Game Player Interaction

Play Diary: Mirror's Edge

2009-08-24T11:14:00.005+01:00

I tried it out on the PS3 and enjoyed the experience of linking together moves to run over the cityscape, but was disappointed that the PS3 version didn't let me save multiple games - I'm told that you can do this if you 'log in' as a different user in the PS3 menu. I don't have a PS3 myself so didn't know this was possible, but it strikes me as a pretty bad idea. Is this how most games work on that console? How do you know which user you're logged in as? What's wrong with the traditional method of giving you several different slots to save in?

Anyway, it was cheap on Amazon so I decided to buy it for the PC as I'd heard this was the best version available.

First problem: Saving. On the PC I expected this to be easy (choose a filename, click save) but it looks like they've tried to replicate the console style. First of all you have no option to save multiple games, which is clearly a bad idea! Secondly the location of the save games is hidden (so how do I know what to back up...?) While most games default to saving in their installation directory, ME puts it into My Documents. Unfortunately there's a strict limit on how much data I can put here on my PC at uni as it's on a shared drive. As such I often log in to the computer rather than the domain, in which case My Documents is actually in a different location. The upshot is that the second time I played the game it didn't find my save file. Hugely annoying. As usual the internet had the answer as it seems other people were experiencing the same problem.

Discussed on IGN as Save file location.

An improvement over the console experience is combat and navigation. With a mouse you're able to move and react in a speed appropriate to the game. Looking around the environment with analogue sticks is slow, and trying to aim at enemies is inaccurate.

Personally I really like the use of colour and pixel effects. The enemy textures aren't terribly good though.

Overall impression so far is ok. I think they could have done so much better with a more free-roaming environment, or at least made the game less binary - currently I get the feeling that there's one correct route to take, and if you don't get it precisely right you die swiftly and without negotiation. To me this is pretty dull and breaks up the key aspect of the game: flow. Even something as simple as Prince of Persia's time rewind would be an improvement. Ideally though I'd like to feel like I had much more choice about how to navigate around with much more margin for interpretation and improvisation.

A typical scenario would be: Enjoy running and jumping to location X, take one false turn and die. Wait for reload, repeat the now boring navigation to get to the same point as before, try another option and probably die again. 3rd time lucky. Overall experience: tedious frustration.

An ideal scenario would be: Enjoy running and jumping to location X, take a false turn and have to run / jump / bounce / climb away, try a different option then run / jump / bounce / climb away again. 3rd time lucky. Overall experience: embodied flow.

I've started to watch the cutscenes now. I don't know whether this is because I'm interested in the story or am becoming disillusioned with the game...

Yahtzee's review.

Elevators are basically dull loading screens. Surely they can come up with something better than this? Especially on PC.

Got stuck in chapter 7 (the Boat). Had to read walkthrough.
Chapter 8 climbing the tall scaffolding is so annoying! How many times must I die!?

Play Diary: Dead Space

2009-08-24T10:47:00.003+01:00

Started playing on Sunday 24th August.

Initial problems: huge mouse lag in menus and game. Searching the internet suggested that turning off vertical sync would fix this. This is a serious usability problem. After fixing that I had to increase the mouse sensitivity to its maximum in order to get the kind of performance I'm used to (I enjoy FPS games like TF2 and L4D.) Maybe this is due to the game leading on 360 and only being ported the PC. As such they may have balanced the enemies with the assumption that the player couldn't react very quickly as they had to control the avatar using a control pad.

Second problem was the perspective. Why does it use a 3rd person view? Enclosed interior environments are better suited to 1st person. Currently the character takes up a considerable amount of the limited view with no real benefit that I can think of. This not only causes problems for the player but also for the machine (extra texture & vertex processing.) My early impression is that this is an FPS, and my feeling is that a first person view would improve the experience. I believe the 3rd person view is more popular with Asian markets, but the realistic visual style and uninspiring grey/brown colour palette doesn't strike me as being very appealing in the East.

There are more control issues though. For example why am I obliged to continually manually press "B" in order to bring up a HUD showing me where my next objective is? It's pretty tedious. I feel like I'm being punished. In free roaming, open areas it wouldn't be so bad as you could see a long way into the distance, so wouldn't need to press it so often. But in small, enclosed interior environments it seems silly as there are such short distances between doors / bends in corridors, etc that the indicator is only useful for extremely short navigation, and hence has to be frequently repeated.

So far the narrative has been pretty predictable too.

I was a bit annoyed with the "Press E to get rid of the monster" QTE. I pressed E but nothing happened and I died. Turns out you have to *mash* E. Why?

Overall I'd say it is worth the £5 I paid for it, but that's all.

Yahtzee's thoughts.

Play Diary: Wii Sports Resort

2009-07-23T16:23:00.005+01:00

Instructional Video: Nice, though play control (pause, rewind, etc) would be useful - it goes so fast through the steps that I expect many people will panic! Good that you can replay it in sections, but d-pad forward / rewind control through them would be appreciated.

Place Wii remote on a steady surface - I was holding mine in my hand, and it just automatically skipped through as if I'd pressed A.

Swordplay duel
Round 1: spam downward thrust, won
2: defended, draw
3: spammed attack, won

Wakeboarding
Free: 516 points? level 52

Frisee Dog
level 123 (430 points: blue, blue, orange, blue, purple, orange, x, x, orange+bouncing orange splodge, purple)

Bow
Stage 1: 27 points
2: 25
3: 24
F: 3 (2 misses, one was a miss-draw, i.e., I wasn't holding the Wiimote vertical, so it screwed up the orientation of my camera, and I ended up pointing into the sky - wanted to undraw but released Z, shooting instead.)
Total: 70 points (level 61)

Basketball
3 point contest
Thought the diagram of how to hold the remote showed buttons on the wrong side...?
Scored 1 pt (level 4)

Table tennis
6-2 (level 100)

Power cruising - slalom - beach
151.9 pts (level 98)
Didn't get boost - does it reallly only last for half a second? And what's with the power-up bar?

Canooing - speed challenge
Feels great! played in the lake for ages, couldn't find 2 ducks though.
100 pts (level 60)

Cycling - Road race
Around the island.
Didn't get into it too much. Was 7th, went for the sprint but ran out of breath and came 14th (2:40.06)
Level 5

Air Sports - Skydyving
Didn't understand scoring mechanic - how do I get more than 1 other Mii in my shot? None of them seem to want to hook up after the 1st
38 pts (level 40)

Golf three holes - resort a
Played first hole: birdie

Bowling - 10 pin game
Auto throw style is a good idea (thinking Age Concern)
149 (level 144)
Surprised at how similar it is to the Wii Sports version, though at least spin seems to be easier to control.

Play Diary: Virtua Tennis 2009

2009-06-21T12:34:00.004+01:00

Nice title & main screen. Simple.

