Experimenting Through Mobile ‘Apps’ and ‘App Stores’

Abstract

Utilizing App Stores as part of an ‘in-the-large’ methodology requires researchers to have a good understanding of the effects the platform has in the overall experimental process if they are to utilize it effectively. This paper presents an empirical study of effects of the operation an App Store has on an App lifecycle through the design, implementation and distribution of three games on the WidSets platform which arguably pioneered many of the features now seen as conventional for an App Store. Although these games achieved in excess of 1.5 million users it was evident through their App lifecycle that very large numbers of downloads are required to attract even a small number of active users and suggests such Apps need to be developed using more commercial practices than would be necessary for traditional lab testing. Further, the evidence shows that ‘value added’ features such as chat increase not only the popularity of an App but also increase the likelihood of continued use and provide a means of direct interaction with users.

A Case Study of Research through the App Store

“…Last but not least, Coulton and Bamford (2011), report on experiences with applications released to the WidSet platform, with two deployed applications with a total of more than 1.4 million users. Data collection was begun in October 2007, and -to the best of our knowl-edge -this constitutes the first and largest conducted study to be reported.…”

Designing Scalable Location Based Games that Encourage Emergent Behaviour

“…As the current application was developed using FlashLite it is easily portable to AIR, making this a logical decision for progression. For Big Game Huntr to succeed on a global scale it is apparent that the game should be optimised to appear on a wide range of platforms, especially those leading the way in current market trends (Android and iOS), and that have a greater presence in western markets (Coulton & Bamford, 2010). This will give a broader representation of the global response to the game as a wider range of countries will then be catered for.…”

Paper Gaming

“…Over the last decade, the exponential rise of mobile device ownership, the creation of the 'app store' and lower barriers to entry has propelled mobile gaming to be the leading entertainment factor amongst mobile device usage [5]. However, due to the nature of said personal devices they tend to isolate its users, whereas console and board games promotes social interactions via online play functionalities (i.e.…”