Author(s)

D. Blackburn

Abstract

There has been a considerable volume of work published describing the range of applications which can be developed using multimedia software development techniques. While debate is conducted on the hardware limitations, the various software authoring platforms, and the impact that this is likely to have on the end user, there is one aspect of multimedia development which has been largely neglected. The neglected aspect stems from the question: What makes a good piece of multimedia attractive to users? While two pieces of multimedia can be developed on identical hardware platforms, using identical development tools, authoring languages etc. one application may well prove to be significantly more popular with end users than the other. This paper explores the characteristics of popular multimedia applications, using examples found in video games to clarify

Keywords