1. Imagining the Medium of the Mobile Game: Technical, Commercial, and Social Issues.
- Author
-
Xiong, Li
- Subjects
MOBILE games ,CELL phones ,MOBILE communication systems ,SOCIAL context ,TECHNOLOGY - Abstract
Using the mobile game as an example, this theoretical paper argues that a better understanding of the mobile phone as a social medium should be based on a balanced review on the technical, commercial and social arrangement of particular mobile communication services. It shows how the interplay between the technical configurations of mobile technology and users' perception of technical attributes in particular social environments influences the actual use pattern of mobile services. It then reviews how the commercial environment and market arrangement in the U.S. mobile game industry shape the content and user base of mobile games. It is argued that researchers should investigate how technical configurations and market-driven business models shape the usability and usefulness of mobile technology at both societal and user levels before they frame research questions on the possible effects of the use of the technology. And the study of such effects should be based also on the social features embedded in mobile services that fulfill different functions and form different relationships. Such a balanced understanding should facilitate the imagination of new scenarios in mobile gaming that could inform the design and implementation of next generation technical and commercial systems of mobile entertainment services. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2008