Play Motion Plus movie resets console & returns to main screen (might be just my dodgy version.)

Training:

When choosing the training session, I thought the big right / left arrows would move the whole set (page) of sessions. Instead it just moves them one by one. This is an example of a developer implementing their own version of a scroll bar, but in so doing they break consistency with other scroll bars (which have lots of usability testing already done on them.) - some kind of visual feedback would help; it's very hard to see any difference in the boxes as they all look very alike. Even a sliding transition would help - currently box A is immediately replaced with box B. Maybe indicate the ones you've already done successfully?

"Select your control method"

Why doesn't it remember my previously selected controller (MotionPlus)? Also why can't I see all the options at once (there are left/right arrows for controller type, but L/R handed are both shown simultaneously.)

The three part "VT Coach" screen is a nice idea, but really doesn't help with the training. "Twist your body" - I did that *loads* but it didn't seem to make any difference. The little pictures don't do a good job of showing the necessary *movement*.

"The Wiimote should be held on it's side" (does that mean with the buttons facing left instead of the normal up?)

Also, this screen uses a button "Ready", but there's no pointer control. Confusing - tried to point at the screen and click on it. Until you've seen that this button automatically goes orange after a (long) time it's not clear that this indicates that it's inactive. In a windows environment this only makes sense when seen next to other items that are in the different state; this screen only has the one button so there's nothing to compare it to that would indicate that grey means "unavailable". Why does it take so long for the button to turn orange anyway? (again, might be my version of the disc)

Not clear how to make the opponent serve the ball. There's a bit 1 in a circle on screen. I tried pressing the 1 button but that doesn't seem to work. Tried the A button but that doesn't work either. Seems like you have to press A many times while pointing at the screen. Weird, inconsistent behaviour with no feedback when you press the right or wrong button, so I have to just mash a lot.

Lag between motion and avatar is disconcerting. Doesn't appear to be 1-1 motion...?

Targeting left & right - no idea if I'm doing it right, and why not. Would like some feedback (other than binary Success/Failure - repeatedly saying "Fail!" to a student is not good encouragement!) Wouldn't it be possible to analyse the player's stroke, visually represent it relative to the kind of stroke they're supposed to do, then allow them to practice with this 'ghost'? Would be much faster than going through the whole process of receiving the ball, returning, seeing "Fail!" then starting again. Assume they'll fail for the first few times and help with it! Also passing the training should be based on being able to reproduce the move consistently. I finally got 3 successful shots (but mixed in with about 8 failures) - this means I can do the move sufficiently well?!

Would be a good Usability question to ask the player to describe how they do each shot after they've passed - good test to see whether they really learnt anything.

When trying to do a soft shot:

Annoyed at how the avatar runs around like a nutter! Also how sometimes he'll stand further away from the ball than necessary, so when I swing he's not close enough to hit it; he had plenty of time to get to the ball, he just ran around stupidly. Seems that when I move the Wiimote back he'll stop running - but then he'll actually initiate the swing even if I haven't! Grr!

Training's frustrating and boring. Gave up after intermediate 9. Why not incorporate training as part of the first play through? I feel like it's optional (and not going to help me anyway.)

Player selection screen: Good that it has equal male / female split. Would have liked to order by country. Also would have liked to see player stats (what does "various shots" mean? "Tactical player" - surely that's up to my performance...?)

After selecting player 1, why am I asked to select player 2 in a 1 player game? Is this for the computer? Then why does it not indicate that?

What's with the cheesy rock music? Horrible!

Game is slightly more interesting than training. At one point I started to feel like I might actually be getting it.

Frame rate seems pretty low, but the graphics are quite low quality, so I don't know why this would be.

---

According to IGN you can control the avatar with the Nunchuck - I didn't see any mention of this in the game at all! They also say that this is a better option because the AI is pretty poor at it.

They also confirm that the MotionPlus controls are difficult.

They also comment on the low framerate, poor quality graphics and annoying music. Glad my thoughts are echoed by pro reviewers!

Videogamer also comment on the lack of auto-detection of Wiimote type.

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Options -> How To

There are Back / Next buttons (in grey - doesn't this mean unavailable...?) but the screens also automatically switch over after a time period. This is annoying as it's too short for me to read and absorb all of the information.

It looks like I am supposed to hold the remote on its side, with the buttons pointing to the left. Why is that? Why couldn't they write the game to allow me to hold it the normal way?

They mention the "Visual Assist" - but where is it? How do I enable it?

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When setting up an Exhibition mode (in the Play option on the main screen) there's a button in the top right called "Rules" (greyed out, but still available...) but it doesn't tell you the rules, it just toggles between a screen with Game mode, type, players, court ... and a screen with games, sets, tiebreaks, server, ai.

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Session 2:

Played through remaining Intermediate tutorials. Emphasised orientation of Wiimote upon impact (also held with buttons facing left / on the side.)

Couldn't get the hang of slices in Advanced.

Played a match, felt much more in control. Won 1 game, lost match.

Play Diary: Plants Vs. Zombies

2009-05-31T10:34:00.013+01:00

Loading Screen

Help - letter from the zombies.

Interaction

Furious clicking (casual games paper) - Why Is Peggle So Addictive? Sumantra Lahiri, 10th March 2009
Analysis: The Universal (Brain-Eating) Appeal Of Plants Vs. Zombies
by Kris Graft, May 20, 2009.

Compulsion (cybernetic feedback; sympathetic nervous system, "flight-or-fight" - physiology paper, Grodal?). c.f. Tetris, Pokemon. Kris Graft (May 29, 2009) Analysis: The Psychology Behind Item Collecting And Achievement Hoarding. Gamasutra

[Shop] First click on icons sometimes doesn't respond.

[Zen garden] Accidentally clicking on background removes action icon. Would bubble cursor help? Didn't realise for a long time that right click removes action icon too (useful) - think this applies throughout other areas of game too?

In-game

Scaffolding - introduction of plant types. (plants chosen by Chris)

Game Modes

Adventure

Core

Bowling

Survival

Puzzle

Vase Breaker.

Almanac

Didn't use it much. Sometimes reveals important data (weaknesses.)

Does narrative matter? (e.g., zombie backstory.)

Shop

Plants

I use a lot of walnuts, especially useful with splash damage weapons and slow-speed plants.

Zen Gardens

Leave the snail to automatically collect coins (screensaver mode - HUD slides off screen)

Coins spawn & snail sleeps after X seconds (even while paused when focus lost.)

Tree of knowledge - didn't use it, too expensive. Finally got all of the upgrades (50ft tree) - apparently at 1000 ft you get the real final piece of wisdom. What's the point? Less visible, less reward than traditional highscore table.

Customisation: Move tool (aethstics only, not mechanics.) - with full screen of plants you can't move any; move tool requires an empty space to move a plant into.

