Posted in: Android, Mobile software

Achievement unlocked: Sony is experimenting with a game-like UI

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Sony is working on a strange experiment – EvolutionUI. A “gamified” UI for Android smartphones that enables new features as you unlocks achievements.

You read that right – getting to use more advanced features on a phone could become similar to leveling up in a game.

“This topic is getting more and more popular, and it’s no surprise – people learn how to play games much more easily than they learn to use applications,” says Sony and points to badges on sites such as Stack Overflow and Foursquare.

Here’s a video demo of a prototype gamified homescreen. After you open an app five times (any app), you’ll gain access to all apps. Putting five shortcuts on the homescreen gives you access to more than one homescreen pane (obviously, you need to unlock the first achievement before doing this).

There’s more to EvolutionUI than the video showed. Experience points (XP) will be tracked for any action the user makes, e.g. 1 XP for opening an app, 10 XP for making a call. After the user scores enough XP to unlock a feature, it will not be activated – users need to do that for themselves (if they want).

Users will also level up – getting to a new level gets you a coin, so you can enable yet more features. This system also lets you compete with other users. Overall it sounds like an interesting alternative to the usual tutorial that just pauses and show textual explanations.

Read more details about EvolutionUI here.

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