cMYKbrosse / Mind Body Machine

Here’s Some Don’t Forget Video Game Heuristic Evaluations

One area of usability that many people don’t think about is video games. An extensive amount of video games are being developed every year. Many of these video games fail within the first few months of release. Some factors could be that the game isn’t interesting enough, or that it’s too similar to another game and found boring. Or the game is just not user friendly. The user becomes more frustrated trying to learn how to play the game and use the controller, then actually being able to learn how to enjoy playing the game.

One research paper from CHI 2008, Pinelle, Wong, and Stach, “Heuristic Evaluation for Games: Usability Principles for Video Game Design”, Paper link for PDF

The paper delves into the reasoning for performing heuristics on video games before and during development. With so many companies trying to get out Mobile Games in the quickest manner possible, this is often overlooked. I attended a very informal meeting with a small Mobile Video Game development company that was not familiar with Usability Engineering or applying anything similar to their game development process, they saw it as not applicable to what they were doing. Their main focus was on how to get investors to invest in their product, but they didn’t have much to say on the design process behind the games they create. Let’s just say, they have one somewhat successful game.

This is a list of a short heuristic evaluation that can be done during game development. Most heuristic evaluations are done by professionals and it usually takes more than one person to be able to perform an appropriate evaluation on a product. But if you’re looking for the Lean version of a heuristic evaluation for your game development process, this might help.

1. Provide consistent responses to the user’s actions.
Games should respond to users’ actions in a predictable manner. Basic mechanics, such as hit detection, game physics, character movement, and enemy behavior, should all be appropriate for the situation that the user is facing. Games
should also provide consistent input mappings so that users’ actions always lead to the expected outcome.
2. Allow users to customize video and audio settings, difficulty and game speed.
The video and audio settings, and the difficulty and game speed levels seen in games are not appropriate for all users.
The system should allow people to customize a range of settings so that the game accommodates their individual needs.
3. Provide predictable and reasonable behavior for computer controlled units.
In many games, the computer helps the user control the movement of their character, of a small group of teammates, or of a large number of units. Computer controlled units should behave in a predictable fashion, and users should not be forced to issue extra commands to correct faulty artificial intelligence. The game should control units so that pathfinding and other behaviors are reasonable for in-game situations.
4. Provide unobstructed views that are appropriate for the user’s current actions
Most games provide users with a visual representation (i.e. a “view”) of the virtual location that the user is currently occupying. The game should provide views that allow the user to have a clear, unobstructed view of the area, and of all visual information that is tied to the location. Views should also be designed so that they are appropriate for the activity that the user is carrying out in the game. For example, in a 3D game different camera angles may be needed for jumping
sequences, for fighting sequences, and for small and large rooms.
5. Allow users to skip non-playable and frequently repeated content.
Many games include lengthy audio and video sequences, or other types of non-interactive content. Games should allow users to skip non-playable content so that it does not interfere with gameplay.
6. Provide intuitive and customizable input mappings.
Most games require rapid responses from the user, so input mapping must be designed so that users can issue commands quickly and accurately. Mappings should be easy to learn and should be intuitive to use, leveraging spatial relationships (the up button is above the down button, etc.) and other natural pairings. They should also adopt input conventions that are common in other similar games (e.g. many first-person shooters and real-time strategy games use similar input schemes). Games should allow users to remap the input settings, should support standard input devices (e.g. mouse, keyboard, gamepad), and should provide shortcuts for expert players.
7. Provide controls that are easy to manage, and that have an appropriate level of sensitivity and responsiveness.
Many games allow users to control avatars such as characters or vehicles. Controls for avatars should be designed so that they are easy for the user to manage, i.e. they are not too sensitive or unresponsive. When controls are based on real world interactions, such as steering a car or using a control stick in an airplane, the game should respond to input in a way that mirrors the real world. Further, games should respond to controls in a timeframe that is suitable for gameplay requirements.
8. Provide users with information on game status.
Users make decisions based on their knowledge of the current status of the game. Examples of common types of information that users need to track include the current status of their character (such as their health, armor status, and location in the game world), objectives, teammates, and enemies. Users should be provided with enough information to allow them to make proper decisions while playing the game.
9. Provide instructions, training, and help.
Many games are complex and have steep learning curves, making it challenging for users to gain mastery of game fundamentals. Users should have access to complete documentation on the game, including how to interpret visual representations and how to interact with game elements. When appropriate, users should be provided with interactive training to coach them through the basics. Further, default or recommended choices should be provided when users have
to make decisions in complex games, and additional help should be accessible within the application.
10. Provide visual representations that are easy to interpret and that minimize the need for micromanagement.
Visual representations, such as radar views, maps, icons, and avatars, are frequently used to convey information about the current status of the game. Visual representations should be designed so that they are easy to interpret, so that they minimize clutter and occlusion, and so that users can differentiate important elements from irrelevant elements. Further, representations should be designed to minimize the need for micromanagement, where users are forced to interactively search through the representation to find needed elements.