- In 2012, daily revenue, new player signups and daily active player numbers all down.
- The new software platform is described as both the “final stage” in its plans, and the “first part” of a “complete refresh” of the poker offering.
- The new platform will have the “recreational player” as its primary target, likely integrating social features more prominently.
- Its financial statement argues that large numbers of historic sign-ups from PokerStrategy.com were failing to generate a positive ROI.
... while the advent of social media and new technologies have revolutionized the way that consumers behave and entertain themselves, the online poker product has not really changed for a decade
If there is one thing clear from last week’s 2012 financial report and subsequent interviews with bwin.party executives, the policy changes on PartyPoker in the last year—from cutting ties with PokerStrategy, to segregating players based on ability, to ending its top-tier VIP program—are all part of a long-term, network-wide strategy.
And the new PartyPoker software, which promises to meet “the expectations of the modern digital consumer” with a “revitalized” PartyPoker brand, its debut still slated for the first half of 2013, will be the concrete realization of the group’s goals.
Revitalization is certainly needed. While discussing lackluster 2012 performance, poker was singled out by the group as one it “was not happy with,” with daily revenue, new player signups and daily active player numbers all down. But the group promises bold new plans to rebuild.
“Having analysed the online poker market and conducted extensive customer research, it became clear that while the advent of social media and new technologies have revolutionized the way that consumers behave and entertain themselves, the online poker product has not really changed for a decade,” it was stated in its annual report.
The new software platform is described as both the “final stage” in its plans, and, by Martin Weigold, Chief Financial Officer of bwin.party, the “first part” of a “complete refresh” of the poker offering.
