The UK-based online poker operator respected for the 3D quality of its graphics, PKR Poker, has given its marketing an interesting new twist, inviting players to focus on the backgrounds of its action as well as the players and the felt.
Just after Christmas the company launched new television ads featuring its graphics, where highly detailed attention has been devoted to the backdrops as well as the playing tables. It’s the sort of stuff that viewers don’t immediately notice, but that contribute towards the overall ambience of the setting.
Describing the detail as “features”, a PKR spokesman said this week:
“We only ever introduce new features that we know the players will like. There’s a fine line between adding depth and overloading the game so much that it distracts from the cards. That’s why most of the features are sneakily awesome – subtle touches like the background characters.
“Our members are honest and vocal – if they don’t like something, they’ll let us know and we’ll always look to perfect the online playing environment for them.”
Players even compete to pick out finely drawn detail such as scenic icons that identify a location, like the Eiffel Tower; three friends around a candlelit table enjoying a glass of wine; an avatar that twists an Oreo cookie in half; a casino floor with slots and blackjack tables; visitors looking out over a city; and even wall-hung artworks.
PKR’s developers have also been busy creating more natural human movements on their avatars; for example a player will actually appear to be intently watching a move by an opponent, or railbirds behind the table may rise up in excitement at a particular play.
Check out the ads here and see if you can spot the features, but be quick – these are 30 second spots!