Game software lifecycle for mobile devices: iOS case study.

Abstract

Mobile applications have become part of everyday life for hundreds of millions of people, who use their portable devices for dozens of tasks, including playing games. This thesis studies the smartphone and tablet market, and presents a variety of statistical data about most major mobile platforms. Further details are given on game applications, including the currently popular free-to-play model. An approach to what makes games different from other types of software is also presented, along with a typical lifecycle for a game application. The thesis provides a detailed case study of A Clockwork Brain, a free-to-play mobile game for iOS, describing many aspects of the development process, the product lifecycle, numerous design and development problems that occurred, as well as key decisions made during the production.