Friday 29 June 2012

Phone Apps, Why some are more popular than others?


JumbleTwo potential winners. In one corner, Logos Quiz Game. Completely addictive, very simple idea and now almost has cult status across the globe. Everyone who has a smartphone has heard of it, number 1 in app chart of to many countries to even name, and over 100 'cheat' websites, twitters and Facebook pages dedicated to it. A complete success.
Then, in  the other corner, there is Jumbled. Again completely addictive, and a very simple idea, but this time, almost unheard of (well compared to Logos Quiz standards, it still at this time has 400,000 downloads!), and only one measly cheat website dedicated to giving those 400,000 the answer.
So the question is why?
I blame it on stupidity. Logos Quiz in fact doesn't really require that much skill or even intelligence at all, just have a look around your house, go to a supermarket, watch TV, you'll pretty much find all the answers there. But its the feeling of getting an answer right and getting points for it or even a star, it makes you feel so clever, proud of yourself. Its addictive because you want that feeling over and over again. That same feeling goes for Jumbled too, but Jumbled is a harder game altogether, for this game you need a brain. After a few goes, those who were just great at Logos Quiz because they eat to much fast food and spent to much time watching TV have given up on trying to put the blocks in place, its just to much effort, to much of a brainache, and its making them feel stupid, no one likes that. They prefer to feel clever so return to the safety of their Logos Quiz Game, of their 100 answer/cheat sites that they can rely upon - they're still the one writing in the answer to their phone and getting a tick, even if it is the cheat website that has told them what to write. They still write it so they must be clever, they got a 'tick' didnt they!?
This 'stupid' theory can be equally backed up by taking two examples of cheat sites www.logoquizanswers.com and www.jumbledanswers.com. Both have comments boxes for people to leave their opinion, a question, to say what ever they want. The difference in people who play the games is obvious here. The logoquizanswers.com commments are spelt badly, sound vicious and negative, those asking for the answers have clearly not read the comment just one below them that answers their specific question. In contrast, the jumbledanswers.com comments are polite, grateful, you can just tell someone with at least a few brain cells to rub together has written them.
So theres my answer for now, why are some phone apps popular while others aren't, well look at the app, does it make the person feel clever even if their stupid, this will be popular. Make it to much effort to play the game, make people feel stupid, and it won't be successful

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