Pogo |

(Criteria of evaluation: human-computer interaction, user interface design, usability, information design, audience targeting and suitability)(multiplayer/communication aspects)

Pogo games, is hugely popular site, but new to me.

The home page is easy to navigate and well categorized, with accetions such as ‘world games’; nothing that a click wouldn’t clarify. A light amount of advertising is a welcome change for a casual games site, this is apparently attributed to the face book style system of tokens used within games, as well as cash games as a means of income for the site. Additionally there is an option to purchase a premium account giving you access to ‘exclusive’ games some kind of star based money… Games can be played as a guest or with a login. There is the standard attempt to rope you in to playing a few specific games labels as ‘hot’ or ‘popular’, big picture flashing lights and in your face challenges such as ‘could you do better!?’, add to the entiesemnt of the few chosen advertised games.

The games hosted on the site are only listed by picture, however with the majoirity of the games on the site being so instantly recognisable this does not pose a problem. Games such as battleships and monopoly are among those on the site. Board games being feature heavily on the site. However poco does recognise that people can read so gives a little line of text to inform for some of the more obsucre games, helping useres to make a more informed choice and removing the need to play a game to see what it is.

Due to the fact that most of the games on the site are board games or with some cash orientation, the target audience is undoubtably adults. Few abstract or platformer (if any) are found within the site. Puzzle, problem solving and cash(gambeling) games are all that is included. The account system allows you to create an avatar called a ‘mini’. Creating an avatar would be more appropreate on a site aimed at children, however with xbox360 and Wii taking the avatar system on it is becoming a more acceptable concept, even for adults. With the face book style credit system in place it is likely that the site will draw useres back and nothing will stop the lure of the cash prize.