gcu game design 1 (2013): lecture 7 - prototyping techniques
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Game Design Processes and Principles
Prototypes and Evaluation
“An incomplete design” (Preece et al, 1994)
“Artefacts that simulate or animate some but not all features of the intended system” (Dix et al, 1998)
Prototypes
What are Prototypes
1. Throw away
Design knowledge gained is used to build final product, but prototypeis discarded.
Preliminaryrequirements
BuildPrototype
EvaluatePrototype
Final requirementsAdequate?yesno
Three Approaches to Prototyping
what are prototypes?
2. Incremental
Three Approaches to Prototyping
System is developed incrementally as separate components. Prototypes are developed and evaluated for each component in turn.
Identifycomponents
Designing component / Prototype
Operation andmaintenance
Systemcomplete?
no yes
deliver increment deliversystem
what are prototypes?
3. Evolutionary
Three Approaches to Prototyping
Prototype is not discarded and serves as the next iteration of design
Build prototype EvaluatePrototype
Amend prototype
Final requirements
Adequate?yesno
Preliminaryrequirements
what are prototypes?
What to prototype?
what are prototypes?
Floyd (1984) distinguishes between the breadth of evaluation
Horizontal Prototyping (broad/shallow)Demonstrates a broad spectrum of a product’s features, but withoutextensive functionality.
Vertical Prototyping (narrow/deep)
Demonstrates the exact functionality of a product, but only for a smallsection of the entire release.
- i.e., developing a single level of a game from which you extrapolate
developing the spell-checking function of a word processor
- Useful for GUI design
Why prototype?
why prototype?
CostIssues caught at prototype stage cheaper and easier to implement thanif reported late or post-production.
Product conceptulisationUseful to gain a better understanding of the game design – for you,team mates, the publisher and the target audience.
Risk reductionEasier to gain further finances if you can show prototype is enjoyed.
Proof of conceptDemonstrates that a particular technology/game mechanic/team works.
EvaluationFacilitates early evaluation of product.
Why NOT prototype?
why prototype?
User recruitment Recruiting and managing users for prototype evaluation is time consuming, and involves much effort
TimeCan be viewed as taking precious time away from ‘real design task’.
CostAdds 5-10% on pre-production costs.
Project managementDifficult to manage iterative design projects. Hard to predict the number of Iterations needed, the costs involved, and specification creep more likely.
Approaches to prototyping
how to prototype
Software PrototypesEntirely digital, relying on computer code to function.
Popular products and languages for software prototyping include:
Game Salad or Game MakerBlitz Basic
UnityFlash
Visio (for flowcharts/maps)Excel (for spreadsheets)Access (for structuring data)
Products
Languages
Level Editors (UnrealEd, WarCraft III, etc)
Approaches to prototyping
how to prototype
Physical Prototypes- Typically paper-based prototyping used in game design
Useful tools for physical prototyping include:
- Applied early in the design phase, usually prior to software prototype
Paper and card (of different colours)Hexagonal paper (http://www.incompetech.com/beta/plainGraphPaper/)PensPritt StickLarge RulerScissorsFigures (lead, plastic, or stolen from other games)
- Helps you to build game structure, determine how game elements interact, and formulate a systematic approach to game functionality.
Approaches to prototyping
how to prototype
Physical Prototypes
Approaches to prototyping
how to prototype
Physical Prototypes
1st Person Shooter
1. Take a sheet of hex paper
2. Mark spawn points in red
3. Add lines to represent walls
4. Add your units
Approaches to prototyping
how to prototype
Physical Prototypes
1st Person Shooter
Each player gets the following9 cards:
1 x Move 1 space1 x Move 2 spaces1 x Move 3 spaces1 x Move 4 spaces2 x Turn any direction3 x Shoot
Approaches to prototyping
how to prototype
Physical Prototypes
1st Person Shooter
Turn sequence
1. Build stack2. Reveal top card3. Resolve Shoot cards4. Resolve turn cards5. Resolve move cards6. Repeat 2-5 for 2nd card7. Repeat 2-5 for 3rd card
