Abstract

Physical activities like walking have proven health benefits. People are adopting fitness trackers to track physical activity, but they often stop using them after a relatively short time. Many apps and games exist in the app markets that use gamification to tackle this problem of motivation. In this thesis, we examined these existing gamified fitness tracker apps from app markets and looked at the usage of different game elements within these apps. We conducted a systematic review of existing fitness Tracker Apps from Google Play Store and Apple App Store and used a mixed-method approach to identify apps, categorize them by different game elements used and found gaps in the design space using basic statistics, group clustering algorithms, and network analysis using NodeXL. We also developed a mobile game that combines step tracker data, a compelling narrative, and a strategic resource management mechanic with social cooperative-collaborative gameplay to encourage users to keep using fitness trackers and exercise more. It utilizes game elements and mechanics that haven't been explored by previous research or games as validated by our results from the systematic review of gamified fitness tracker apps.

Degree

College and Department

Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology; Technology

Rights

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