Experimenting Through Mobile ‘Apps’ and ‘App Stores’

Coulton, Paul and Bamford, William (2011) Experimenting Through Mobile ‘Apps’ and ‘App Stores’. International Journal of Mobile Human Computer Interaction, 3 (4). pp. 55-70. ISSN 1942-390X

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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.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
International Journal of Mobile Human Computer Interaction
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/core/keywords/computingcommunicationsandict
Subjects:
?? mobileappsapp storesmethodologyexperimentalcomputing, communications and icthuman-computer interactionqa75 electronic computers. computer science ??
ID Code:
50237
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
04 Oct 2011 08:08
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
15 Jul 2024 12:22