Mobile Technologies and Popular Mobile Games: A Historical Analysis, Study Guides, Projects, Research of Electronic Technology

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Mobile  Marketing  Association              IJMM  Winter  2013  Vol.  8,  No.  2  42   MOBILE MEDIA TECHNOLOGY AND POPULAR MOBILE GAMES IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY Hyung-­‐Min  Kim   Abstract:   With  the  advent  of  smartphones,  the  global  mobile  applications  market  has  increased  exponentially.    In  particular,   mobile  games  have  become  extremely  popular.  As  such,  this  study  explores  which  mobile  technologies  have  been   used   in  mobile   games,   and   their   relation   to   contemporary  mobile   gamers’   download   choices.   Apple’s   App   Store   chart  and  Google  Play  chart  were  utilized  to  analyze  the  common  technological  and  gaming  design  features  of  the   contemporary   mobile   games   that   are   most   popular   with   the   gamers,   and   also   to   examine   similarities   and   differences   between   the   most   popular   smartphone   and   tablet   computer   games.   The   results   show   that   popular   mobile  games  maximize  players’  touch-­‐based  enjoyment  (i.e.,  swiping,  sliding  or  drawing).  In  addition,  the  popular   mobile   games   have   at   least   two   of   the   following   features:   simple   rules,   social   interactions,   and   the   removal   of   enemies   and  missions   that   do   not   require   defeating   an   enemy   to   complete.  Mobile   games   that   require   careful   controls,   such  as   tilting   the  screen  or   fast  and  unpredictable  movements,   tended   to  be  more  downloaded  on   the   iPad  than  on  the  iPhone.  In  terms  of  ranking  fluctuations,  the  paid  iOS  game  charts  were  statistically  more  stable   than  the  free  iOS  game  charts.   Keywords:  mobile  game,  mobile  technology,  popular  mobile  game,  smartphone     INTRODUCTION     In   contemporary   society,   mobile   phones   have   become  much  more  than  simple  mechanisms  by  which   to  make  calls.  From  a  functional  aspect,  they  resemble   “the  Swiss  Army  knife  of  the  digital  era”;  not  only  can   phones  be  used  to  text  others,   they  can  also  be  used   to  take  pictures,  play  music  and  hold  your  credit  card   information  as  a  digital  wallet  (Choe,  2009).  From  the   moment  that  we  wake  up  until  we  fall  asleep  at  night,   our  mobile  phones  are  never  far  from  our  sides.       There   were   6.8   billion   global   mobile   phone   subscriptions   in   2013,   according   to   the   International   Telecommunication   Union   (2013).   No   other   technology  has  achieved  as   rapid  an  adoption  rate  as   the   mobile   phone   (Katz,   2007).     Even   older   generations   have   adapted   more   to   mobile   phones   than   the   Internet   (Plaza,  Martín,  Martin,  &  Medrano,   2011).       In   particular,   smartphones   have   become   one   of   the   must-­‐have   items   in   this   media   convergence   era.     According   to  Nielsen   (2013),  62%  of  all  mobile  phone   subscribers  in  the  United  States  used  a  smartphone  in   2013,   an   increase   of   40%   from   2011   ("Study:   smartphone,"  2011).  As  the  smartphone  market  grows,   so  has  the  mobile  applications  market.   It   is  estimated   that   the   global   mobile   applications   market   will   be   worth   $20.4   billion   by   the   end   of   2013   (Portio   Research,   2013).  Most  of   all,   however,  mobile   games   have  become  the  most  often  downloaded  of  all  mobile   applications   (Emerson,   2011).   eMarketer   (2010)   estimated   the   mobile   game   market   by   2014   will   be   worth   $1.5   billion   and   94.9   million   people   will   play   mobile   phone   games   at   least   monthly;   the   number   excludes  on-­‐deck  gamers  (i.e.,  those  who  just  play  pre-­‐ installed  games)  and  has   increased   from  64  million   in   2010.  Thus,  network  operators  and  the  game  industry   are  focusing  an  increasing  amount  of  attention  in  this   arena  (Chehimi,  Coulton,  &  Edwards,  2008).        