Understanding Location-Based Information Sharing in a Mobile Human Computation Game

Human Computation Games (HCGs), harness the element of fun from games and information is generated as a byproduct of game play. A number of location-based mobile HCGs have emerged recently. Understanding actual usage and usability issues is crucial in identifying the challenges users face while using such applications. We introduce SPLASH (Seek, Play, Share), a mobile HCG that blends game play with location-based information sharing. This paper also highlights the actual usage and users´ perspective of SPLASH by 40 participants who took part in an evaluation of the application. Participants kept a six day diary and completed a post study questionnaire. Results suggested the participants were encouraged to contribute to information by the games in SPLASH. The implications of this study are discussed.