Approaches to prototyping
how to prototype
Physical Prototypes
1st Person Shooter
Prototype techniques
how to prototype
Physical Prototypes
Building your own physical prototype
1. Isolate core game mechanicThe actions players repeat most to achieve their goals
2. FoundationDefine game objects (physical setting, resources, units, etc)Determine core game mechanic
3. StructureDefine the turn sequence
4. Formal detailsDefine the rules. Are they all necessary?
5. RefinementPlay test the game
Evaluation Objectives
Evaluation
Obtaining feedback to inform early design concepts
Deciding between different design options
Checking for usability problems
Assessing usability of finished product
As a means for involving people in the design process
Assessing use in practice
Evaluation Step-by-step
1. Establish the aims of the evaluation - the intended users and context of use; obtain or construct scenario
2. Select appropriate evaluation methods
3. Carry out expert review
4. Plan user testing - use the results of the expert review to help focus this
5. Recruit users and organise testing venue and equipment
6. Carry out user testing
7. Analyse results, write up and report back to designers
Evaluation
Play testingRecruiting Play-Testers
Expert evaluationSelf testing is most valuable in the foundation stage of prototyping
User testingFriends and colleagues outside of the design team - but personal relationship can obscure objectivity
Target Audience- Ideal if you can find them- Even better if the play tester is articulate- Should represent the entire spectrum of target audience- Apply NDAs if worried about secrecy
- Continuous batch of new recruits preferable
Evaluation
Play testing
Experts Friends Audience
Foundations
Structure
Formal details
Refinement
Evaluation
Recruiting Play-Testers
Play testingTypical play test schema
1. Welcome play-tester, and thank them for participating
2. Remind play-testers that the game is being evaluated, not the player
- If they find it too easy/hard to play, the game needs improving
3. Ask the play-tester to begin playing when ready
4. Ask them to think aloud during play, and ask questions- Indicate that as an observer, you can not reply to the questions.
5. When play has finished you can interview the play-tester
6. Thank the play-tester. Provide play-tester with incentive.
Evaluation
Play testing
1. Game length
2. Downtime / Interaction
3. Game balance – dominant strategy
4. Analysis paralyses
5. Clarity of rules
6. What do players forget?
7. What do players not use?
8. Which factors increased/decreased player enjoyment?
What to evaluate during a play test session?
Evaluation
Focus groupsStructured group interviews that quickly and inexpensively reveal atarget audience’s desires, experiences, and priorities
(Kuniavsky, 2003)
Good for exploring…desiresmotivationsvaluesfirst-hand experiencesperceptions, not objective truths
Not good for….Obtaining usability informationObtaining quantitative dataProving a hypothesis
Evaluation
Four types of focus groups
Focus groups
1. ExploratoryHow will users understand the productWhat words will people use to talk about the productWhat criteria will people use to judge the product
2. Feature prioritisationWhat features are attractive to the user and why
3. Competitive analysisWhat attracts and repels your audience to alternative products
4. Trend explanationWhat are the user’s motivations and expectations
Conducting a focus groups
Focus groups
1. Set a scheduleA good schedule provides sufficient time for all activities
Timing Activity
T-2wks Determine audience and scope; start recruiting immediately
T-2wks Determine broad topics to be investigated; start writing guide
T-1week Write first version of discussion guide; discuss exact wording
T-3dys Write second version of discussion guide with timing
T-2dys Complete guide; schedule run-through; check equipment
T-1day Run through in morning; check timing and adjust as needed
T Conduct groups
T+3days Watch video tapes; take notes
T+1week Combine notes; write analysis
Conducting a focus groups
2. Pick and recruit target audience
Useful to run several groups with different homogenous audiences
- For example, single sex groups work better
Once identified, write a recruiting profile:
Demographics Game Preferences BehaviourAge: 9-13 Adventure games Buys games monthly Gender: Female RPG
Sims
Evaluation
Conducting a focus groups
3. Define the scope of your research
How many groupings? How many per group?- More than four groups rarely necessary, (three often enough)- 6-8 per group for balance of breadth and depth
Evaluation
Conducting a focus groups
4. Choose the topics you want to researchIdentify 3-5 topics to discuss- i.e., “Discover what factors determine whether they play a particular pinball table.”
Evaluation
Conducting a focus groups
5. Write a discussion guide
Focus group questions should be:- Carefully ordered to make discussion appear natural- Non-directed (not imply an answer or value judgement)
Rather than: “Which is better, X or Y?”Try: “Are there things about X you like? What about Y? Are there ways in which you can compare them?”
A script for the moderator to follow to ensure continuity acrossdifferent groups
Evaluation
Conducting a focus groups
5. Write a discussion guide
Focus group questions should be:- Carefully ordered to make discussion appear natural- Non-directed (not imply an answer or value judgement)- Open ended
A script for the moderator to follow to ensure continuity acrossdifferent groups
- Focused on specifics
Rather than: “Why did you buy Halo 2?”Try: “What factors influenced your decision to buy Halo 2?”
Evaluation
Conducting a focus groups
5. Write a discussion guide
Focus group questions should be:- Carefully ordered to make discussion appear natural- Non-directed (not imply an answer or value judgement)- Open ended
A script for the moderator to follow to ensure continuity acrossdifferent groups
- Focused on specifics- Personal
Rather than: “Which of these features did you like in Halo 2?”
Try: “If you were designing Halo2, which of these features would you include?”
