Evaluating Fun Factor of Entertainment Software Using Different Modes of Input

1
Evaluating Fun Factor of Entertainment Software
Using Different Modes of Input

• Christin Hamilton
• Katie Nobles
• Brandi Smith
• Jamey White

2
Introduction

• Metrics exist to determine quantitative and
  qualitative aspects of software usability.
• There is currently no accepted model of measuring
  player enjoyment in games 1.

3
Introduction

• One heuristic evaluation of fun-factor 2
• Log players actions, comments, failures,
  missteps.
• Code each as a positive or negative player
  experience
• Positive anything that increases pleasure,
  immersion and the challenge of the game
• Negative any situation where the player was
  bored, frustrated or wanted to quit

4
Introduction

• The goal of the project was to measure the fun
  factor of an Entertainment Software using
  different modes of input

5
Introduction

• The environment in which we inspected fun factor
  was Konamis Dance Dance Revolution Extreme 2 3
  on the Sony Playstation 2 4.

6
Introduction

• Players use their feet to step on combinations of
  arrows that match patterns being played with a
  song

7
Introduction

• This version also supports play using the Sony
  EyeToy camera.
• Gesture recognition tracks player movements.

8
Introduction

• Players are still responsible for stepping on the
  arrows in rhythm, but the EyeToy requires them to
  include their hands.

9
Intro (cont)

• We focused on measuring the fun factor to
  determine the fun factor of different
  combinations which would have better a effect on
  the game for players to have fun.
• Combinations Included
• Dance Pad w/USB camera (Universal Serious Bus)
• Collaborative Play
• Player w/Partner

10
Introduction

• Additional DDR screenshots

11
Background

• Past studies on collaborative play showed that
  there was no difference in boredom, based on the
  game outcome when DDR is played with a friend
• Also, post questionnaires determined that it was
  better for the players to play with a friend
  instead of a computer.

12
Method
13
Experiment Procedure

• Demographics and Backgrounds
• Each participant was asked a series of questions
  regarding demographic information and experience
  with videogames
• Age, gender
• Music/rhythm background
• Experience with videogames, DDR, and EyeToy

14
Experiment Procedure

• Participants were then asked to perform the
  experiment in three different phases, each
  altering the game environment or interaction
• Phase 1 DDR single player with dance pads
• Phase 2 DDR with partner and dance pads
• Phase 3 DDR singe player with EyeToy

15
Experiment Procedure

• Phase 1
• Participant was allowed to choose any song on any
  difficulty setting and played alone

16
Experiment Procedure

• Phase 2
• Participant was allowed to choose any song on any
  difficulty setting and played with a partner

17
Experiment Procedure

• Phase 3
• Participant was allowed to choose any song on any
  difficulty setting and played alone with the
  EyeToy

18
Experiment Procedure

• Participants completed a follow-up survey to
  evaluate their experience with the different
  modes of play.
• Participants were asked to rank the three phases
  based on the amount of enjoyment experienced.

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Experiment Procedure

• For each phase, participants were then asked to
  rate the phases based on their experience

Embarrassing Boring Easy Confusing Unhealthy Inacc
urate Sad Dissatisfied
Comfortable Exciting Challenging Simple Healthy Ac
curate Happy Satisfied

• 2 3 4 5
• 1 2 3 4 5
• 1 2 3 4 5
• 2 3 4 5
• 1 2 3 4 5
• 2 3 4 5
• 1 2 3 4 5
• 1 2 3 4 5

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Experiment Procedure

• Participants were then asked a series of yes/no
  questions to measure their lasting experience
• Would you play DDR again alone with the dance
  pad?
• Would you play DDR again alone with the EyeToy?
• Would you play DDR again with a partner?
• Do you feel better after playing DDR compared to
  how you felt before you played?
• If you feel better, do you think that this is
  attributed to fun?
• Do you think that physically engaging video games
  such as DDR are more entertaining than
  traditional controller-based video games?

21
Experiment Procedure

• Finally, participants were given room to discuss
  any problems that they may have encountered that
  could affect their experience.

22
Results
23
Pre-Survey (Demographics)

• 18 participants
• 13 males
• 5 females
• Average age 24
• Overall, participants consider themselves to have
  an average amount of rhythm
• Play video games approximately 4.22 times a month

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Pre-Survey (DDR Experience)

• Ten had previous experience with DDR
• 7 played with dance pads
• 6 typically played alone
• Most played DDR 0-2 times per month
• 9 had an enjoyable experience last time they
  played
• Averagely, consider themselves an intermediate
  player
• Five had previous experience with gesture
  recognition in a game
• 0 played DDR with Eye Toy
• 3 found their last experience with gesture
  recognition enjoyable

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Post-Survey

• Eight playing alone was most enjoyable and the
  Eye Toy least enjoyable.
• Five playing alone was the 2nd most enjoyable
• 4/5 Eye Toy was the least enjoyable
• Four playing alone was the least enjoyable
• 3/4 found Eye Toy to be the 2nd worst.
• 12 found Eye Toy to be the least enjoyable
• Only 1 person thought playing with a partner was
  the least enjoyable.

26
What gave the most fun?
27
Emotional Conclusions

• Single player without Eye Toy
• more comfortable than average and felt healthier
• Single players with eye toy
• more comfortable, much more excited, more
  challenged, slightly simpler, healthier, more
  accurate, and happier
• Partnered players felt that they were more
  confused and happier

28
Further Conclusions

• 16 would play DDR again alone without the Eye Toy
  or a partner
• Only 10 would use the eye toy again.
• Only 2 people felt they were a worse player
  afterwards
• 11 felt that games like DDR were more
  entertaining than traditional video games all the
  time and 7 felt they were more entertaining
  sometimes.
• No one said they were never more entertaining.
• Problems
• 11 felt they had problems with the game that
  affected their enjoyment
• 7 said that any problems they had did not affect
  their enjoyment

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Gender Conclusions

• Women
• mostly found dance with eye toy more confusing.
• found it more inaccurate
• Always found solo neither exciting nor boring
• found solo happier
• on average were more satisfied
• With a partner, satisfaction and happiness were
  always scored the same

30
Demo
31
Live Demo

• IGN Gameplay Demo 5
• Fun Factor The Music Video (on CD) 6

32

• Questions?

33
References

• 1 Sweetser, Penelope, Wyeth, Peta. Game Flow A
  Model for Evaluating Player Enjoyment in Games.
  ACM Computers in Entertainment, Vol. 3, No. 3,
  ACM(2005).
• 2 Desurvire, Heather, Caplan, Martin, Toth,
  Jozsef. Late breaking result papers Using
  heuristics to evaluate the playability of games.
  CHI 04 extended abstracts on Human factors in
  computing systems, ACM Press (2004).
• 3 Konami Digital Entertainment.
  http//www.konami.com.
• 4 Sony Computer Entertainment of America. Sony
  Playstation 2. http//www.scea.com.
• 5 IGN. http//www.ign.com.
• 6 Music in Video from Lord of the Rings Return
  of the King commercial