As per recommendation I spent three weeks conducting research into audiences for my game. From it I conducted three projects:1. A questionnaire, the analysis of which is on another post.
2. A focus group among some students who'd answered the questionnaire, to discuss further into their own experiences with playing app games.
3. To have one on one conversations with some of my school's teachers, to get some personal opinions from an older audience.
This post covers the results of the latter two, hence the title personal opinions. You may be wondering why I chose to put two into one post instead of having separate posts for each. The reason for that is because of the way I conducted them. My first order of business in preparation for the tasks was creating a new set of questions to use in the discussions. All of them were open answer questions, and they were all different from the questions I'd used on the survey, although they did bear some similarity.
There were six questions in total:
1. What is your knowledge/awareness of games played on smartphones/tablets?
- A straightforward question to start off the conversation, and to gain an idea of the speaker's angle and experience on the topic.
2. Do you feel as if you have any connection with other people whilst you're playing?
- This question goes with the assumption that the speaker does actually play, which wasn't a very good move on later reflection I realise, but when the problem did arise I just prompted the speaker to ignore the question and move on.
3. What do you think it is about commercially successful games e.g. Angry Birds, that you think makes them so popular?
- Sound familiar? You'd be right in thinking so. I've been coming back to this question continually whilst doing this work, so it's rather standard now. It's only natural that I'd want to hear what other people thought it was as well.
4. What's your perception of addiction, and what do you think the addictive quality is in app games?
- Those of you who'll read this post at the time of its publishing will know that I just put up a full research post covering this exact same topic a few days beforehand. This question here is the final piece of research into it, and into it directly.
5. What do you think the effect of smartphones & app games has had on the general population, on a social level?
- We all know that smartphones have made a definite impact on society. People predicted flying cars for the future but not touch screen technology and everything that comes with it. I wanted to see what others thought of the effect they'd had and whether there was any similarity between them.
6. Why do you personally think that people play app games?
- A nice well rounded and easy question to round off the topic. Similar to the last question on my survey.
I used these questions as the basis for both the one on one talks and the focus group, hence why they're in the same post.
The Focus Group -
It wasn't my original intention to do a focus group, but when I was taking back the questionnaires one of my teachers told me that a few Year 10 students had openly volunteered to do a focus group, so I decided to go ahead with it.
The group consisted of six 14 - 15 year old students - 4 boys, 2 girls. I decided to let them be the ones to decide the direction of the session and I would include my own voice within it, using the questions as a secondary means to bring out conversation if we having trouble. I didn't have any means to record the session so instead I resorted to my traditional style of taking notes - picking out relevant key points and turning them into short simple bullet points.
Below is the the set of points I made during the session in bold font, taken directly from the paper , with some extra notation by me alongside it in regular font:
Why they play
- Boredom
- Car Journeys
- Addiction - That key word yet again, although it wasn't specified what it was about the games that were addictive.
- Replacement for other media - Playing games on your phone when other media, commonly the TV, computer or games console is already in use.
Why they buy
- Peer pressure - That common reason among teenagers, doing it because others are. It's good to tap into that mentality if you're a game maker.
- Collecting games - This one was more interesting. One of the students actually collected app games, and said he had more than 600 games downloaded.
- To compete with others
- Games are free
- Seeing others play - I myself have been victim to this one, though it hasn't ever made me buy a game.
- High ratings - recommendation
What's more important? Story or gameplay? - Gameplay
Particular games brought up -
- Candy Crush Saga - Addictive and satisfying beating highscores
- Clash of Clans - Strategic and Popular - This one in particular I've been hearing a lot about. I've never played it myself but my brother plays it all the time and I've heard it mentioned by a few others. I'm also aware that it's popular on the app store.
- Fifa - Sport and Competing with others
- Temple Run
Impact on Society socially - This was the only time I referred to the questions during the session. It was a final thing I wanted to ask about before concluding the session.
Benefitted - I was surprised that benefitted got more reasons than hindered, and I hadn't thought of either one of them.
- Expanding ways to connect
- Something to share and talk about
Hindered -
- Prevents face to face communication
The 1 on 1 Discussions -
During the time between starting up the questionnaire and publishing this post I was able to ask the questions to 4 different people. Three were teachers and one was a relative. All of them, with the exception of one, I talked with face to face. Once again I couldn't record any of it so instead chose once again to get down key points while the speaker dictated.
Each person's answers is under their name. The numbers next to each one correspond to the six questions listed above. Once again these points are coming straight from my written notes and will be in bold text, whilst any notation I may put with it will be regular text.
