Quality of service and quality of experience correlations in a location-based mobile multiplayer role-playing game

Abstract

The well-established Quality of Service and the relatively recently emerged Quality of Experience research topics are unquestionably linked, yet to date little effort has been invested in the study of their precise correlation and mutual reciprocity. This paper examines the impact of three representative QoS-related parameters on user QoE in the particular context of location-based multiplayer games played on mobile devices. The choice for this research context is motivated by the rapidly expanding popularity of this application domain. Analysis of the quantitative and qualitative results from an empirical study involving 32 participants confirms that modifications in the performance of the investigated technical parameters does indeed hold implications for the quality of the users' experiences; at the same time, the results clarify the magnitude of these implications. Our findings are valuable as they provide practical insight in the QoS/QoE relationship and can hence aid software developers in delivering high-quality usage experiences to their customers. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.