Heather Desurvire

Using heuristics to evaluate the playability of games

Heuristics have become an accepted and widely used adjunct method of usability evaluation in Internet and software development. This report introduces Heuristic Evaluation for Playability (HEP), a comprehensive set of heuristics for playability, based on the literature on productivity and playtesting heuristics that were specifically tailored to evaluate video, computer, and board games. These heuristics were tested on an evolving game design to assess their face validity and evaluation effectiveness compared to more standard user testing methodologies. The results suggest that HEP identified qualitative similarities and differences with user testing and that HEP is best suited for evaluating general issues in the early development phases with a prototype or mock-up. Combined with user studies, HEP offers a new method for the HCI game community that can result in a more usable and playable game.

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.

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.

Games and entertainment community SIG: reaching beyond CHI

Games and Entertainment have become important areas of research within the field of Human-Computer Interaction. The community has grown dramatically in the past years. During the previous CHI conference, there were a growing number of game-oriented submissions demonstrating the increased importance of the field. In 2014, the successful Student Games Competition and the Games User Research workshop (in its third iteration) continue to tie together students, researchers and practitioners. Games and Entertainment is one of the five research areas that have been selected as Spotlights in CHI 2014. Given the increase in quantity and variety of submissions, and the involvement and engagement of practitioners within the community, it is important for the community to have this SIG as a forum.

Are Game Design and User Research Guidelines Specific to Virtual Reality Effective in Creating a More Optimal Player Experience? Yes, VR PLAY.

Virtual reality (VR) presents new usability, human-computer interaction, and playability challenges for developers, user-experience researchers, and designers. In addition to facing the traditional challenges, developers and researchers of VR games and VR experiences must contend with issues of physicality (including physical activity and physical discomfort), spatiality, and new or intensified physiological, psychological, and social considerations. However, many existing resources intended to help designers and game-user researchers work through usability and playability issues do not address these VR-specific challenges. This paper introduces the Virtual Reality PLAY (VR PLAY) guidelines, a set of guidelines intended to help developers, designers, and user researchers create more usable and playable VR games and experiences by optimizing the user and player experience for virtual reality.

The HCI professional as consultant

User interface designem and usability specialists (HCI Specialists) most often play the role of consultant to sofhre development organizations and management even if they are fi.dl-time employees of an organization or company. Because we are most often in the role of consultant influencing the organizations but not in direct ownership of the deliverables, we face special challenges in having our recommendations hear~ our designs implement and our advice sought.