Uncollected coins are lost if you move to a new screen. Annoying.

Click-fest doesn't work so well here (is it because there's no challenge, no urgency?)

Watering plants is binary state, based on timer - if you water it 1 second before its timer expires you'll still have to water it again. Dumb. Reduces the screen to mindless click-fest.

Golden watering can has little use: no timer or resource constraints on use of original can; difficult to select 4 plants anyway, even when circle appears over them all (it has to cross their centre point, 1 pixel off and the plant is de-selected.) - sometimes difficult to notice that a plant isn't selected.

Audio

Turning off audio when game loses focus is a great idea. Very important when Zen Garden is running on automatic to accumulate coins.

Loading Screen

Research Assessment

2009-05-05T13:02:00.003+01:00

Trying to get my head around what the best venues for publication would be.

ArnetMiner has a ranked list of conferences and journals.

This is the closest I could get to an RAE definition of how publications are assessed,

Section 2: Generic statement on criteria and working methods

"Assessment process

...

19. This is an expert review exercise. Sub-panel members will exercise their knowledge, judgement and expertise to reach a collective view on the quality profile of research described in each submission, that is the proportion of work in each submission that is judged to reach each of five quality levels from 4* to Unclassified (see Annex 1). The definition of each level relies on a conception of quality (world-leading) which is the absolute standard of quality in each UOA. Each submission will be assessed against absolute standards and will not be ranked against other submissions."

Valve UX - Mike Ambinder

2009-04-29T15:14:00.004+01:00

GDC 09: Why Are Valve's Games So Polished?
Charles Onyett
US, March 26, 2009

Job title at Valve: UX Design

Ph.D. Experimental Psychology (mostly vision)
B.A. Computer Science and Psychology

Joerg Niesenhaus

2009-04-29T14:08:00.005+01:00

Joerg Niesenhaus M.Sc. (Twitter) is an interaction design researcher at the University of Duisburg-Essen.
Previously worked in the games industry (mostly on The Settlers series as "Animation files" and "Beta Tester", and more recently in 2007 as a "Level Designer" - BlueByte / Ubisoft: IMDB, MobyGames)
His blog is game-usability.de

Prototypes and the Vertical Slice

2009-04-24T16:39:00.002+01:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7012688.stm
http://www.gamedev.net/columns/events/gdc2007/article.asp?id=1031
http://sites.google.com/site/teamsketchitup/
http://www.developmag.com/tutorials/31/Grand-Rapids
http://www.developmag.com/tutorials/32/Quick-thinking
http://kimgregson.com/wordpress/2008/11/08/game-sketches-talk-by-john-buchanan-at-future-play/

How to Prototype a Game in Under 7 Days: Tips and Tricks from 4 Grad Students Who Made Over 50 Games in 1 Semester
http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20051026/gabler_01.shtml
http://www.gdcradio.net/2007/01/how_to_prototype_a_game_in_und.html

IGDA Leadership Forum 08 - "Game Prototyping" by Jamie Fristrom
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4991334930792778473&hl=en

Game Prototyping and New Product Science
http://www.igda.org/leadership/?p=111

Interesting thread with some other professional developers here,
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=635786195&v=feed&story_fbid=90005042144

Play Diary: De Blob

2009-03-29T20:06:00.002+01:00

Is this a Blue Tongue game? I know people who work there :)

Cute attract film / title sequence, with the coloured blobs brightening up the grey landscape.

"This game automatically saves progress." Thank god!

Options screen -> Gameplay.
I tried to click on the "Back" text, but this resulted in Applying the settings (Back was next to the - symbol, to indicate that you need to press - to go back, the word itself is not clickable.)

Choose Blob's mood - nice touch (presumably this affects the soundtrack?)
Really nice FMV for the game's intro sequence. Love the lighting, really smooth blobs, like the pastel coloring.

I like the way the blobs speak, with the occasionally recognisable word (blog, INKT)
How To Get Colour: Instructional rather than embodied, but pretty colours, simple instructions, make it friendly. Also the "Do you understand?" with Again (left arrow icon) and Got it! (tick icon) - very clear.

Finished first level.

I often didn't understand things - like, do I need to complete all challenges before moving on? Do I need to paint everything before moving on? Is moving on to the next stage what I should be doing at all? What does the transform object do? (I think I have to slam it...)

Ah, I see, it tells you how many challenges, etc you achieved when you finish a level (so you can replay it to beat your best performance.) Looks like there's lots to unlock.

I like the soundtrack :)

Play Diary: Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop

2009-03-29T19:01:00.002+01:00

Session 1: Player 1

Intro movie was surprisingly long for an action comedy game. Also quite lame, bad lip syncing, melodramatic acting, strange, dead or shiny lighting on the characters.

Speaking to Carlito: Why both Z & A to talk? Also, you have to press them in that order - if you press and hold Z, then press A the game won't acknowledge it.
What's up with the lo-fi speech mode anyway? Where the action stops, and you have to read just a couple of lines on the screen before pressing A to get to the next screen.

OMG, I'm going to go nuts if there's a loading screen every time I go through a door...!
Why are there pieces of fruit laying around on the floor?
Without any kind of goal, what am I supposed to do here? I know the avatar's a journalist of some sort, but surely I'm supposed to have some kind of idea what to do?

Feel like I'm inconsequentially driving an empty avatar between small cutscenes. Why can't we just start in the action?

I don't like the combat training - static, instructional images with text and screenshots. Would prefer to learn in an embodied rather than cognitive manner.

Text like this keeps appearing on the screen, "So-and-so is Dead!"
So what? Why should I care? Seriously, does this have any effect on my game, and if so then why wasn't I told about it in advance?!
I hate the gun shot sound, it's far too weak. Sounds like a pea-shooter. Also I don't seem to be able to do any significant damage to the zombies (though sometimes they fall down, but they get straight back up again), nor they to me (I just shake them off - nothing to be scared of really.) Also, I've run out of ammo surprisingly quickly for a game called "chop till you drop"...

"Head for the stairs - I did, but there was a sign at the top which blocked my way.
Died pretty quickly. Guess I respawn and the story keeps going. So there's never any real threat of death? Strange, I wonder why I'm supposed to care.
Why is my gun now broken...?!

Man, I hate this starting area. I go through doors and there's nothing in the room on the other side! Annoyingly I have the loading screen each time I go through.

First mission to save a guy and his wife through the air ducts. Even after I get to the guy the arrow keeps pointing at him. Is there something more I need to do with this guy? He only says one thing over and over again, "Hey, anyone around?" It's really annoying. So I run round the other side of the rooftop and find his wife, still within earshot - why didn't he look over there for her?!
Getting them both into the lift was tricky - for some reason Natalie just stood outside, so I had to go right inside for her to come in a little way. Then I press the button and it tells me this isn't the right way to go. Ok, so I follow the arrow again.