Interview 1 - Mr. T. Martin - IT teacher
Technically speaking this wasn't an interview as he sent me his answers via email. I'd been taught by him in the past and, with his subject being IT, I imagined he had a decent knowledge and could provide some good opinions. His answers are below -
1. What is your knowledge/awareness of games played on smartphones/tablets?
I have a good knowledge. I read numerous App magazines, see recommendations, see the trends. So I have a good awareness.
- So already a good start. This is enough to tell me that he has a good deal of knowledge on the subject, probably more than myself.
2. Do you feel as if you have any connection with other people whilst you're playing?
Yeah on the multiplayer ones, songpop, moviepop, words with friends, chess with friends, etc you do, as you are competing against another person, with other games not so much, although my wife and I compete slightly
- So there are some apps games out there that encourage multiplayer gameplay. I've seen it a couple of times on apps that I've seen others play, although it is rare it seems.
3. What do you think it is about commercially successful games, e.g. Angry Birds, that you think makes them so popular?
Everyone is playing them, fun, unique, simple, quick, easy to pick up and put down games.
- Very much congruent with what we've been hearing from others.
4. What’s your perception of addiction and what do you think the addictive quality of app games is?
Games are addictive…. I’ve been caught by Haypi, and those style games and Tiny DeathStar… the way they get addictive is being so quick and easy, and also having timed events, that take a few minutes, most of these games get you playing for 10mins every 3 mins, then you get really caught up in it.
- I can easily concur with this, as I myself am victim to Candy Crush and can understand the reasoning behind it. There are more obscure examples in there than what I've heard before as well.
5. What do you think is the effect that smartphones & app games have had on the general population, on a social level?
Mixed. On one side, it further removes the socialising element, where people stop talking to each other. However there is a social gaming side as a number of apps allow you to compete or play against other people.
- These answers bear similarity to the ones brought up in the focus group. Very similar points about social interaction being through the device than face to face.
6. Why do you personally think that people play app games?
They are cheap, simple, easy to pick up and put down, they can be played on the phone/tablet, on the move (no need for big console or tv). They can be played on the move, while you are waiting for things, like downloads, printing, buses, travelling.
- Again very congruent with what we've been hearing thus far. There's a real emphasis on playing whilst on the move or passing time.
Interview 2 - Mr. M. Ratchford - English and Media Studies Teacher
Prior to having the discussion I had never spoken to him before. He was recommended to me by one of my teachers, as the person to talk to about games. This was both true and false as it turned out. Through talking with him I could tell he was a true old school gamer, and that's why I warmed up to him very quickly. Adversely through he had never properly played any app games. Nevertheless he still gave me some very good answers and related his answers back to console games as well.
1. What is your knowledge/awareness of games played on smartphones/tablets?
- You can play whilst waiting
- Dealing with boredom, passing the time
- Difference between app games and console games - from my own experience console games invest a good deal more money into their games and as such can't be expanded on very well. That's not the case with app games, which are less cost absorptive and have more flexibility for expansion.
- Not personally
- Certainly with online console games - This point I can understand. I don't play online very often but somehow it feels like the game experience is more real, since you're playing with/against other people, as opposed to NPCs.
3. What do you think it is about commercially successful games, e.g. Angry Birds, that you think makes them so popular?
Unanswered - Which I will forgive
4. What’s your perception of addiction and what do you think the addictive quality of app games is?
- Deteriorates social norms and conventions of socialising
- Generation shift? - As in, is it partially responsible for the above point? Possibly...
- Draws attention away from the real world, unless the real world is the game - Food for thought certainly. It's certainly true for some people. In my time I myself have drawn a lot of morals and virtues, that I live by in the real world, from things I've seen in games and also anime. How much in fact does it affect our behaviour in reality, or what we deem as reality...
5. What do you think is the effect that smartphones & app games have had on the general population, on a social level?
- They've become more acceptable
- More mainstream - Certainly in recent years. Touch screen technology has only been around for a few years after all, but in that time it has indeed become very much mainstream
- Stereotype of gamers has changed - no longer geeks in darkened rooms - This stereotype I think is before my time, and I'm not sure it has any relevance to app games, considering their intention for mobile devices. So yes I do think stereotypes have changed.
- Apps games might be competing with console games for attention and sales - They still have their own set niches, and their styles of generating money are very different. With a console game you go and buy it for a fair price, whereas many app games are free and when they're not they're amazingly cheap. In the end they are both types of game looking for revenue. Maybe they'll compete over that in the future but for now the field is still fairly level.
