Characterising and Measuring User Experiences in Digital Games

Proceedings of the 8th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction Fun, Fast, Foundational - NordiCHI '14, 2014

Because of the immersive user experience (UX), digital games are the most popular form of entertainment today. Game designers have found Csikszentmihalyi's flow model useful in order to optimize UX. Although the flow model is widely used in both the game design and research, it tends to narrow UX down to an optimal flow channel. Based on the analysis of self-report data of 2,436 gamers, we studied psychological dimensions of UX within all four channels of the original flow model, namely, flow, boredom, apathy, and anxiety. Our analysis suggests renaming boredom, apathy, and anxiety channels respectively as relaxation, impassiveness, and overwhelm, at least in the context of digital games. Our results also point out the relevance of a multidimensional UX evaluation in future projects, which aim at enhancing UX outside the flow channel or assessing outcomes related to digital games.

There are innumerable concepts, terms and definitions for user experience. Few of them have a solid empirical foundation. In trying to understand user experience in interactive technologies such as computer games and virtual environments, reliable and valid concepts are needed for measuring relevant user reactions and experiences. Here we present our approach to create both theoretically and methodologically sound methods for quantification of the rich user experience in different digital environments. Our approach is based on the idea that the experience received from a content presented with a specific technology is always a result of a complex psychological interpretation process, which components should be understood. The main aim of our approach is to grasp the complex and multivariate nature of the experience and make it measurable. We will present our two basic measurement frameworks, which have been developed and tested in large data set (n=2182). The 15 measurement scales extracted from these models are applied to digital gaming with a head-mounted display and a table-top display. The results show how it is possible to map between experience, technology variables and the background of the user (e.g., gender). This approach can help to optimize, for example, the contents for specific viewing devices or viewing situations.

2007

There are innumerable concepts, terms and definitions for user experience. Few of them have a solid empirical foundation. In trying to understand user experience in interactive technologies such as computer games and virtual environments, reliable and valid concepts are needed for measuring relevant user reactions and experiences. Here we present our approach to create both theoretically and methodologically sound methods for quantification of the rich user experience in different digital environments. Our approach is based on the idea that the experience received from a content presented with a specific technology is always a result of a complex psychological interpretation process, which components should be understood. The main aim of our approach is to grasp the complex and multivariate nature of the experience and make it measurable. We will present our two basic measurement frameworks, which have been developed and tested in large data set (n=2182). The 15 measurement scales extracted from these models are applied to digital gaming with a head-mounted display and a table-top display. The results show how it is possible to map between experience, technology variables and the background of the user (e.g., gender). This approach can help to optimize, for example, the contents for specific viewing devices or viewing situations.

CHI '08 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2008

Game players enjoy computer games for their leisure and enjoyment factor, social reasons, the challenge they provide, and to use them as a platform for performance and self expression. However, designing for this kind of user experience is often done intuitively, in a rather ad-hoc fashion and without an appropriate understanding of the criteria, methods, and tools that can guide game designers towards creating a fun or engaging experience. This workshop addresses current needs in the games developers' community and industry to evaluate the overall user experience of games. New forms of interaction techniques, like gestures, eye-tracking and bio-physiological input and feedback have recently been utilized as evaluation methods for an enhanced user experience, but with mixed results. Mostly standard usability evaluation methods, derived from work applications, are used during game development instead. This workshop intends to bring together practitioners and researchers sharing their experiences using conventional and experimental methods to investigate user experience in games

PLAYABILITY AND PLAYER …

This pilot study investigates an experimental methodology for gathering data to create correlations between experiential factors measured by a gameplay experience questionnaire and player quality measures, such as playing frequency, choice of game, and playing time. The characteristics of two distinct games were examined concerning the aspects of game experience, subjective game quality, and game usability. Interactions within the three aspects were identified. The results suggest that gameplay experience dimensions flow and immersion are similarly motivating in different game genres, which however might not be equally enjoyable. On the one hand, usability ratings may be positively influenced when a game provides immersion and flow or on the other hand, flow and immersion may be negatively influenced by poor usability ratings. These results emphasize the need for an approach to classify games based on correlation patterns involving game experience, quality, and usability.

Human-Computer Interaction Series, 2009

Digital games elicit rich and meaningful experiences for the gamers. This makes games hard to study solely with usability methods that are used in the field of human-computer interaction. Here is presented a candidate framework to analyze multidimensional user experience (UX) in games. Theoretically, the framework is grounded both on previous game studies and on relevant psychological theories. Methodologically, it relies on multivariate data analysis of approximately 320 games (n = 2182), with the aim of revealing the subcomponents of UX in games. The framework captures the essential psychological determinants of UX, namely, its quality, intensity, meaning, value, and extensity. Mapping these determinants to the game mechanics, the narrative and the interface offers a rich view to UX in games and provides added value to those who want to understand why games are experienced in certain ways.

Journal on Interactive Systems, 2020

The gaming industry has grown considerably in the last decades, designing experiences and interactive platforms through games, a popular culture entertainment medium. With the advancement of technologies and user experience design methods, a challenge is faced for the constant improvement of game characteristics aiming to improve pleasurability and immersion perceived by its users. To face this challenge, we designed a conceptual framework named GLIMPSE based on constructs used to evaluate user experiences with games. Its applicability was tested through a questionnaire that collected 241 valid responses from users of gaming forums and communities. An analysis was drawn to identify correlations between the data collected from the questionnaire, and its results revealed significant statistical data highlighting age and gender-wise differences from participants’ opinions.

Proceedings of Measuring Behavior, 2008

The area of digital games constitutes a tremendously varied set of applications, with a wide range of associated player experiences, defying a one-size-fits-all approach to its conceptualization and measurement. One of the main challenges facing the gaming research community is a lack of a coherent and fine-grained set of methods and tools that enable the measurement of entertainment experiences in a sensitive, reliable and valid manner. Much like the six wise (but blind) men touching the elephant, no single ...

Human Computer Interaction, 2008

Games are undoubtedly the most successful computer application yet it is not easy to attribute their success to any one particular feature. Nonetheless, when talking about games, gamers and reviewers frequently refer to the immersive experience of the game as an important aspect to be attained. However, it is not clear what immersion is and even if it is a comparable experience between different players and different games. This paper aims to develop more quantifiable and therefore objective measures of immersion. We describe a study into switching from an immersive gaming experience to another task, not in the game world. Though the degree of immersion does seem to have an impact on the ability to perform the task, the experimental approach is complex and possibly quite fragile. We therefore set out hypotheses for a similar experiment with the aim of exploring whether eyetracking and body motion provide better indicators of the degree of immersion.