Muse.On-The.Net

GetJar announced this claim based upon results from an on-line survey of their customers in the UK.  Furthermore, they claim only 15% of users found that their downloaded games always worked.  This damning report is a serious blow to the mobile games industry and points out the dark secret that porting games to 1000s of hand-sets has left gapping holes in testing and verifications processes.

Consider the differences with traditional video game development.  There are three dominant consoles to support.  Typically the game is developed for one console then ported to the other two.  The majority of testing and verification happens on the primary platform, but separate dedicated teams test and verify on the other two platforms as well.  Testing on multiple platforms only happens after the game is largely complete, yet bug reports require multiple verification passes on each platform’s code base.  The process is time and manpower intensive, yet is limited in scope and manageable.

However, on mobile, the porting is to 100’s or 1000’s of devices.  Many devices can be mapped to singular builds, but this is dangerous as subtle differences can create unexpected consequences.  Regardless of the anticipated results, for proper code validation, each unique device must be tested directly - each time new code is released.  Even worse, certain phone firmware is upgraded over time and may impact game code as well.  Therefore, there may be multiple code bases to support per phone as well.  The scope of testing requirements quickly exceeds the capability to properly service it.

There is not sufficient revenue in mobile to properly maintain and use test teams to completely verify each code base against each mobile phone.  This is mobile application development’s dark secret and Java’s great failing.  Java was supposed to be “write once, run everywhere” but this is not the case today.  Blame Java for being incomplete.  Blame manufacturers for poor implementations of standards and incompatible code.  Blame carriers for encouraging differentiation over standardization.  Blame developers for being implicit in the sham.   Blame all the above for complaining about low consumer adoption without fixing the root causes.

Rather than fix these root causes, the industry works within the imposed limitations.  Games that are not adequately tested are offered to consumers who buy them and can’t enjoy them.  In most cases, the money is extracted and divided between carriers, distributors, publishers, and developers while the disgruntled consumer is left with nothing but regrets - so where is the incentive to fix the problems?

What is a consumer to do?  Not purchase or play games is one option, but not engaging produces no winners and helps kill the industry off.  Instead, look for value and demand it.  Kalador Entertainment offers mobile games using their PlayFirst technology that enables you to freely download a trial version of any of their mobile phone games.  If you like the game, you can purchase it (from within the game itself or via the web) and convert the game automatically into the full version, without a second download.  This model allows consumers to verify that the game meets their expectations before they buy it.  The more people use this model, the more they reward only those developers who produce interesting, exciting, entertaining and working games.  Over time, this weeds out the shoddy games and developers and encourages production of ever better games and products.

MobileRated offers a similar service using the FreePlay ad service.  You get games for free, with embedded advertising.  However, you can purchase the games outright and eliminate the ads if you wish.  Again, revenue returns to developers (via ads or purchases) only when the games are worthy of it.

Only when consumers are adequately empowered will game standards increase.