To take the shotgun you must reorganise your inventory. Ok. Takes me to the inventory screen, so now what, how do I "reorganise it"? I picked and used and apple, then quit the inventory. It told me I now had the shotgun (and some money.)

After completing second mission (28 mins play time) I got bored and tried another game.

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Play Diary: Madworld

2009-03-29T14:00:00.006+01:00

Session 1: Player 1.

Comic book intro was ok (subtitles or even better, speech bubbles, would have been good. I like the sound effect text, like "Kapow!")
Liked the change to animated 3D.
Monochromatic style looks great (presumably really low texture budget too.)

Map / Options screen is a bit incongruous. No explanation of why I'm at this screen.
I can't read which button it is for "Return" (presumably B) - Note I have a widescreen SD CRT TV. Maybe it looks ok on LCD or HIDef?

Controls look straightforward, but I'm not sure I can remember them all right away. Would have preferred to have them introduced one at a time, in-game.

There is a Subtitle option which is good.

On the map / Stage Select screen it's quite hard to read the Information text. Also, there's an icon for the D-pad with the word "Select" next to it, but it doesn't do anything - maybe later on you open up new areas and this feature becomes active then, but wouldn't it be better to only display it when it's active? At least ghost it out? Or perhaps this was only applicable to choosing either "Map" or "Options" (and not with the full D, only up / down)? Either way it's misleading.

Combat tutorial was ok, though I did panic a bit when the first enemy came up to me - perhaps it would be better for him to stand still. I quickly hammered some buttons to dispatch the oncoming enemy, but this inadvertently skipped through a couple of the help-text screens. Might be nice to have the ability to 'rewind' them? Mind you, the tutorial was really straight forward so it might not be such a big deal.

I do like the Manhunt 2 style "B Finish" moves. Really over the top, grotesque stuff :) Also reminds me of No More Heroes where you stun an enemy before swinging the Wiimote to finish them off.

I fought the respawning enemies for a while until I realised that I might have missed something - in the heat of the battle I hadn't been watching the help text, or had assumed it was something other than what it really was; I should have been doing A finishes instead of B finishes, and presumably nothing else would have indicated that I was doing it wrong, so I could have been there for ages! It was fun for a while, but I would have liked more direction.
In general I don't like the way help-text automatically disappears after a short duration, or if you move and some other help text appears in response to a closer object. This makes it easy to miss the text, and requires the player to constantly be monitoring it, which distracts from the action. Better would be player-controlled advance through the text, or a pause when the text first appears to allow undistracted reading.

Rose Bush was really fun- "More!"

Quite hard to listen to the spoken commentary, read the help text, and fight off the enemies all at once, especially as moving around changes the help text in response to whichever item is nearest.

Turbinator was fun. I liked the intro sequence where the commentator got thrown in by the chick.

Don't really like the movement / camera controls too much. Would have appreciated additional D-pad control.

There's even a toilet execution! This is way better than Manhunt 2 :)

Game seems to have crashed! After Big Bull intro sequence, cut back to on the railway platform. Last section of audio loops forever, screen is frozen, controls do nothing, not even Wiimote power button or Wii Reset button (Wii power button does shut the console down though.)

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Session 2: Player 1

Didn't find an option to load my old game...? Rebooted. Damn! I have to go through all of that again?
Still, it didn't take long. Stopped playing when I'd finished the first level.

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CiteULike Research

2009-03-20T13:45:00.001Z

There's a group on CiteULike called "GameResearch", which might be worth trawling for good references.

Play Diary: Manhunt 2

2009-03-18T14:59:00.005Z

Session 1: Player 1.

This is an odd one, because I was one of the developers for this game, though you won't find my name - or the names of the other 55 people - on the credits list. If you look closely you can still find my name in the assets though.

I worked on the PS2 & Xbox versions, though the latter was canned during development. I'm interested to see how the Wii version is different, and whether Rockstar London's port from RenderWare to R*'s internal engine has anything to contribute to the game.

Attract video is different, though I recognise some of the geometry.

Control tutorial worked well. Definitely test that you can do the moves, though it would be beter pedagogically to have the tests in context. Moving the controllers without context is a test that you can read the icons and react to them, but does not inform the player how to use them in game.

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Session 2
Players 1, 2 & Spectator

P2 does tutorial.
Giggles at squelching sounds.
When Danny looks in the mirror, P2: "Is that us?" Leo walks into frame. I say nothing.

Loading screen takes a while.

First level looks ok.
P2 accidentally walk-walked (but that's ok as it taught him how to do it I guess)
I like the change in colour of health bar - but maybe a bit too subtle?

"How do I change my weapon?" (got it)
Went to execute, but didn't realise how to do it. Punched him to death instead.

When he took down the first melee guy didn't realise he was dead (so couldn't punch) but kept kicking him anyway.
Laughed that he could pick the body up.
Got lost and went the opposite direction.

Didn't seem to understand that he had to lure the guard.
Melee'd him again.

"You can get combos, I see!"

(some audio stuttering, maybe just because it's a backup disc?)

Tried to pick up a weapon but didn't understand that you can only pick up one thing at a time.

Took ages to work out you had to shut all the cell doors before you could go on.
Was walking up to a guard, stealthy, then ran and alerted the guard. Don't think he realised that's what happened.

Didn't understand the significance of the skull on the mini-map.

"It's all the memories of him being Fritzled as a child."

Spectator cried out when dream vision appeared.

Didn't understand what the yellow brick icon meant, even when P2 had picked it up.

No kind of indicator to help out in the mission where you have to open all cupboards, etc. Tediously have to just go round them all, and feel unsure if you've been everywhere or not.

Tried to break down wooden barrier with a crowbar - 'Why can't I get in here?"

"I'm pretty sure I just picked up some drugs" (he hadn't)

Jump execution failed - help text didn't display for long enough. P2 still hasn't commited an execution, just playing by melee.
Accidentally skipped through a cutscene.

"Anyone else want a go?"

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Play Diary: House of the Dead: Overkill

2009-03-10T12:58:00.010Z

First session: solo

Confused about the menu screen to select play mode / options / etc. Thought I was choosing a character to play as.

Couldn't enter a profile name, always returned to previous menu whenever I pressed A or B, even on the keyboard.

Wasn't clear what the Nunchuck did, thought it might have something to do with changing camera orientation (read it on a review), but then thought it might be a selector for branching camera paths - as in Dragon's Lair (Arcade).

Crashed when I first killed Jasper.

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Second session: solo

Completed game with no issues.

Disappointed by the short play-through time. Was hoping for more extras or unlockables (e.g., in Resident Evil 4.) However, did notice the tiny number of coders, artists and animators in the credits :-)

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Third session: 2-player co-op

Both players were really annoyed at not being able to skip cutscenes!

