Charlotte Wiberg

Game Usability Heuristics (PLAY) for Evaluating and Designing Better Games: The Next Iteration

Game developers have begun applying formal human-computer interaction (HCI) principles in design. Desurvire et al [2] adapted a set of Heuristics for productivity software to games. The resulting set, presented at CHI 2004, was Heuristics to Evaluate Playability (HEP). Generalization of these heuristics is required to make them applicable to a multiple of game genres and game deliveries. This follow-up study focused on the refined list, Heuristics of Playability (PLAY), that can be applied earlier in game development as well as aiding developers between formal usability/playability research during the development cycle. Heuristics were formed based on their efficacious scores on the popular game review website, metacritic.com. Fifty-four gamers rated High and Low ranked games on 116 potential heuristics. Implications for how these Heuristics will help developers improve game quality are discussed. PLAY has been found useful in design evaluation and elf-report survey format.

Participatory design of learning media: Designing educational computer games with and for teenagers

This paper reports on how prospective users may be involved in the design of entertaining educational computer games. The paper illustrates an approach, which combines traditional Participatory Design methods in an applicable way for this type of design. Results illuminate the users’ important contribution during game development, especially when intended for a specific target group. Unless prospective members of the target group are consulted it is difficult to foresee opinions of game content, aesthetics and the overall game experience of the users – aspects very much included or at least related to the theoretical concept of intrinsic motivation. Whereas pedagogical experts can contribute with learning content, the users are the ones who can state what is actually fun or not. Users’ participation during the design process enables development of games that are directed to the learners and their expectations. The researchers collaborated with a multimedia design team in development of an educational web-based computer game, developed for the Swedish Broadcasting Corporation.

Master of the game: assessing approachability in future game design

Game Approachability Principles (GAP) is proposed as a set of useful guidelines for game designers to create better tutorials, or first learning levels-especially for the casual gamer. Developing better first learning levels can be a key step to ease the casual gamer into play and to do so proactively-before it is too costly or cumbersome to restructure the tutorials to be more effective. Thus, Game Approachability in the context of game development is defined as making games initially more friendly and accessible for players who have the desire to play, yet do not always follow-through to actually play. GAP has evolved through a series of stages assessing applicability as a stand alone, heuristic based approach versus one-on-one usability testing. Outcomes suggest potential for GAP as (1) effective Heuristic Evaluation, (2) adjunct to Usability Testing, and (3) as proactive filters in beginning conceptual and first learning level tutorial design to increase Game Approachability--for all levels of gamers.

User Experience Design for Inexperienced Gamers: GAP – Game Approachability Principles

Game Approachability Principles (GAP) is a set of useful guidelines for game designers to create better tutorials, and new player experiences—especially for the casual gamer. Developing better first learning levels can be a key step to ease the casual gamer into play and to do so proactively—at the conceptual design phase before it is too costly or cumbersome to restructure the tutorials as would be the case later in the development cycle. Thus, Game Approachability, in the context of game development, is defined as making games initially more friendly, fun, immersive, and accessible for those players who have the desire to play, yet do not always follow-through to actually playing the game. GAP has evolved through a series of stages assessing accessibility (NB Approachability and Accessibility are used interchangeably throughout this chapter) as a stand-alone, heuristic-based approach versus one-on-one User Testing. Outcomes suggest potential for GAP as an (1) effective Heuristic Evaluation, (2) adjunct to User Testing, and (3) as a proactive checklist of principles in to conceptually design the new player experience and/or tutorial to increase Game Approachability—for all levels of gamers.

How Applicable is Your Evaluation Methods Really? Analysis and Re-design of Evaluation Methods for Fun and Entertainment

This paper presents an approach to analyze and re-design evaluation methods. The domain explored in this paper is evaluation methods for evaluating fun and entertainment. However, the approach presented may be applied in other domains as well. The approach is conceptually described and two examples of processes where the approach were used in practice are further discussed. As the map of IT applications and digital media is continuously re-designed, there is a constant need of re-designing evaluation methods.

Sports IT and Digital Wellness

In the recent twenty years, people have developed a close relationship with digital technology in conducting sports and training. Initially, approximately 1995–2005, the first wave of Sport IT included technology as GPS watches and pulse measurement equipment connected to rudimentary digital services, designed by the brand delivering the watch and only available for the single user’s needs. In the second wave, between years 2006–2010, APIs and platforms started to emerge, facilitating the data to flow between artefacts, services, brands and facilities. Aesthetics in information visualization and other User experience (UX) aspects become popular and the audience becomes broader. The third wave, in the interval of 2011 and forward, could be described as the maturing wave. People now become fanatic about showing results to others – in sport platforms and on general social media. Further, what symbolizes this wave is that the focus in use becomes more on hi-fi information rather than low-fi data. In the third wave, the usage is widely spread and covers a wide range of requirements from a wide range of users.

Game-inspired architecture and architecture-inspired games

Interaction design is increasingly about embedding interactive technologies in our built environment; architecture is increasingly about the use of interactive technologies to reimagine and dynamically repurpose our built environment. This forum focuses on this intersection of interaction and architecture. --- Mikael Wiberg, Editor