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• The Stars and What They’re Worth

  August 20, 2010No comments

  You’re searching for a game that’s worth your money and time; something that’s both entertaining and technically great. Game review sites are probably the first place you go to, and not the stores. You do a bit of research if the game you like to buy is worth buying, or you probably search for the highest rated game.

  While consumer behavior does generally follow that pattern, we must remember that a 5-star rating doesn’t necessarily translate to an objective rating of a game.  A 5-star or 4-star rating is usually based on the accumulated reviews on the game. This means that it’s mostly based on what the consumers have to say about the game and their own ratings of how great the game is. This generally works, but then, since people have different tastes. So what if the majority of those who had the time to give a review said the game is bad, just because it didn’t suit them?

  Certain factors make a game more attractive to a certain segment of the population. Take for example the latest game from National Geographic, Contraband Mystery. Of course, it would be more appealing to the geeky and nerdy types who watch the Nat Geo Channel everyday when they get home. Those who didn’t want to be challenged would find it sluggish and too challenging.

  Game reviews and ratings give consumers an idea of what the game is about and how other people, who have played the game, find the game. Was it exciting? Was it entertaining? Was it worth the cost? A lot of answers on questions about a certain game are found on game review sites. Most of the time, it influences the consumers decision making whether to purchase a game or not.

  But word of mouth can only go so far. The best way to actually tell how good a game is to play the demo or trial version. That way, you would know if the game suits your tastes. Most game portals offer this for free. So go ahead, play. Sometimes a game’s worth is not written in the stars.

  

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• Casual games are most downloaded iPhone apps

  August 10, 2010No comments

  Apple’s iPhone has clearly surpassed all other mobile phone brands in total number of applications available to users.  The iPhone has 150,000 apps, compared to Google Android’s 20,000 and Blackberry’s 5,000.  These apps are used to view books, news, and movie clips; play games and music; and access online tools and utilities, including GPS navigation, as well as social networks.

  Statistics show that more or less 2 billion iPhone apps have been downloaded since the beginning of the year. Here are the 10 most downloaded apps from Apple App Store as of June 2010, courtesy of mobile app analytics company Distimo:

  Rank	App	Publisher	Category	Price
  1	Angry Birds	Clickgamer.com	Games	$0.99
  2	Doodle Jump: Be warned-insanely addictive!	Lima Sky	Games	$0.99
  3	Fruit Ninja Halfbrick	Studios	Games	$0.99
  4	BATTLESHIP	Electronic	Games	$2.99
  5	FIFA World Cup™	Electronic Arts	Games	$4.99
  6	FatBooth	PiVi & Co	Entertainment	$0.99
  7	TETRIS®	Electronic Arts	Games	$4.99
  8	Pocket God	Bolt Creative	Entertainment	$0.99
  9	Skee-Ball	Freeverse, Inc.	Games	$0.99
  10	Guitar Hero	Activision Publishing, Inc.	Games	$2.99

  Fifty-eight percent of all iPhone apps in the App Store are games, listed by rank as follows:   casual games (15%), action games (11%) and Arcade (11%).  The average price of a paid game in App Store is $2.24, much cheaper compared with Blackberry games ($4.60) and Windows Mobile games ($4.90).  It is a bit higher than Android games though ($2.08).

  Casual games have become more popular in recent years due to the mobile device revolution, particularly with the appearance of the iPhone series. Top-sellers “Angry Birds” and “Doodle Jump” are casual games as casual games can be.  Angry Birds is a clever game where you fire birds at little pigs through a slingshot, while Doodle Jump’s goal is to guide a four-legged creature called “Doodle the Doodler” through a series of platforms without falling. There are also hundreds of free casual game apps on the App Store. These apps get their revenues through in-game advertisements or when users decide to upgrade to full version.

  Personally, I feel that casual gaming is the way to go in iPhone entertainment.  It’s pretty obvious that iPhone owners prefer light games that don’t take up much time and effort.  So, with the iPhone dominating the smartphone industry, it goes without saying that that casual gaming will maintain its popularity too.

  

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