COSC'324'001 Usability in Game Design

1
COSC.324.001 Usability in Game Design

• Lesson 2
• Standards and Heuristics

2
International Standards Org.

• The ISO 9241-11 definition of usability includes
  three independent measures including
• efficiency
• effectiveness
• satisfaction.

3
International Standards Org.

• The International Standards Organization defines
  usability in ISO 9241-11 as the
• extent to which a product can be used by
  specified users to achieve specified goals with
  effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a
  specified context of use.

4
International Standards Org.

• in ISO 13407 it attempts to guide practitioners
  in designing for usability.
• Significant to this specification is the
  construct of the design document.

5
Rules of Thumb

• Mayhew defines usability as a measurable
  characteristic of a product user interface that
  is present to a greater or lesser degree.
• One broad dimension of usability is how easy it
  is to learn the user interface for novice and
  casual users.
• Another is how easy it is to exploit the user
  interface for frequent and proficient users,
  after they have mastered the initial learning of
  the interface.

6
Game Play Heuristics

• Melissa Federoff notes that in the case of video
  game usability, effectiveness and efficiency are
  secondary considerations in relation to
  satisfaction.
• Federoff, Melissa A. Heuristics And Usability
  Guidelines For The Creation And Evaluation Of Fun
  In Video Games Masters Thesis. Department of
  Telecommunications, Indiana University. December
  2002.

7
Industry Expert Advice

• Allow the player to understand the role easily
• Offer the player the possibility of selecting the
  initial role of the protagonist.
• Fabricatore, et.al. Playability in video games
  a qualitative design model. Human Computer
  Interaction, vol 17 no 4, pp311-368, 2002.

8
Industry Expert Advice

• The Sims interface Will Wright
• Developers sat down and watched players mistakes
  and misconceptions
• 100 playtesters
• 11 iterations
• Rouse, R. Game Design, Theory Practice.
  Interview with Will Wright.

9
Misc Anonymous Advice

• Let us pause the game
• Dont time us when were not playing
• Respond to commands immediately
• Display text immediately, not one letter at a
  time
• Make sure text is readable

10
Contd

• Think about what navigation options we want, and
  make sure theyre there!
• Let us save our games
• Clearly display which options in a menu are not
  selectable
• Dont map two actions to the same button unless
  it makes sense

11
Contd

• Dont make actions automatic if they may be
  undesirable
• Dont present a challenge unless its possible
• Dont send us on wild goose chases.
• Let us know how well were doing.
• Let us tackle challenges in any order.
• Let us replay challenges weve completed.

12
Contd

• Let us review cinematic sequences whenever we
  want.
• Remember defaults.
• Dont make us beat our own previous high scores
  to progress.
• No mirrored tracks
• www.lightspawn.org/articles/19.html - no
  authority