When   it   comes   to   social   perspective,   mobile   games  are  more   involved   in  a  person’s  daily   life   than   in   the   past.   Accordingly,   scholars   also   have   begun   to   take   an   interest   in   smartphone-­‐centric   applications,   Mobile  Marketing  Association              IJMM  Winter  2013  Vol.  8,  No.  2  43   particularly  mobile  games.  As  this  field  of  study  is  still   young,  more  research  is  necessary  to  fully  understand   the  market   and   its   impact   on   society.   Therefore,   the   purpose   of   this   study   is   to   explore   which   mobile   technologies   have   been   used   in   mobile   games   and   their   relationship   to   contemporary   mobile   gamer’s   download   choices.   The   sample   for   this   study   focused   on  Apple’s  and  Google’s  popular  mobile  games,  which   were   taken   from   the   two   marketplaces’   charts   of   popular  game  applications.  The  research  analyzed  the   common   features   found   in   each  of   these   games.   The   results   should  help  enhance   future  game  applications   by   allowing   developers   to   tailor   their   games   to   users   more  successfully.       LITERATURE  REVIEW     Mobile   games   first   appeared   in   society   when   second   generation   (2G)   mobile   phones   were   introduced.    However,   the  number  and  quality  of   the   games   drastically   increased   with   the   advent   and   introduction   of   third   generation   (3G)  mobile   phones.     Therefore,   in   order   to   fully   understand   where   smartphones   and   their   technology   and   games   are   today,  one  must  understand  their  past.     A  Brief  History  of  Mobile  Phones     The   first   generation   (1G)   mobile   phone   was   launched   in   the   early   1980s   and   was   used   solely   for   making  phone  calls.  Moreover,  it  was  heavy  and  big,  a   so  called  “brick”  phone.       When  the  2G  mobile  phone  was  introduced  in  the   1990s,   it   utilized   a   much   more   advanced   data   transmission   system   that   converted   the   analog   1G   signal   to   a   digital   2G   signal,   which   dramatically   improved   the   voice   quality   while   decreasing   the   amount   of   data   needed   for   the   process.   In   addition,   for  the  first  time,  the  2G  mobile  phone  allowed  for  the   use   of   text   messaging.     After   the   2G   mobile   was   introduced,   the   global   mobile   phone   market   was   shared  by  two  types  of  communications  technologies:   global  systems  for  mobile  communications  (GSM)  and   code  division  multiple  access  (CDMA).         After   the   3G   mobile   was   introduced,   more   than     70%   of   the   countries   in   the   world   began   using   the   wideband   code   division   multiple   access   (WCDMA),   which  originated  with  the  GSM  standard  (ITU,  2011a).     3G  allowed  for  a  high-­‐speed  data  service  at  a  reduced   cost   (ITU,   2013).   The   new   technology   was   quickly   given  the  motto  “mobile  with  Internet”  (Hjorth,  2011;   ITU,  2011b).  The  tremendous  data  transmission  speed   and   wireless   Internet   access   available   with   this   development   allowed   mobile   phone   subscribers   to   watch  video  clips.       Following  the  success  of  3G  mobiles,  the  industry   released   the   4G  mobile,   which   had   a   higher  wireless   data   transmission   speed.   According   to   the   International   Telecommunication   Union   (ITU)   (2010),   4G  mobiles  have,  at   the  high  end,  a  recommendation   of   approximately   100   mbit/s   and,   at   the   low   end,   1   gbit/s.   As   these   speeds   are   only   recommendations,   long   term   evolution   (LTE)   and   worldwide   interoperability   for   microwave   access   (WiMAX)   are   currently   labeled   as   being   4G   in   the   mobile   market   (ITU,  2010;  Wisely,  2007).  According  to  Teleco  (2013),   there  are  64.8  million  4G  mobile  accesses  in  the  Unites   States   and   Canada;   126.1   million   mobile   accesses   in   the  world.   Today,   4G  mobile   phones   can  be  used   for   just  about  anything  related  to  media  and  technology.     