Second player particularly found their content to be annoying.

Guesstimated that cutscenes occupy about 1/3 of the total "play through" time. Considered this to be a pretty cheap trick to extend the apparent duration.

Yahtzee's take on it.

---

Fourth Session: with player 2, and new players 3 & 4.

Much more fun being had!

(alcohol consumed)

Prior in the evening had been playing alternating 2-player Mario Kart (without steeringwheels).

Playing Director's Cut.

Seems harder, more interesting. Quite engaging and exciting for the players and spectators. Myself and Player 2 instructed player 3 while he played. Player 4 watched.

Being able to skip the cutscenes helps greatly, allowing play to continue to the fun parts of the game.

Sound track commented on to be good. "I like this music ..." (repetitive dance tune) "... Ok I'm bored of it now."

"Can we swap sides?" (of the settee, because Players 2 & previous session's Spectator (now playing) were playing on opposite sides of the screen (i.e., blue left, red right).

Players 3 & 4 have left.

Play Diary: No More Heroes

2009-03-10T12:58:00.008Z

First session: Solo with spectator.

Like the attract video, sets the scene nicely. Like the back story. Smiled when the protagonist / narrator said "I know most gamers have no patience," "... and you there holding the Wii remote right now, just press the A button"

Funny difficulty levels, Sweeet & Mild.

Didn't realise the change in control as soon as you start the game - camera pans out from cinematic to wide angle shot of NoMore motel. No indication that I noticed to suggest that I was now in control of the avatar. Nunchuck analogue stick moves him though.

RUn along the corridor then right back into another cutscene (the one from the attract video... have I quit and gone back to the main menu ...?!) - what's the point, is it just to teach me how to move the avatar? Not an elegant tutorial.

Tutorial really long and complicated. Would have preferred to have individual moves introduced one at a time throughout the first few levels.

After tutorial I immediately tried out the Nunchuck analogue stick to control avatar, and D pad directions to change orientation. Ran up the stairs, then immediately lost camera control ?!

Didn't understand when the screen went dark after showing three flashing cherries (or whatever) - friend looked up in the manual about the dark side modes. Still don't really understand how to trigger it.

Lol:

Recharge the sword = masturbatory

Save point : on the toilet.

Maybe a bug? When my phone rang, the avatar answered it, and just walked around for a while (instead of running) without any apparent conversation going on, just the spooky music in the background. Now I really don't know what's going on, what I'm supposed to do. Maybe I just missed an important introduction?

Trippy 8-bit ranking screen.

Spectator really likes the game, I guess mostly due to style (& tongue-in-cheek references to gaming?)

Rubbish driving simulator.

1:50

When getting to rank 9 (killing the old man in the football field - Dr Peace) - you finish him by a Quick Time Event (press Z) - that feels a bit anticlimactic.

---

Second session:

Annoyed by lots of loading screens, having to drive across the city (why can't I just warp, driving's no fun).

In particular found the reverse / forward bike "leap" annoying when I was trying to make small adjustments to my position in order to navigate around an object blocking my path.

Thought there might be some intersection with objects or something preventing me from moving, but in retrospect think this might just be due to the problem I had with forward / reverse 'sticking': Press and hold forward from stationary and you'll go forward. Then press and hold reverse and you'll decelerate to stationary. To actually go in reverse you have to release then depress backwards again. This was awkward for me because I'm used to an automatic transition into reverse without having to release then depress again (e.g., from Midnight Club: LA - Xbox 360)

Ecological Validity

2009-02-25T19:32:00.002Z

@article {Jordan:1994:1071-1813:1128,
author = "Jordan, Patrick W.",
author = "Thomas, D. Bruce",
title = "Ecological Validity in Laboratory Based Usability Evaluations",
journal = "Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting Proceedings",
volume = "38",
year = "1994",
abstract = "An interview based survey, looking at the suitability of a laboratory facility for usability testing, raised the issue of `ecological validity'. Ecological validity refers to the extent to which the test environment mirrors the environment in which a product would be used in `real life'.

Ten ergonomists, nine of whom used the laboratory, were interviewed. Opinions of the laboratory were generally positive; indeed there was a consensus as to the high value of the facility in the ergonomists' work. However, only one of those asked felt that the laboratory provided an ecologically valid testing environment. Initially, this result seems surprising; if the conditions don't provide ecological validity, this would appear to be a limitation on the laboratory's value.

This paper considers the concept of ecological validity; discussing the contexts in which it is important and those in which it is not a priority. The extent to which it can be achieved in the laboratory and how it could be achieved are also considered. Generally, the economists were fairly pessimistic about the prospects for this.

All, bar one, of the ergonomists interviewed also conducted studies outside of the laboratory. The part played by ecological validity in deciding to evaluate in the field is discussed; at what point does the issue become important enough to force evaluations outside of the laboratory?

Five non-ergonomists from the same organisation were also interviewed. Interestingly, they seemed to give ecological validity a higher priority than ergonomists, in terms of influencing the overall value of an evaluation. They were also more inclined to expect ecological validity to be achievable in the laboratory — by using furniture to create an appropriate range of scenarios. This suggests that, even if scenario creation has no real effect on ecological validity (this was the opinion of many of the ergonomists), it may bring `propaganda' benefits in terms of influencing commissioners' attitudes towards ergonomists' work.",
pages = "1128-1130(3)",
url = "http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/hfes/hfproc/1994/00000038/00000017/art00012"
}

@inproceedings{ ISI:A1994BB69W00230,
Author = {JORDAN, PW and THOMAS, DB},
Book-Group-Author = {{HUMAN FACTORS \& ERGONOM SOC}},
Title = {{ECOLOGICAL VALIDITY IN LABORATORY-BASED USABILITY EVALUATIONS}},
Booktitle = {{PROCEEDINGS OF THE HUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS SOCIETY 38TH ANNUAL
MEETING, VOLS 1 AND 2}},
Series = {{HUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS SOCIETY ANNUAL MEETING PROCEEDINGS}},
Year = {{1994}},
Pages = {{1128-1130}},
Note = {{Human-Factors-and-Ergonomics-Society 38th Annual Meeting, NASHVILLE,
TN, OCT 24-28, 1994}},
Organization = {{Human Factors \& Ergonom Soc}},
Publisher = {{HUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS SOC}},
Address = {{PO BOX 1369, SANTA MONICA, CA 90406-1369}},
Type = {{Proceedings Paper}},
Language = {{English}},
Affiliation = {{PHILIPS CORP DESIGN,5600 MD EINDHOVEN,NETHERLANDS.}},
ISSN = {{1071-1813}},
Subject-Category = {{Engineering, Aerospace; Computer Science, Information Systems; Computer
Science, Theory \& Methods; Engineering, Industrial; Ergonomics}},
Number-of-Cited-References = {{0}},
Times-Cited = {{0}},
Doc-Delivery-Number = {{BB69W}},
Unique-ID = {{ISI:A1994BB69W00230}},
}

---

Design-Based Research

"Within Design-Based Research methodology, interventions are conceptualized and then implemented in natural settings in order to test the ecological validity of dominant theory and to generate new theories and frameworks for conceptualizing learning, instruction, design processes, and educational reform."

