There is no way that one can ignore the popularity of the game Angry Birds. Even people who would never touch a gaming console under normal circumstances have been caught in the Angry Birds hype. The popularity of the game has reached such heights that we’ve seen the likes of Angry Zombie Birds and Angry Birds birthday cakes.
Have you ever wondered what makes this simple game so successful? Me, I just go ahead and play – or at least try to; oftentimes those green pigs just make me angrier than the birds! Charles L. Mauro went one step further than wondering. He decided to do a cognitive analysis of the game, in an effort to figure out the secret to its success.
In an extensive report, he shares his findings. He starts with some questions.
Why is it that over 50 million individuals have downloaded this simple game? More compelling is the fact that not only do huge numbers download this game, they play it with such focus that the total number of hours consumed by Angry Birds players world-wide is roughly 200 million minutes a DAY, which translates into 1.2 billion hours a year.
If you are one of these 50 million individuals – and I am pretty sure you are – you probably have answers popping up in your mind right now. Here are the answers – albeit in a very simplified version.
- Simple yet engaging interaction concept
- Cleverly managed response time – Mauro points out that the relatively slow movement of the birds, the slow death (sometimes) of the pigs, and the slow (sometimes) collapse of the structures gives the user time to think and reflect on his strategy and what adjustments he has to make.
- Short-term memory management – the game supposedly helps us manage our short-term memory better. How so? One example is the ability to scroll the screen to show the structure that you need to break down. Even better, you can re-size your view so that you can see everything on the screen.
- Mystery – the mystery in the game includes the random items included in the various levels. Some have bananas, some have watermelons, etc. These little details have no logical explanation, and they add to the attractiveness of the game.
- How things sound – no need to go further: just think about the sounds the birds and the pigs make. Now tell me these sounds don’t stick with you even when you are not playing the game?
- How things look – again, the graphics are totally cute; who does not recognize those birds and pigs? And who does not feel an affinity for them?
His conclusion?
“…in the context of Angry Birds, success is bound up in slowing down that which could be fast, erasing that which is easily renewable, and making visual that which is mysterious and memorable.”
Read the entire analysis at Mauro New Media. It’s rather interesting, but I’m content with the fact that I love playing the game. I’m going back to conquering the St. Patrick’s Day version.
Image via The Next Web