Mobile  Games  in  the  Media  Convergence  Era     When  mobile  phone  games  first  appeared  on  the   2G   system   they   mainly   consisted   of   on-­‐deck,   casual,   flash-­‐based   games,   such   as   Tetris   (Hjorth,   2011).   As   the   data   transmission   speeds   of   mobile   phones   improved   in   the   3G   era,   mobile   service   providers   opened   their   paid-­‐application   markets.   However,   at   the  beginning,   the  application  markets   consisted  of   a   few   simple   categories   such   as   games,   news   and   photography  services.     The  advent  of  the  smartphone  was  a  milestone  in   the   mobile   phone   games   industry   and   the   entire   Mobile  Marketing  Association              IJMM  Winter  2013  Vol.  8,  No.  2  46   gamer’s  movement  with   an   integrated   camera   (Gu  &   Duh,   2011,   p.   103).   In   accordance   with   Merleau-­‐ Ponty’s  (1964)  argument,  actuality  is  “our  corporeal  or   body  schema…it  allows  us  to  incorporate  technologies   and   equipment   into   our   perceptual   and   corporeal   organization”  (Richardson,  2011,  p.  422).         Shark  Fingers!  is  a  good  example  of  an  augmented   reality   mobile   game.   In   this   game,   the   gamer’s   pre-­‐ pictured   photo   or   live   camera   is   used   for   an   underwater   background.   In   the   game,   sharks   bite   a   gamer’s   finger,   and   a   player   can   tilt   the   smartphone,   which   is   a   gamer’s   shark   tank.   Developed   mobile   technologies,   such   as   multi-­‐touch   interfaces,   accelerometers,  high-­‐resolution  cameras,  and  GPS  are   not  only  actualized  augmented  reality  through  mobile   game,   but   also   enable   gamers   to   experience   telepresence   while   playing   the   game   (Richardson,   2011).       RESEARCH  QUESTIONS     In   1989,   Nintendo   released   the   hand-­‐held   game   console  Game  Boy  and  its  addictive  puzzle  game  Tetris   (Anderson,  2012).  Compared  to  today’s  mobile  games,   Tetris’  graphics  were  extremely  simple  and   its  motion   monotonous;   however,   it   sold   more   than   70   million   copies  (Anderson,  2012).  It  can  be  assumed  that  Tetris’   gaming   feature   was   corresponding   to   the   hand-­‐held   game  console’s  technological  feature.  Along  the  same   line,   the   most   popular   mobile   games   tend   to   stay   consistent,  while  a  number  of  new  mobile  games  are   released   every   day   across   several   worldwide   application   platforms.   For   example,   the   most   often   downloaded   game   of   2011,   Angry   Birds   (Emerson,   2011),  was  at  the  top  of  the  Apple’s  App  Store  charts   as   of   April   2012.   Therefore,   it   can   be   assumed   that   mobile   gamers   prefer   a   certain   technological   feature   or  gaming  design  feature  when  looking  for  new  mobile   games  to  download.    This  information  leads  to  the  first   research  question.   RQ1:   What   are   the   common   technological   and   gaming   design   features   in   the  most   downloaded   mobile  games?  And  what  are   the  popular  mobile   games’  genres?     One   area   that   seems   to   impact   the   number   of   downloads  for  a  game  is  the  device  on  which  it  can  be   played   (i.e.,   the   top   game   for   a   smartphone   is   different   than   the   top   game   for   a   tablet   computer).     This   information   leads   to   the   second   research   question.     RQ2:   What   are   the   common   technological   and   gaming  design   features   of   popular  mobile   games   for  smartphones  and  tablet  computers?       Another  aspect  that  influences  the  popularity  of  a   game   is   its   cost   (i.e.,   the   popularity   of   the   top   free   game   is   not   the   same   as   the   top   paid   game).   This   influence   remains   true   regardless   of   the   device   on   which   the   game   is   played.   This   information   leads   to   the  third  research  question.     RQ3:   What   are   the   key   differences   between   popular  free  and  paid  games?     