Behavioral prototyping

"It is employed early in the design process to critically observe a planned situation of user activity where simulated artifacts, environments, information or processes are represented and ideas explored."

Audio

2009-02-24T16:29:00.002Z

J. R. Parker and John Heerema, “Audio Interaction in Computer Mediated Games,” International Journal of Computer Games Technology, vol. 2008, Article ID 178923, 8 pages, 2008. doi:10.1155/2008/178923

@inproceedings{
author={Mark Grimshaw and Gareth Schott},
year={2007},
publisher={The University of Tokyo},
pages={474--481},
title={Situating Gaming as a Sonic Experience: The acoustic ecology of First-Person Shooters},
editor={Baba Akira},
address={Tokyo},
booktitle={Situated Play},
month={September},
url={http://www.digra.org/dl/display_html?chid=07311.06195.pdf}
}

@phdthesis { ,
title = {The Acoustic Ecology of the First-Person Shooter},
year = {2007},
school = {University of Waikato},
type = {PhD},
abstract = {This thesis contributes to the field of Game Studies by presenting the hypothesis that the player(s) and soundscape(s) in the first-person shooter (FPS) game, and the relationships between them, may be construed as an acoustic ecology. It explores the idea that the single-player FPS game acoustic ecology has the basic components of player and soundscape and that the relationships between these two lead to the creation and perception of a variety of spaces within the game world constituting a significant contributing factor to player immersion in that world. Additionally, in a multiplayer FPS game, these individual acoustic ecologies form part of a larger acoustic ecology which may be explained through autopoietic principles.

There has been little written on digital game sound (much less on FPS game sound) and so the research contained within this thesis is an important contribution to the Game Studies field. Furthermore, the elaboration of the hypothesis provides insight into the role of sound in the perception of a variety of spaces in the FPS game, and player immersion in those spaces, and this has significance not only for Game Studies but also for other disciplines such as virtual environment design and the study of real-world acoustic ecologies.

A text-based methodology is employed in which literature from a range of disciplines is researched for concepts relevant to the hypothesis but, where necessary, new concepts will be devised. The aim of the methodology is to construct a conceptual framework which is used to explicate the hypothesis and which may, with future refinement, be used for the study of sound in digital game genres other than FPS.},
URL = {http://sirfragalot.com/mainsite/phd.html},
author = {Grimshaw, Mark}
}

Lots more on DigiPlay

Cued-recall Debrief

2009-02-18T18:05:00.003Z

@inproceedings{1108403,
author = {Bentley,, Todd and Johnston,, Lorraine and von Baggo,, Karola},
title = {Evaluation using cued-recall debrief to elicit information about a user's affective experiences},
booktitle = {OZCHI '05: Proceedings of the 17th Australia conference on Computer-Human Interaction},
year = {2005},
isbn = {1-59593-222-4},
pages = {1--10},
location = {Canberra, Australia},
publisher = {Computer-Human Interaction Special Interest Group (CHISIG) of Australia},
address = {Narrabundah, Australia, Australia},
abstract = {While affect and emotion are recognised as important factors in the success of many systems, there is a lack of methods to effectively address these during evaluation. The present study explores the use of the cued-recall debrief methodology, a form of situated recall, as a method to elicit information about user affect during system use. The results indicate that the cued-recall debrief can successfully elicit information about user affect while playing computer games. The cued-recall debrief methodology requires minimal equipment, and is easy to apply - both factors that enhance its viability for use in industry.}
}

Worst game ever?

2009-02-03T18:18:00.001Z

For a demonstration of poor usability & UX, see:

"ScrewAttack
Angry Video Game Nerd: Milon's Secret Castle"

FuturePlay

2009-02-03T12:40:00.002Z

TODO: Go through these publications,

SESSION: Artificial intelligence

Good moods: outlook, affect and mood in dynemotion and the mind module
Mirjam Palosaari Eladhari, Michael Sellers
Pages 1-8
Full text available: Pdf(1.89 MB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

Combining heuristic and landmark search for path planning
Kevin Grant, David Mould
Pages 9-16
Full text available: Pdf(379 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

An emergent framework for realistic psychosocial behaviour in non player characters
Christine Bailey, Michael Katchabaw
Pages 17-24
Full text available: Pdf(583 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

SESSION: Educational games, game-based learning

The game studies practicum: applying situated learning to teach professional practices
Clara Fernández-Vara, Philip Tan
Pages 25-32
Full text available: Pdf(457 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

A framework for games literacy and understanding games
José P. Zagal
Pages 33-40
Full text available: Pdf(351 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

Understanding game design for affective learning
Claire Dormann, Robert Biddle
Pages 41-48
Full text available: Pdf(713 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

Collaboration in serious game development: a case study
Minh Quang Tran, Robert Biddle
Pages 49-56
Full text available: Pdf(411 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

SESSION: Psychology and sociology in games

Motivations for play in computer role-playing games
Anders Tychsen, Michael Hitchens, Thea Brolund
Pages 57-64
Full text available: Pdf(519 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

Using conflict theory to model complex societal interactions
Ben Medler, Joe Fitzgerald, Brian Magerko
Pages 65-72
Full text available: Pdf(701 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

Defining personas in games using metrics
Anders Tychsen, Alessandro Canossa
Pages 73-80
Full text available: Pdf(477 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

Flow and immersion in first-person shooters: measuring the player's gameplay experience
Lennart Nacke, Craig A. Lindley
Pages 81-88
Full text available: Pdf(703 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

SESSION: Games and society

Critical skills for game developers: an analysis of skills sought by industry
Monica McGill
Pages 89-96
Full text available: Pdf(516 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

It's all Greek to me: a case for the classics in game development education
Fred Sebastian, Anthony Whitehead
Pages 97-104
Full text available: Pdf(397 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

Baroque Baroque revolution: high culture gets game
Jennifer Jenson, Suzanne de Castell, Nicholas Taylor, Milena Droumeva
Pages 105-112
Full text available: Pdf(412 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references

Game format effects on communication in multi-player games
Anders Tychsen, Jonas Heide Smith
Pages 113-120
Full text available: Pdf(575 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

SESSION: Game design

Crafting game-models using reactive system design
David Harel, Itai Segall, Hillel Kugler, Yaki Setty
Pages 121-128
Full text available: Pdf(1.90 MB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