- Nintendo Wii, with the new simplistic control style and aim at the family, paved the way for the shift in gaming culture. - How much much this relates to app games is debatable. Certainly they're all very easy to play and can be played by virtually anyone, so maybe it had some impact.
6. Why do you personally think that people play app games?
- App games are essentially apps in their own right - Very true. That's very much saying that playing an app game is no different from using any other app, which is an interesting observation and one that I've not heard before.
Interview 3 - Mrs. V. Hanson - Mathematics Teacher
She's one of my current subject teachers, which made it easier for me to talk to her. I also knew from conversations in the past that she played candy crush, so I knew she was a player, but I wasn't sure if there was any background knowledge behind the playing or not. I wasn't sure what the answers would be but when I spoke to her immersion kept being brought up as the key point, and it reflects to a degree in her answers.
1. What is your knowledge/awareness of games played on smartphones/tablets?
- I'm a user - Blunt and honest. Fair enough.
2. Do you feel as if you have any connection with other people whilst you're playing?
- Not physically, yes virtually - sending lives and help to other people - Said very much with candy crush in mind.
- Immersed in the game - competing against others - That seems to be the common thing for interaction in app games. Also immersion.
- Not interested when I see other people playing
3. What do you think it is about commercially successful games, e.g. Angry Birds, that you think makes them so popular?
- Quick and easy to play
- The advertising - friend recommendation - Interesting. I've yet to figure out how I'll advertise my game, so this is helpful.
4. What’s your perception of addiction and what do you think the addictive quality of app games is?
- When it affects your life, when you prioritise - I remember covering this issue in my post on addiction and the disorder Video Game Addiction. I believe it was Mark Griffiths who described the elements of it.
- You can easily complete a level in a quick space of time - 'Just one more level' - There's a term we've heard before, and it's especially true with app games.
5. What do you think is the effect that smartphones & app games have had on the general population, on a social level?
- It's reduced social interaction
- The immersion - There it is again
- An easier option - Cause sometimes socialising can be difficult
6. Why do you personally think that people play app games?
- Short burst of entertainment - not enough by itself
- Challenge yourself
- Compete with others
- Ease of Access
Interview 4: My Uncle Ian Winter - Website Designer
It originally wasn't my intention to ask anyone other than my teachers. But because I hadn't done this post already when I went to visit my relatives for christmas I decided to show him the questions as well. Because of his career in web design he has connections with a good few people and he knows a good deal about what the Digital Media Business is actually like in reality, and if you want information he will give you the cold hard facts, be them good or bad, which is what everyone really needs.
1. What is your knowledge/awareness of games played on smartphones/tablets?
- I'm aware of their success
- Also how many are unsuccessful, both commercially or financially - thousands - Those are the cold hard facts. It is true, which is why it's so difficult to become successful in this industry.
- Aware of their nature
- Large market
- Strong competitors to established formats - consoles - Maybe they are starting to compete against console games.
2. Do you feel as if you have any connection with other people whilst you're playing?
- No connection - entirely solitary
- I don't play multiplayer or online app games
- Leaderboards pointless to engage with - The reason being that the top scoring player's are those who devote their entire lives to the games, who are often pointless to compete with. Sad but often true.
3. What do you think it is about commercially successful games, e.g. Angry Birds, that you think makes them so popular?
- For smartphone to be effective
- Simple to operate
- Quick to play and put down again
- Doesn't give the feeling that you need to keep playing - Which isn't good by itself but works excellently if it makes you want to come back to it.
- Free to begin with, then costs for in-game content
4. What’s your perception of addiction and what do you think the addictive quality of app games is?
- Personal challenge
- Challenging you to do better
- Large spread of scoring opportunities - This one in particular was emphasised.
5. What do you think is the effect that smartphones & app games have had on the general population, on a social level?
- Increased anti-socialising
- Not made a massive effect - So it's not an enormous worry, for now...
- Worry that younger generations won't develop social skills - There is that worry, and it's becoming more of a worry as app games grow more popular.
6. Why do you personally think that people play app games?
- They're fun
- Popular without being sophisticated - That's the key point that I believe all successful app games are and should be. It's the key point alongside addiction that makes games so successful.
- Cheap
- Easy access. Convenient
And with that, we come to the end of the research I've done into audiences. I feel there's a definite correlation forming now that I can use to work from. More work into institutions is still required, but that can be done from my office chair. This required being proactive and going out and actually talking and getting research from people first hand.
It shouldn't be too long now before I get started on the actual game. Look forward in the meantime to more Research being publish. Till then thanks for viewing and stay updated.
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