METHOD     According   to  Nielsen   (2013),   52%   of   smartphone   subscribers  in  the  United  States  used  Google’s  Android   operating   system   (Android   OS)   in   2013,   while   40%   used   Apple’s   iPhone/iPad   operating   system   (iOS).   Several  mobile  device  manufacturers  use  Android  OS,   whereas   iOS  can  only  be  used  on  Apple  devices,  such   as   the   iPhone   and   iPad.   In   accordance   with   their   operating   systems,   Google’s   Play   Store   is   exclusively   available  for  Android  OS  gamers  and  Apple’s  App  Store   is  exclusively  available  for  iOS  gamers.  For  the  validity   of   the   research,   this   study   utilized   the   data   gleaned   from  Google’s   Play   Store   and  Apple’s  App   Store.   This   data   was   utilized   in   order   to   discover   the   common   technological   and   gaming   design   features   of   the   mobile  games  that  are  the  most  popular  with  gamers   and   also   to   examine   the   similarities   and   differences     Mobile  Marketing  Association              IJMM  Winter  2013  Vol.  8,  No.  2  47   between   the   most   popular   smartphone   and   tablet   computer  games.     No   separate   data   charts   exist   for   mobile   phone   and  tablet  computer  games  in  terms  of  the  Play  Store,   while   the   App   Store   provides   separate   data   for   the   iPhone   and   iPad.   The   secondary   data   for   this   study   was   collected   from   appannie.com,   which   releases   a   daily  top  500  mobile  games  application  chart  based  on   the  App  Store  and  Play  Store  charts.  In  order  to  make   the  data  pool  manageable,  only  data  from  the  top  10   mobile  games  were  collected.  The  research  data  were   collected   only   from   U.S.   users   for   data   consistency.   Since   the   mobile   games   application   market   is   fast-­‐ changing,   the   investigation   period   was   limited   to   30   days   between   November   1   and   November   30,   2013.   Based  on  the  daily  chart,  the  most  downloaded  game   received   10   points   and   the   least   downloaded   game   received  one  point.  This  method  was  applied  to  all  of   the   research   data   as   it   allowed   the   researchers   to   discover   the   most   popular   games   and   their   genre   during  the  investigation  period.     RESULTS   Candy   Crush   Saga   was   the   most   downloaded   free   game   on   the   Google   Play   Store   chart   (10.0   average   points)   (Table   1).   During   the   investigation   period,   it   was   always   on   the   top  of   the   chart.  Pet  Rescue   Saga   was   the   second   most   popular   free   game   for   the   Android  OS  (8.33  points).  Subway  Surfers  (6.93  points)   and  Deer   Hunter   2014   (6.57   points)   followed   that   as   the   most   downloaded   free   Play   Store   game.   Four   Arcade  &   Action   games   and   four   Casual   games  were   on  the  top  10  chart.  The  other  two  games  were  in  the   Sports  and  Brain  &  Puzzle  genre.   Table  1:  Top  10  free  Google  Play  Store  games     Title   Genre   Ave.   Score   1   Candy  Crush  Saga   Casual   10.00   2   Pet  Rescue  Saga   Casual   8.33   3   Subway  Surfers   Arcade  &  Action   6.93   4   Deer  Hunter  2014   Arcade  &  Action   6.57   5   Fanatical  Football   Sports  games   3.90   6   Despicable  Me   Casual   3.30   7   My  Talking  Tom   Casual   2.83   8   Temple  Run  2   Arcade  &  Action   2.57   9   Plants  vs.  Zombies  2   Arcade  &  Action   2.40   10   Find  Objects   Brain  &  Puzzle   1.43   Note  1.  Standard  deviation  =  2.91  /  Variance  =  8.47  /  Median  =  3.60       As   displayed   in   Table   2,   Minecraft   was   consistently   the   top   paid   game   downloaded   for   the   Android   OS   (10   points).   Plants   vs.   Zombies   were   ranked  ninth  (2.40  points)  on  the  free  Play  Store  chart,   while  it  ranked  second  (8.80  points)  in  the  paid  Play     Store    chart.    The    other    nine    games    in    the    paid  Play   Store  chart  did  not  coincide    with    the    free  chart.  Eight   out  of  the  10  games  on  the  chart  were  in  the  Arcade  &   Action  genre.     