With the growth of the iGaming industry, the demand for new, unique, and high-quality games has risen as well. As a result, the software development sector has become very fertile ground in recent years. Numerous software providers are now competing for their own place in the sun.

Ainsworth Game Technology is a good example of this. It is a name that most Aussie players have heard of. This Australian-based company has been in the business since 1995, and it’s known for its famous Ainsworth slots, among other things.

When it comes to the video gaming industry, it’s hard not to mention Nintendo, one of the founding fathers of gaming as we know it today. The company’s in-house titles like Super Mario or The Legend of Zelda are what many gamers have grown up playing.

While there are plenty of other software providers out there, not all of them can brag about having the characteristics that would set them apart from the rest. In this article, we’re going to discuss what those are and why they are so important to the players.

Key Traits of Good Software Providers

Defining what it means to be a good software provider is not easy — there are many things that come into play. However, these are some of the basic traits that trustworthy providers of both video and casino games need to have:

  • Licence and good reputation
  • High-quality games
  • Cross-platform optimisation
  • Other unique features

Licence and Reputation

In order to be sure that a company is valid and legit, you should always look for its licence first. Without it, the provider does not have the right to use and/or distribute its software. 

Providers can hold different types of licences. For example, in the field of iGaming, companies should have a licence that allows them to operate remote gaming services. 

For the sake of continuity, let’s go back to the example we’ve mentioned. Ainsworth Game Technology’s licence comes from Alderney Gambling Control Commission. To make sure the licence is valid, you can visit the website of the Gambling Commission that oversees the provider. All licence numbers can be found in the archive.

Moreover, a good reputation in the industry is another sign that a software provider is legit. For instance, when it comes to video game developers, household names are easier to trust. Any new title coming from a well-known developer like Bethesda or Blizzard will carry more weight in the gaming world than the one coming from an obscure independent provider.

High-Quality Games

We all turn to gambling or video gaming to have fun and relax. Therefore, we expect the games to be well-made and entertaining enough. Even though video and casino games cannot be judged based on the same list of criteria, there’s one thing that’s equally important when evaluating the quality of both — graphics.

Apart from the story and gameplay, graphics play a major role in making a high-calibre game. This does not necessarily mean that they have to be extremely realistic. There are plenty of video games with low-quality graphics that are still successful — just look at Minecraft. All that matters is that the graphics fit both the style of the game and the world that it is set in.

Cross-Platform Optimisation

Another key characteristic we have to think about when discussing gaming software is device and platform optimisation — that is, how the casino or video games function on different devices and in different operating systems.

Gaming sites tend to favour those software operators who use a cross-platform tool, which lets you play from a number of different platforms. Thanks to it, players will be able to enjoy video games from a Mac or a PC equally. 

Furthermore, with the improvement of mobile technology, more players have become interested in gambling and gaming from their phones. So, all of their favourite titles should be compatible with both iOS and Android devices. This is a very important trait because it widens the player demographic.

Other Unique Features

Because the market is so competitive, software providers try to stand out from the crowd by offering something nobody else does. Of course, these unique features differ between those providers who create video games and those who produce games for gambling sites.

When it comes to casino games, we can use the average payout as an example. As you’d expect, pokies with a high RTP are a rare find. Once you discover a good one, you should stick to it. The software provider that is known for its great-payout pokies is NetEnt. Its RTP of 96%+ is not only unique but also enticing.

In the realm of video gaming, we can focus on cloud gaming and streaming. Thanks to these features, games are not stored on your device, but somewhere else — like the data centre. Thus, you will be able to enjoy your favourite game without it affecting the performance of your device or your storage space in the long run.