Socializing in mobile gaming

ABSTRACT

Currently the most prevalent format for mobile gaming is the single-player variety, where users interact with the game's artificial intelligence within a number of genres such as sports, action, racing, and puzzle games, etc. The users install the game and play it for entertainment and to pass the time until repetitiveness and boredom prompts them to stop playing that game and switch to another one. We would like to suggest the incorporation of socializing elements into mobile game concepts, in order to enrich the user experience and allow users to share this experience with other members of their readily available social networks. Empirical studies with Malaysian and Thai youths were conducted to gain insights on behavior in playing videogames in general and playing mobile games to be specific. These studies identified socializing as one of the key drivers in playing these games. The results were shared and resulted in a jointly collaborated interface design project to explore the theme of 'socializing in mobile games'. Interface design students created new game concepts incorporating elements of socializing. Two of these mobile design projects were shown as examples to illustrate the mobile game concepts and also to identify the common themes in the context of socializing within mobile games.

REFERENCES

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)

General Terms:
Design, Human Factors

Keywords:
interface design, mobile games, player behavior, socializing, user experience