Evaluation
Conducting a focus groups
5. Write a discussion guide
Focus group questions should be:- Carefully ordered to make discussion appear natural- Non-directed (not imply an answer or value judgement)- Open ended
A script for the moderator to follow to ensure continuity acrossdifferent groups
- Focused on specifics- Personal- Unambiguous
See (Kuniavsky, 2003, p216-223) for example discussion guide
Evaluation
Conducting a focus groups
6. Moderating
Moderator guidelines:- Spend some time with the group beforehand- Stick to the guide, but be opportunistic- Engage everyone in discussion
The moderator must balance the needs of the participants’ comfort level and keeping the discussion productive
- Restrict body language- Clarify comments- Restate ideas- Probe for alternative perspectives- Don’t dominate the discussion- Provide time to think
Evaluation
Conducting a focus groups
6. ModeratingThe moderator must balance the needs of the participants’ comfort level and keeping the discussion productive
Asking questions:- Prioritise issues- Write down issues before discussing them- Use participants’ exact thoughts and words, where possible- Key questions need to be asked verbatim- Be ready with examples
Evaluation
Interviews
Interview Structure (1-on-1, or focus groups)
Evaluation
1. Introductions
2. Warm-up
3. General issues
4. Deep focus
5. Retrospective
6. Wrap-up
Interviews
Evaluation
e.g. Rather than: “Which mood board do you prefer? Try: “Is there anything you like about these mood boards?”
Common Problems1. Close-ended questions
Interviews
Evaluation
e.g. Rather than: “Is the strategy guide an important feature for you? Try: “Is there anything about the strategy guide you find interesting?”
Common Problems1. Close-ended questions
2. Questions with complex answers posed as binary questions
Interviews
Evaluation
e.g. Rather than: “What do you do in Zelda when you become hopelessly lost? Try: “When playing Zelda, how do you proceed when you are unsure of the next objective?”
Common Problems1. Close-ended questions
2. Questions with complex answers posed as binary questions
3. Loaded words, or words with multiple meanings
Interviews
Common Problems
Evaluation
1. Close-ended questions
2. Questions with complex answers posed as binary questions
3. Loaded words, or words with multiple meanings
4. Asking people the future
5. Invocation of authority or peer pressure
e.g. “The designer has a lot of experience developing game characters. What did you think of the lead character.” “People generally find the fairy navigator confusing. What was your experience?”
Interviews
Common Problems
Evaluation
1. Close-ended questions
2. Questions with complex answers posed as binary questions
3. Loaded words, or words with multiple meanings
4. Asking people the future
5. Invocation of authority or peer pressure
6. Assuming you know the answer
7. Assuming they can answer the question
Questionnaires
Evaluation
A set of questions that creates a structured way of asking a large groupof people to describe themselves, their interests, and their preferences
Question Categories1. Characteristic categories [who they are, what consoles do they have] - demographic
2. Behavioural categories [how they behave] - purchasing habits (how often do you buy games?) - game genres most played
3. Attitudinal Categories [what they want and believe]- satisfaction (do they like your product?, meet their requirements?) - preference (which features do they like most?) - desire (what features is the game lacking?)
Questionnaires
Evaluation
A set of questions that creates a structured way of asking a large groupof people to describe themselves, their interests, and their preferences
QuestionsUse open-ended questions sparingly.
Close-ended questions should be…
- specific
- exhaustive
- mutually exclusive
Questionnaires
Evaluation
A set of questions that creates a structured way of asking a large groupof people to describe themselves, their interests, and their preferences
QuestionsUse open-ended questions sparingly.
Better to use…
Multiple choice questions
Q10. How long have you owned your PlayStation 3?
O less than one yearO 1 – 2 yearsO 2 years or more
Questionnaires
Evaluation
A set of questions that creates a structured way of asking a large groupof people to describe themselves, their interests, and their preferences
QuestionsUse open-ended questions sparingly.
Better to use…
Checkboxes
Q9. Which consoles do you own?
[ ] Sony PlayStation 3[ ] Microsoft XBOX 360[ ] Wii U
Questionnaires
Evaluation
A set of questions that creates a structured way of asking a large groupof people to describe themselves, their interests, and their preferences
QuestionsUse open-ended questions sparingly.
Better to use…
Likert scales
Q9. Rate the following aspects of XYZ Pinball
Very Good | Good | Neutral | Poor | Very PoorGraphics O O O O O
Questionnaires
Evaluation
Sampling size
The number of surveys depend on the variation in your population- greater the variation in your population, the larger the sample needed
How to determine sample size
1. Estimate size of population being studied
2. Apply the following table
Population Sample Size
100010,000100,000
150300800
Ethnographic
Evaluation
Structured observation
Behaviour categories defined before observation
Training of observers to ensure inter-observer reliability
Consistency in sampling method
Data Gathering Devices
Film/video, still camera, audio tape, notes, coding system
Data Gathering Systems
Rating Behaviour (1-10)
Coding Behaviour (GO: Gives Object)
Ethnographic
Evaluation
Behaviour categories defined before observation
Training of observers to ensure inter-observer reliability
Consistency in sampling method
Data Gathering Devices
Film/video, still camera, audio tape, notes, coding system
Data Gathering Systems
Rating Behaviour (1-10)
Coding Behaviour (GO: Gives Object)
Structured observation
Ethnographic
Evaluation
Participant observation
Full participant
Participant as observer
Observer’s role is hidden, and they become an authentic member of the group
Observer’s role is not hidden, but it is not considered to bethe main purpose of participation
Observer as participant
Main role is as observer, and accepted into group as such
Conclusions
Benefit of prototyping
Multiple evaluation tools, including:
- Play Testing- Focus Groups- Interviews- Questionnaires- Ethnographic Studies
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