Game Development Archives - Situated Research

How UX Research Increases Gamer Engagement, Satisfaction, and Enjoyment

January 30, 2023

User Experience (UX) research is a critical aspect of video game design that can significantly impact the success of a game. UX research involves studying and understanding the behavior, attitudes, and emotions of gamers while playing the game. The goal of UX research is to create a game that provides a satisfying and enjoyable experience for gamers. In this article, we’ll explore how UX research can improve the success of a video game and increase gamer engagement, satisfaction, and enjoyment.

Nintendo’s newest Mario Kart is the best video game you never knew you wanted to play

September 9, 2020

By now, Nintendo has made exactly 87,493,029 versions of Mario Kart since the game was first introduced in 1992 for the Super Nintendo. (Okay, the company has really made 13—which is still a lot!) But a new sequel coming this fall to the Nintendo Switch changes the formula in an enticing way, thanks to super experimental UX.

Games User Research: Driving Development with Actionable Insights

November 28, 2018

Developers both large and small can benefit from an outside perspective given by a game user research, or usability research geared towards games. Indie developers can benefit from adding UX expertise to the development team, while large developers can obtain an outside perspective to compliment and verify findings from internal members of the development team. In this article, we will present three key ways in which game research can maximize a game’s success.

The clever UX that made Fortnite a $1.2 billion sensation

October 5, 2018

The gaming hit is a masterclass in UX and experience design.

The online videogame Fortnite Battle Royale was launched just a year ago in September 2017. Since then the game had amassed 125 million active players by June and made $1.2 billion for its developer Epic Games. It has also been linked to 200 divorces in the U.K. and a case of aggravated harassment where a 45-year-old man threatened to kill an 11-year-old boy after losing to him in the game.

What Do Your Customers Think of Your Product?

July 24, 2017

In order to improve the user experience, you have to start by observing customers interacting with your product.

The first step to improving your own UX (and reaping the business benefits) is to conduct a usability assessment of your product, software or website. This process uncovers the most common problems. Often, usage analytics indicate UX issues with your product. Usability testing explains these issues.

What UX Designers Can Learn from 1990s Japanese Video Games

June 16, 2016

I’m writing this from a slightly saddened perspective, revisiting my favorite SNES RPGs and realizing something:

I’ve been spoiled by modern UX design.

Games User Research: What’s Different?

March 21, 2016

Summary: Game testing researches the notion of fun. Compared with mainstream UX studies, it involves many more users and relies more on biometrics and custom software. The most striking findings from the Games User Research Summit were the drastic age and gender differences in motivation research.

Dragon Front Is a Hearthstone-Like Card Game Built for Virtual Reality

March 1, 2016

A game that rethinks the first-person VR approach

Virtual reality has traditionally been about transporting you to new worlds and making you believe you’re really there. It’s the immersion element, known as “presence” in industry lingo, that makes VR feel like magic. So it was refreshing to see Dragon Front, a new VR game in development for the Oculus Rift, take the approach in an entirely different direction.

The Climb: The Most Head-Spinning Virtual Reality Experience Yet

December 30, 2015

Crytek’s new project for the Oculus Rift shows us exactly where VR gaming is going – towards heady and experiential gameplay

Above you, the craggy face of the cliff seems to stretch up endlessly toward the sky, offering perilously few footholds. In the far distance there’s a small village by a beach, bathed in orange sunshine – an exotic idyll. But below you there is … nothing. Nothing but a long deadly drop into the crashing sea far below. Your only option is to keep climbing.

Hands-on with Mattel’s new AR, VR View-Master

February 20, 2015

A View-Master for virtual reality: Hands-on with Mattel’s new AR, VR phone toy

Mattel is relaunching View-Master, but as a virtual reality and augmented-reality phone toy. And I got to play around with it for a bit…or at least, some of the tech behind it.