Using genres to customize usability evaluations of video games
David Pinelle, Nelson Wong, Tadeusz Stach
Pages 129-136
Full text available: Pdf(356 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

Designing game idea generation games
Annakaisa Kultima, Johannes Niemelä, Janne Paavilainen, Hannamari Saarenpää
Pages 137-144
Full text available: Pdf(597 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

A low-cost infrastructure for tabletop games
Christopher Wolfe, J. David Smith, T. C. Nicholas Graham
Pages 145-151
Full text available: Pdf(1.04 MB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

SESSION: Graphics, visual techniques, sound in games, and hardware

Content scheduling in multimedia interactive mobile games
M. Mohsin Saleemi, Kristian Nybom, Johan Lilius, Jerker Björkqvist
Pages 152-159
Full text available: Pdf(817 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

Experiments in the use of game technology for pre-visualization
Michael Nitsche
Pages 160-165
Full text available: Pdf(552 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

Spatial sound for video games and virtual environments utilizing real-time GPU-based convolution
Brent Cowan, Bill Kapralos
Pages 166-172
Full text available: Pdf(544 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

Guidelines for designing augmented reality games
Richard Wetzel, Rod McCall, Anne-Kathrin Braun, Wolfgang Broll
Pages 173-180
Full text available: Pdf(700 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

SESSION: Artificial intelligence

Urban traffic simulation for games: a general approach for simulation of urban actors
Michael Kutz, Rainer Herpers
Pages 181-184
Full text available: Pdf(8.23 MB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

Scripted smarts in an intelligent virtual environment: behaviour definition using a simple entity annotation language
Eike Falk Anderson
Pages 185-188
Full text available: Pdf(331 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

Synthesizing neural networks for learning in games
Robert G. Price, Scott D. Goodwin
Pages 189-191
Full text available: Pdf(319 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

SESSION: Educational games, game-based learning

How to embed a game engineering course into a computer science curriculum
Daniel Volk
Pages 192-195
Full text available: Pdf(315 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

Using video games to enhance learning in digital systems
Vinod Srinivasan, Karen Butler-Purry, Susan Pedersen
Pages 196-199
Full text available: Pdf(1.14 MB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

Intelligent adaptation of digital game-based learning
Brian Magerko, Carrie Heeter, Joe Fitzgerald, Ben Medler
Pages 200-203
Full text available: Pdf(1.03 MB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

A secure digital asset managment network for game development and education
Mike Pattrick, Andrew Hogue, Khalil El-Khatib
Pages 204-207
Full text available: Pdf(420 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

SESSION: Psychology and sociology in games

Examining the relationship between game type, player disposition and aggression
Robert W. A. Rawn, David R. Brodbeck
Pages 208-211
Full text available: Pdf(304 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

SESSION: Game design

What you can't see is what you don't get: paradigms of game world visualization
Jaroslav Švelch
Pages 212-215
Full text available: Pdf(480 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

A semantic model for reactive entities to support collaborative game design
Alejandro Catalá, Javier Jaen
Pages 216-219
Full text available: Pdf(480 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

Neo-immersion: awareness and engagement in gameplay
Jennifer Whitson, Chris Eaket, Brian Greenspan, Minh Quang Tran, Natalie King
Pages 220-223
Full text available: Pdf(380 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

Facilitating language-oriented game development by the help of language workbenches
Sonja Maier, Daniel Volk
Pages 224-227
Full text available: Pdf(505 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

SESSION: Graphics, visual techniques, sound in games, and hardware

The case for research in game engine architecture
Eike Falk Anderson, Steffen Engel, Peter Comninos, Leigh McLoughlin
Pages 228-231
Full text available: Pdf(313 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

Towards 3D model interoperability in games
Jia Sing Chen, Andrew Hogue
Pages 232-235
Full text available: Pdf(1.14 MB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

Experience in the design and development of a game based on head-tracking input
Jeffrey Yim, Eric Qiu, T. C. Nicholas Graham
Pages 236-239
Full text available: Pdf(366 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

Exaggerated head motions for game viewpoint control
Robert J. Teather, Wolfgang Stuerzlinger
Pages 240-243
Full text available: Pdf(419 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

FIVIS bicycle simulator: an immersive game platform for physical activities
R. Herpers, W. Heiden, M. Kutz, D. Scherfgen, U. Hartmann, J. Bongartz, O. Schulzyk
Pages 244-247
Full text available: Pdf(563 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

Integrating cumulative context into computer games
Kevin G. Stanley, David Pinelle, Alan Bandurka, David McDine, Regan L. Mandryk
Pages 248-251
Full text available: Pdf(734 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

POSTER SESSION: Artificial intelligence

Camera selection using SCSPs
Michael Janzen, Michael Horsch, Eric Neufeld
Pages 252-253
Full text available: Pdf(324 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

To grab or not to grab: a viable framework for physically based hand animation in game characters
Arun Somasekharan
Pages 254-255
Full text available: Pdf(328 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

The procedural planning system used in the agent architecture of games
Yingying She, Peter Grogono
Pages 256-257
Full text available: Pdf(443 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

POSTER SESSION: Educational games, game-based learning

Interactive accounting simulation environment for accounting education and training
Andrew Milner, Andrew Hogue, Bill Kapralos, John Friedlan
Pages 258-259
Full text available: Pdf(331 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

Interprofessional care simulator for critical care education
Brent Cowan, Matthew Shelley, Hamed Sabri, Bill Kapralos, Andrew Hogue, Michelle Hogan, Michael Jenkin, Sandra Goldsworthy, Louise Rose, Adam Dubrowski
Pages 260-261
Full text available: Pdf(483 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

Lessons from Brain Age on password memorability
Alain Forget, Sonia Chiasson, Robert Biddle
Pages 262-263
Full text available: Pdf(502 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

POSTER SESSION: Game design

World of Warcraft as a ludic cyborg
Victoria McArthur
Pages 264-265
Full text available: Pdf(299 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

Construction of cybertypes in Lineage II: an analysis of game interfaces and support documentation
Victoria McArthur, Tyler M. Pace, Aaron R. Houssian
Pages 266-267
Full text available: Pdf(301 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

POSTER SESSION: Graphics, visual techniques, sound in games, and hardware

Game 2.0 and beyond: an interaction design approach to digital game evolution
Michiaki Yasumura, Keita Watanabe, Mark Chignell
Pages 268-269
Full text available: Pdf(345 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

Towards an AJAX-based game engine
Christian Kletsch, Daniel Volk
Pages 270-271
Full text available: Pdf(301 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

Kickback: turning game history students into pinball designers
Stephen Jacobs, Christopher A. Egert
Pages 272-273
Full text available: Pdf(283 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

Canvas 3D JS library
Catherine Leung, Andor Salga, Andrew Smith
Pages 274-275
Full text available: Pdf(309 KB)

