The key to a successful online poker site is to create content that the content is engaging for players. At PartyPoker, game developers want to ensure that this is the case, so they are getting into players’ heads to find out exactly what they think of the games being offered. “Partypoker are on a mission to democratise poker and bring ‘poker for the people’ in the UK,” says a spokesperson for Partypoker.
PartyPoker is working with a company called SimpleUsability, a development firm that has created a sophisticated Electroencephalography (EEG) headset that gauges players’ reaction while playing poker. The device has been used for poker research, and PartyPoker is putting it to use in order to measure the success of their games.
“We have teamed up with SimpleUsability Ltd to literally get inside players’ heads and see how they react and respond to partypoker’s games in a bid to make play more exciting and deliver the best experience for players. According to The Daily Star, the headset reads players brainwaves to measure their frustration and excitement while playing poker.
It allows researchers to determine players’ emotional responses, and help them understand how these reactions effect their ability. The research for PartyPoker involves players of varying skill levels. They wear the headset while playing a 40 minute session of poker on the site. For the duration, they are recorded on camera. This footage was then compared with the data that was captured on the EEG monitors.
This particular method allowed the research team to identify which plays caused particular reactions in players. PartyPoker will likely put this data to use by determining which games are the most exciting for players, and building their offering from there. They can create events, tournaments and promotions that encourage players to take part in the most exciting games that PartyPoker has to offer.