Designing for Fun: User-Testing Case Studies

Inclusive game design

“…A game is different from utilitarian software [23] in that it is not a tool as a means to an end but is more focused on the experience of using it. Traditional HCI as well as the interface design of games share the common goal of removing obstacles in the interaction between user and software, but game design is also often the art of making the mastering of the interface the key to win the game.…”

User-Centered Design in Games

“…The most effective way to avoid these problems is to identify key user tasks and usability test them. Pagulayan et al (2003) discuss a case study where they found issues with difficulty settings in the game shell. In early usability testing, participants were having problems with setting the difficulty level of opponents in Combat Flight Simulator (Microsoft Corporation 1998).…”

“…In games, goals are defined in accordance with the game designer's vision, which is a novel position because historically, success in productivity application testing has been defined by the accomplishment of user tasks and goals (Pagulayan, Gunn, and Romero 2006). When approaching a game for UCD or testing, it is best to assume the role of facilitating the designer's vision for the game (Pagulayan and Steury 2004;Pagulayan et al 2003) because many times, it is only the designer who can recognize when the player experience is not being experienced as intended. In traditional usability testing, it is often very recognizable when there is user error, but not so in games.…”

“…Usability testing is required to establish whether users can detect and correctly identify these feedback systems. See Pagulayan et al (2003) for detailed example of usability testing the HUD in MechWarrior 4: Vengeance (Microsoft Corporation 2000).…”

Beyond usability in games

“…These include, but are not limited to, fun, challenge, pace, learning curve, engagement, and so on [2,3]. One of the biggest challenges for video games is taking these global concepts and deconstructing them into a real gameplay experience.…”