Additional Information:

full citation, abstract, references, index terms

Eye Tracking

2009-02-03T11:50:00.002Z

Gameplay (3D Game Engine + Ray Tracing = Visual Attention through Eye Tracking)

Charlotte Sennersten, PhD Candidate

Blekinge Institute of Technology Licentiate Dissertion Series (10)
p. 201
2008

Abstract = "Research into gameplay can contribute to more self-conscious approaches to design, allowing designers to create effective gameplay with less testing, or to target specific cognitive and emotional affects of gameplay for serious games applications. Self-conscious design includes theoretically motivated design of game systems to facilitate gameplay motivated by cognitive, scientific and/or rhetorical theories of game affect and functionality. Deepening the understanding of gameplay requires a consideration of basic epistemological questions about the nature of understanding. Understanding gameplay is a matter of generating mappings to explanatory frameworks in alternative interpretation paradigms. All games are cognitive skill learning environments, and an especially useful approach that may aid in the creation of more self-conscious game design practices is to conduct research into gameplay using theories and methods of cognitive science and cognitive psychology. On this basis, a framework is proposed based upon the integration of schema theory with attention theory. Cognitive task analysis provides a foundation for developing schema descriptions, which can then be elaborated according to more detailed models of cognitive and attentional processes. This approach provides a rich explanatory framework for the cognitive processes underlying gameplay.

Playing a commercial PC or consol game is a highly visual activity regardless of whether the purpose is entertainment or situated learning. Information about the visual attention of the player is an important foundation for detailed schema modelling. A range of different eyetracking equipment has been used in many studies of visual cognition. However, very few studies describe dynamic stimuli involving the visual interaction of a user/ player with a moving 3D scene displayed on a computer screen. In order to address this, a software interface has been developed linking a Tobii™ eyetracking system with the HiFi game engine for use in automated logging of dynamic 3D objects of gaze attention. The system has been verified in a detailed study, confirming correct operation of the system as well as providing a characterisation of its spatial and temporal accuracy.
The integrated Tobii/HiFi system has been validated in a study to test three hypotheses concerning visual attention in a first-person shooter (FPS) computer game. Firstly, the cuing effect of the passive gun graphic on visual attention was tested, with no evidence being found to support this hypothesis. A second hypothesis, that a player directs their gaze at a target opponent while shooting at them, was found to be supported in most cases, while in a small percentage of cases targeting is achieved in peripheral vision. Finally, in most cases, a player targets the nearest opponent. These results provide a baseline for further investigations in which the stimulus game design may be modified to provide more detailed models of the visual cognitive processes involved in gameplay and how they are involved in player decision-making."

BibSonomy

2009-01-12T17:30:00.002Z

BibSonomy might be a useful resource for online bibliographies,

Here's a search for games that's worth reviewing,

Rowland seems to have several interesting games papers listed. E.g.,

@inproceedings{conf/fungames/BullingRT08,

title = {EyeMote - Towards Context-Aware Gaming Using Eye Movements Recorded from Wearable Electrooculography.},
author = {Andreas Bulling and Daniel Roggen and Gerhard Tröster},
booktitle = {Fun and Games},
crossref = {conf/fungames/2008},
editor = {Panos Markopoulos and Boris E. R. de Ruyter and Wijnand IJsselsteijn and Duncan Rowland},
pages = {33-45},
publisher = {Springer},
series = {Lecture Notes in Computer Science},
url = {http://dblp.uni-trier.de/db/conf/fungames/fungames2008.html#BullingRT08},
volume = {5294},
year = {2008},
description = {dblp},
date = {2008-10-22}, ee = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-88322-7_4}, isbn = {978-3-540-88321-0},
keywords = {dblp }

}

Fun and Games 2008

2009-01-12T17:02:00.001Z

TODO: Go through these papers,

http://www.informatik.uni-trier.de/~ley/db/conf/fungames/fungames2008.html

BunnyFoot

2009-01-12T17:00:00.006Z

A usability company who seem to do some interesting evaluations of games, and who have employees who've co-authored some academic papers,

@inproceedings{1462517,
author = {Tim J. Tijs and Dirk Brokken and Wijnand A. Ijsselsteijn},
title = {Dynamic Game Balancing by Recognizing Affect},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Fun and Games},
year = {2008},
isbn = {978-3-540-88321-0},
pages = {88--93},
location = {Eindhoven, The Netherlands},
doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-88322-7_9},
publisher = {Springer-Verlag},
address = {Berlin, Heidelberg},
}

Available from Springer with paid subscription

@article{1393920,
author = {Charlene Jennett and Anna L. Cox and Paul Cairns and Samira Dhoparee and Andrew Epps and Tim Tijs and Alison Walton},
title = {Measuring and defining the experience of immersion in games},
journal = {Int. J. Hum.-Comput. Stud.},
volume = {66},
number = {9},
year = {2008},
issn = {1071-5819},
pages = {641--661},
doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2008.04.004},
publisher = {Academic Press, Inc.},
address = {Duluth, MN, USA},
}

Their website talks about engagement, eyetracking (Tobii), biometrics (GSR, HR, and "face tension and muscle tension"), advertising, "emotive engagement model", "quantitative and qualitative", heatmaps.

"Games testing: engagement and in-game ad effectiveness
A recent addition to our testing portfolio - we user test games for usability, engagement and also for the effectiveness of in-game advertising.
Using our specialist lab setup we record the players' eye-movements, and also physiological responses such as heart rate, breathing rate, muscle tension, pupil dilation and stress levels.
This lets us identify key episodes within a game that are creating the psychological responses you desire."

They have offices in London, Reading (admin only?) and Oxford, but it sounds like Edinburgh is the one for games testing.

They link to a few articles, including
Bang! Bang! You're Branded
by Steve Smith, Friday, December 22, 2006,

Bunnyfoot is Advertisers' Lucky Charm
David Radd on Monday, November 27, 2006

In-game ads: another perspective
Emma Boyes, GameSpot UK
Dec 11, 2006

In the comments section to that article BunnyFoot refer to using the PEEP ("Post Experience Eye-tracking Protocol") methodology. This is briefly described in a poster that has the BunnyFoot logo on it,

"PEEP is similar in principle to eye mark retrospections (Hansen 1990). Video replay of tracked eye movements act as a cue to retrieve thoughts that occurred during the completion of a prior task."

Video Replay of Eye Tracking as a Cue in Retrospective Protocol... Don’t Make Me Think Aloud!
Lizzie Maughan, Jon Dodd (BunnyFoot Managing Director and co-founder; DPhil. in Visual and Computational Neuroscience from Oxford University) and Richard Walters

Interestingly one of their employees, Aaron Young (head of usability, Oxford) used to study at Sussex on the HCCS MSc.