No abstract

There is growing interest in technologies that support user experiences emphasizing aesthetic satisfaction and enjoyment rather than task accomplishment. Evaluating such experiences remains an open research problem. Here we describe a methodology for evaluating the interactive drama Façade, and present the first experimental results. Interactive dramas are "pure" hedonic experiences, forcing a focus on experience quality rather than efficiency and ease of use. Through the coding of retroactive protocols, we reveal play patterns whereby interaction failures are leveraged into new player goals, thus supporting players in maintaining positive interest in the experience even in the face of interaction failures.