The release Thursday of PartyPoker’s new software and website has been followed by official release material from owners Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment detailing the changes and describing them as just the first phase of a new product and brand image.
A statement from the company claims the changes mark a significant first step in the integration of social features into the real money gaming environment.
“The phase one release, which has just launched, is jam-packed with exciting new features and a fresh new look, logo and interface, mixing the best of the old with the new, in a player-friendly environment,” the statement boasts, adding that the first phase release of the new PartyPoker.com is now available on Mac and PC in download and no download versions.
The mobile product is available on Android and on iOS app for the first time, with more of the new desktop features due for introduction in a later phase.
In the coming weeks a new tournament schedule will be launched, the gambling firm promises.
Supporting the launch of the software and new orange and white branding is a Youtube vid which can be viewed here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ia9eixjnHh0
The refreshed online poker product integrates new features into real money gaming including a 1-Click Lobby and social features such as Missions and Achievements and Friends.
The new poker table also now sports a smooth racetrack shape and a cleaner table. Major highlights of the phase one release of the all new partypoker.com include:
1-Click Lobby:
Tailor-made games for a player all in one place. The 1-Click Lobby offers the player all of his or her favourite games at a glance, making finding a cash game or tournament to suit their style easier. With Filters and Favourites, players can highlight their preferred games and use the Favourites tab and lobby filters to narrow their search for the right table.
Missions:
Missions gives players targets to aim for, challenging them to try new things and improve their game. Players can go at their own pace and see where the next Mission takes them. Missions help players improve poker skills but there are also extra rewards for completing them: cash; tournament tickets and bonuses.
Achievements:
Every time a player collects an Achievement from a win, it will boost his or her score, giving bragging social networking opportunities to friends.
Friends and Profile page
Facilities for finding and making new friends are easier to use. Players can easily search and add friends via screen name, email address or by looking up contacts from their email address book.
Account / Rewards / Cashier:
Party Poker has completely revamped other sections on the client in addition to the new features mentioned above. The account page now offers players a one-stop location to provide a list of:
•Real Balance
•Bonuses
•Loyalty Points
•New or active promotions
•Tournament dollars
•Messages in account inbox
The new Party Poker client takes up 70mb and is available for OSX and Windows. It’s also available on Android and iPhone in the U.K.