Mobile  Marketing  Association              IJMM  Winter  2013  Vol.  8,  No.  2  48   Table  2:  Top  10  paid  Google  Play  Store  games     Title   Genre   Ave.   Score   1   Minecraft  -­‐  Pocket  Edition   Arcade  &  Action   10.00   2   Plants  vs.  Zombies   Arcade  &  Action   8.80   3   Need  for  Speed  Most  Wanted   Racing   7.10   4   Bloons  TD  5   Arcade  &  Action   6.60   5   Osmos  HD   Arcade  &  Action   4.77   6   Where's  My  Water?   Brain  &  Puzzle   4.43   7   Fruit  Ninja   Arcade  &  Action   4.07   8   SuperGNES  (SNES  Emulator)   Arcade  &  Action   1.97   9   The  Walking  Dead:  Assault   Arcade  &  Action   1.93   10   Grand  Theft  Auto  III   Arcade  &  Action   1.77   Note  1.  Standard  deviation  =  2.92  /  Variance  =  8.50  /  Median  =  4.60     During  the  investigation  period,  Deer  Hunter  2014   earned   .14   points   more   than   the   second   ranked   game’s  average   in   the  Top  Free   iPhone  Games   (Table   3).   The   third   (Candy   Crush   Saga)   and   fourth   (Clumsy   Ninja)   ranked   games   were   2.17   and   4.20   average   points  less  than  the  most  downloaded  game.  QuizUp,     Clumsy  Ninja,  Call  of  Duty  and  NinJump  Rooftops  have   not  been  released  for  the  Android  OS.  The  majority  of   the   iOS   games  were   categorized   into  more   than   one   genre.   On   the   free   iPhone   chart,   three   games   were   regarded  as  being  in  the  Action  and  Simulation  genre.   Table  3:  Top  10  free  iPhone  games     Title   Genre   Ave.   Score   1   Deer  Hunter  2014   Action,  Simulation   7.37     2   QuizUp:  The  Biggest  Trivia  Game  In  The  World!   Educational,  Trivia   7.23     3   Candy  Crush  Saga   Puzzle   5.20     4   Clumsy  Ninja   Family,  Adventure   3.17     5   Call  of  Duty   Action   3.07     6   NinJump  Rooftops   Action   3.00     7   My  Talking  Tom   Family,  Simulation   2.90     8   Skee  Ball  Arcade   Arcade,  Family   2.83     9   Star  Wars:  Tiny  Death  Star   Adventure,  Simulation   1.97     10   GT  Racing  2:  The  Real  Car  Experience   Racing,  Sports   1.67     Note.  Standard  deviation  =  2.05  /  Variance  =  4.19  /  Median  =  3.03       There  was  a  .07  average  point  difference  between   the   most   downloaded   game   (Minecraft:   8.10   points)   and   the   second   most   downloaded   game   (Duck   Dynasty:  8.03  points)  on  the  paid   iPhone  chart   (Table   4).  All  of  the  top  10  paid  iPhone  games  have  also  been   released  as  free  versions.  While  Angry  Birds  Star  Wars   II  is  an  expanded  version  of  Angry  Birds  Free,  they  are   virtually   identical   games.   The  most   popular   genre   on   the  paid   iPhone  chart  was  Action  and  Simulation;  this   genre  contained  four  games  that  landed  on  the  chart.           Mobile  Marketing  Association              IJMM  Winter  2013  Vol.  8,  No.  2  51   categorized   into   more   than   one   genre,   but   also   because   even   the   same   games   are   classified   into   different   categories   by   platforms.   Therefore,   popular   mobile   games’   common   features   were   analyzed   by   their  gaming  designs,  not  their  genres.     Based   on   the   research   results,   it   can   be   shown   that   screen   size   and  price   are   considerable   factors   in   regard   to   gamers’   motivations   to   download   a   game.   Mobile   gamers   often   prefer   a   certain   type   of   game   based   on   whether   it   is   for   the   smartphone   or   tablet   computer   (screen   size)   and  whether   it   is   free  or  paid   (price).  To  be  specific,  the  popular  paid  iPhone  games   (i.e.,  Backflip  Madness,  Plague,  Inc.  and  Rayman  Fiesta   Run)   were   also   released   for   the   iPad,   but   were   only   popular  for  the  iPhone.  On  the  other  hand,  Oceanhorn   and  Blocky   Roads   were   downloaded  more   by   iPhone   users.   Racing   and   Sports   games,   such   as  GT  Racing   2   and  Blocky  Roads,  were  ranked  higher  on  the  top  iPad   chart   than   on   the   iPhone   chart.   Educational   and   Family   games,   such   as   Kids   Face   Paint   and   Baby   Pet   Vet  Doctor,  were   also   popular,   but   only   for   the   iPad.   