual experience that sets us apart, it should not come at the cost of game speed, though clearly PKR will always be a different animal to high-volume, multi-table experiences found elsewhere,” he added.
Other improvements include simplifying the login-to-lobby-to table journey, as well as introducing a permanent file menu, multi-product navigation and redesigned poker lobby offering two view options and new game filters.
The avatar editor has also received a complete overhaul with new virtual assets added, and a photo booth feature that allows players to customise their static avatar image for us on social media and the PKR website and forum.
“While retaining the most important elements of graphics and gameplay which make PKR unique, we have brought some of the user interface functionality in line with traditional poker rooms, accepting that at the poker table players require certain elements as standard,” Grant said.
“As a direct result of feedback from our players, countless other changes and improvements have taken place behind the scenes, from table chat and announcement systems to satellite tournament information and beyond,” he added.
The news comes after PKR announced it had withdrawn from Italy’s online poker market, becoming the first victim of the country’s declining poker sector.
“The market just wasn’t viable enough at a time when we want to focus on regions which offer us the best potential for growth to drive the business forward in 2015,” Grant said.
“It was a shame, and a difficult decision given the hard work many, notably our development team, put in, but the market conditions were not right for us and it was the smart play,” he added.