Meta title: BGaming’s New Compression Algorithm Gives 2X Faster Load Times

Meta description: BGaming continues to innovate in iGaming, developing an algorithm for image compression that leads to 2X faster load times for its games.

iGaming is just bursting with innovation. A clever mix of online player experience, and real-money gambling, the industry is truly maturing, thanks to advances in technology, art, gameplay, and legislation. Recently, BGaming developed a new compression algorithm that will enhance gameplay for players around the world.

In a hotly contested industry space, it’s innovations like this that will help providers get ahead of the competition.

Who is BGaming?

BGaming is an Austrian online gaming house that produces slots and casino games for play all over the world through its network of over 700 operators. Their games catalogue contains over 90 games including titles like Mankei Gold, Penny Pelican, Joker Queen, and Space XY. BGaming is also well known in the industry for being one of the first adopters of cryptocurrency gaming. With over 20 years of experience in the iGaming sector, plus a host of industry awards, they’re trusted globally. If you’ve played in an online slots casino at any time, you may have come across a BGaming game.

What is a compression algorithm?

Heard of a compression algorithm before? Unless you’re in the programming field, you might have little to no experience of what this means. An algorithm is a set of instructions to a computer to make it perform a particular task. Compression – like the word in the real world – refers to making something smaller. 

An example of compression

If you have made a .ZIP file before, you have compressed some computer data into a smaller package – and will no longer be able to use it in its original form. In the inverse, if you have extracted a .ZIP file, you have decompressed it so that you can use the data again. People often use zipping and unzipping for sending files over email, for example, when data limits exist. Gmail has a 25MB limit for email attachments, but if you zipped a 26MB file, you’d be able to send the compressed version to your friend, where they can then decompress it and use it.

Remind you of Pied Piper?

One of the most famous examples of a compression algorithm is actually a fictional one from the television show Silicon Valley. In the show, they develop the Pied Piper algorithm that performs video compression, which would vastly reduce the amount of data sent over the internet in video applications and lead to crystal clear, near-instant video. However, like the show itself, the algorithm here – a lossless middle-out compression algorithm – is pure fantasy.

The BGaming algorithm

Like the Pied Piper algorithm, the BGaming algorithm aims to reduce the size of data – this time, it refers to the size of the game itself. Across BGaming’s catalogue, the average size of the game file previously stood at 16.4MB. When the algorithm was deployed, this was now reduced to 7.3MB. What this results in for the user is a 2x faster load time for the game.

Wouldn’t this compression lead to detriments in gaming experience, too?

The algorithm itself concentrates mainly on compressing image size. When the artwork for games is developed, it is high-quality, and high-resolution. However, while artists are working on large screens, and even working pixel by pixel to create various game elements, players do not need to have such high resolution. And high resolution leads to a large image size.

While there are commercial off-the-shelf image compression tools, the team at BGaming found that these weren’t quite right for the job at hand. This is why they developed their own unique algorithm.

The end result for players is the same to the eye as image files with a larger size, however the game is simply faster to load, so it’s a win-win.

This new feature is not only a welcome technological step forward for players. No doubt many affiliate marketing sites will also be rejoicing with this novel compression algorithm. NoDepositKings is one such example, in fact – as an affiliate company specializing in only top-tier no deposit casinos, its team of casino experts knows all too well about the importance of UX.

Performance tweaks abound in iGaming

Not everyone has a high-performance computer at the ready for their iGaming experience, so it’s important for providers to concentrate on end-user experience across a range of devices, including mobile and older model devices. By making performance tweaks to base games in their catalogue, or running algorithms across the suite, they are able to provide a better overall gaming experience and thus keep players coming back for more – plus have a good reputation in the industry. iGaming providers will continue to invest in their software development departments to bring about better outcomes for their users.