Thus,   games   that   require   high   quality   graphics   or   careful  controls,   such  as   tilting   the  screen  or   fast  and   unpredictable  movements,   tended   to  be  downloaded   more   for   the   iPad   than   the   iPhone.   This   might   be   because  the  tablet  computer’s  bigger  screen  allowed  a   better   enjoyment   for   playing.   Nevertheless,   the   boundary   between   phones   and   tablets   has   been   blurred  because  brand  new  mobile  devices  have  been   introduced  with  a  variety  of  screen  sizes.     The   Angry   Birds   paid   version   was   more   popular   than  the  free  version.  Gamers  are  generally  willing  to   pay  for  expanded  versions.  On  the  other  hand,  Call  of   Duty,   Kids   Face   Paint   and   Baby   Pet   Vet   Doctor   were   only   popular   on   the   free   charts.   Gamers   might   download  paid  versions  after   they  play  and  enjoy  the   free  versions.       The   ability   of   the   gamers   to   interact   socially   through   the   game   also   influenced   their   desire   to   download   the   game.   For   example,   Heads   Up!   was   ranked  high  on  both  the  paid   iPhone  and   iPad  charts,   while  QuizUp   was   ranked   on   the   top   10   free   iPhone   chart.   These   games   are   not   games   that   players   can   play   alone   as   two   players   must   be   linked   online   or   offline  to  play.     How   the   game   is   controlled   might   also   be   a   considerable   factor   for   popular   mobile   games.   The   charts   analysis   demonstrated   that   the   most   popular   mobile   games   maximized   the   player’s   touch-­‐based   enjoyment   with   swiping,   dragging   or   sliding.   In   addition,   these   games   contained   at   least   two   of   following   features:   simple   rules,   social   interactions  or   no  enemies  against  which  to  fight  when  accomplishing   a  mission.       For   paid   games,   this   factor   was   even   more   relevant.   The   most   downloaded   paid   games   for   iOS   (i.e.,  Angry  Birds  Star  Wars  II,  Duck  Dynasty,  Heads  Up!   and   Cops   N   Robbers   (Jail   Break))   have   simple   rules.   The  mission  of  the  most  notable  game,  Angry  Birds,  is   to  simply  fling  birds  from  a  slingshot  using  a  one  finger   flicking  motion.   The   goal   of   the   game   is   to   get   rid   of   the  pigs,  but  they  do  not  fight.  Just  swiping  or  flicking   one’s  finger  is  all  that  is  needed  to  play  Duck  Dynasty.   Heads  Up!  is  a  simple  social  game.  One  player  places  a   mobile  device  on  his/her  head  and  guesses   the  word   on  the  screen  from  the  other  person’s  clues.   In  terms   of   the   Cops   N   Robbers   (Jail   Break),   multiplayers   are   connected  online  and  help  each  other  break  out  of  jail.     Another  feature  that  some  of  the  top  paid  games   had  in  common  was  that  they  were  originally  released   on   other   gaming   platforms   before   being   released   in   the   Play   Store.   For   example,   Need   for   Speed   was   initially   released   for   a   video   game   console,   while   Minecraft   and   Plants   vs.   Zombies   were   originally   computer   games.   As   such,   brand   awareness   might   have  positively  influenced  the  download  motivation  of   “Hard-­‐offs,”  who  download  the  mobile  version  of  a  hit   console  title  (Chehimi  et  al.,  2008).     When   it   comes   to   ranking   fluctuations,   the   paid   game   charts   were   more   stable   than   the   free   game Mobile  Marketing  Association              IJMM  Winter  2013  Vol.  8,  No.  2  52   charts.   The   standard   deviation   for   the   top   10   paid   iPhone  game  chart  was  2.69  and  the  variance  was  7.26.   The  standard  deviation  for  the  top  10  paid  iPad  game   chart  was  2.88  and  the  variance  was  8.27.  In  addition,   the   standard   deviation   for   the   top   10   free   iPhone   game   chart  was   2.05   and   the   variance  was   4.19.   The   standard  deviation  for  the  top  10  free  iPad  game  chart   was   1.28   and   the   variance  was   1.64.   These   numbers   imply   that   a   couple   of   paid   games   were   steadily   downloaded   by   gamers,   while   the   free   game   charts   were   subject   to   fluctuations.   In   the   case   of   the   free   games,   a   gamer’s   decision   to   download   a   game   was   not  weighted  toward  one  certain  game.     However,   no   significant   differences   existed   between  the   free  and  paid  charts   for  Android  games.   The  standard  deviation   for   the   top  10   free  Play  Store   game   chart  was   2.91   and   the   variance  was   8.47.   The   standard  deviation  for  the  top  10  paid  Play  Store  game   chart  was  2.92  and  the  variance  was  8.50.     CONCLUSION     Today,   game   developers   attempt   to   blur   the   boundaries   between   virtual   and   reality   by   using   developed  technologies   in  order  to  give  gamers  more   of   a   presence   within   a   game.   Various   applied   technologies  in  mobile  media  have  allowed  numerous   types   of   mobile   games   from   social   to   hybrid   and   augmented  reality  games.  On  the  other  hand,  when  it   comes   to   telepresence,   which   is   usually   created   via   high-­‐quality   3D   and   sound   reality   technology,  mobile   games  are  falling  behind  console  and  computer  games.   Thus,  in  order  to  overcome  these  limitations,  until  the   technology  has  been  perfected,  game  designers  must   rely   on   making   the   most   out   of   the   technology   of   today   and   make   the   games   as   addicting   as   possible.   Since   mobile   media   are   deeply   involved   in   the   contemporary   users’   lives,   mobility   is   the   strongest   asset   of   mobile   games.   In   order   to   make   the   games   addicting  they  must  rely  on  features  that  appeal  to  the   gamers.       Indeed,  the  most  downloaded  mobile  games  have   the  common  technological  and  gaming  design  features   (RQ1),   such   as   touch-­‐based   enjoyment,   the   ability   to   play   the   game   wirelessly,   social   interactions,   simple   rules,   and   the   removal   of   enemies   and  missions   that   do   not   require   defeating   an   enemy   to   complete.   Furthermore,   renowned   games   for   video   consoles   or   computers  are  popular  for  mobile  platforms.     Mobile   game  developers   should   consider   gaming   platforms   (RQ2)   and   price   (RQ3).   Games   that   need   high-­‐resolution   and   dynamic   controls   to   play   tend   to   be   more   popular   for   tablets,   as   it   discussed   above.   Even   though   it   is   not   free,   games   that   have   the   popular   games’   features   are   likely   to   be   downloaded   more.       In   contemporary   society,   mobile   games   are   no   longer   a   toy   for   young   people.   While   the   younger   generation   of   gamers   would   be   interested   in   more   involved,   complex   games,   older   generations   may   prefer   casual   games   that   allow   them   to   pass   time,   such   as   Tetris   and   Bejeweled,   as   they   can   have   a   positive   influence   on   their   mental   and   social   health   (Plaza  et  al.,  2011).  As   the  age  of  gamers  varies   from   the  very  young   to   the  very  old,   game  designers  must   take   the   aforementioned   main   features   of   contemporary   popular   mobile   games   into   consideration.     LIMITATIONS  AND  FUTURE  STUDY     The   investigation   period   for   this   study   was   relatively  short  and,  as  new  games  are  released  daily,   a   longer   investigation   period   may   be   useful   in   determining   more   conclusively   the   features   that   appeal  to  gamers.   In  addition,  this  study  only  focused   on  the  top  10  games  downloaded  in  the  United  States.   In   order   to   create   a   more   robust   data   pool,   future   studies   should   also   include   other   nation’s   charts   as   cultural   differences   might   emerge   when   comparing   the  top  charts  of  different  nations.   Mobile  Marketing  Association              IJMM  Winter  2013  Vol.  8,  No. 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