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Play Testing

Play Testing. CS 4730 – Computer Game Design Credit: Several slides from Walker White (Cornell). Why Does Play Testing Matter?. Have you ever had someone else read a paper you wrote? Why?. Why Does Play Testing Matter?.

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Play Testing

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  1. Play Testing CS 4730 – Computer Game Design Credit: Several slides from Walker White (Cornell)

  2. Why Does Play Testing Matter? • Have you ever had someone else read a paper you wrote? • Why? 2

  3. Why Does Play Testing Matter? • What are you actually trying to find out when you have other people play your game? • What “matters” in a game? • How do you measure it? • Goal / Question / Metric methodology 3

  4. Some Thoughts • Time to learn to use a game verb / action • Time (ability) to complete a specific task/quest • Usage (or lack of usage) of gameplay features • Errors (how many, where) • Player satisfaction (Likert scale) • Where did they have the most/least fun? • What was the user’s first reaction? • How would the user describe the game to others? • Would they play it again? 4

  5. Why Does Play Testing Matter? • What are you going to do with the results of your play testing? • How will that affect this game? • The next game? 5

  6. HCI comes to Game Design • Have you had HCI yet? • User studies are a THING! • There are right ways and wrong ways to do them! 6

  7. Questions to Consider • Who should play test your game? Why? • Remember that people’s time is valuable! • They are doing YOU a favor! • What is your role when they are playing the game? • You are not their personal game coach! • How can you ensure that the test is the same for everyone? • Scripts are not a bad thing at all! 7

  8. Step 1: Find your play testers • We have stipulated three groups you must hit: • The “expert” / “confidant” (in CS 4730) • The “advanced consumer” (computing student) • The “general consumer” (non-computing student) • Ask around! Ask friends of friends! • (surely you have friends not in the E-school… right?) • Schedule the test for a time that’s NOT RUSHED! 8

  9. Step 2: Prepare the Location • The location should be: • Convenient • Away from distractions • Comfortable • You should have: • Your computer READY TO GO! • Your script of what you’ll tell them • Your data collection instruments 9

  10. Step 3: Prepare your Script • You are no longer a game designer for this exercise. You are an objective observer. • DO NOT TALK ABOUT: • How awesome your game is! • What you want to do with the game in the future! • What is currently broken! • DO TALK ABOUT: • The bare minimum of how to play! WRITE THIS OUT! 10

  11. Step 4: Prepare the Data Collection • What are you going to record? • Audio? • Screen capture? • Just use pen and paper? • Have SOMETHING ready to take notes during the session! • If there are particular things you want to look for, have that written out! 11

  12. Step 5: Prepare the Survey • Post test surveys are good as well • Ask questions that have answers that are relatively easy to process • Likert scales (1-7, for instance) • True / False • Multiple choice • Have some open ended questions 12

  13. Step 6: The Session Schedule • Introduction of the game • Get background info on the tester • Play the game • Give specific task / goal (even if that’s just “go explore”) • DO ask them to “think out loud” as they are playing! • Wrap up discussion and survey • Some GREAT questions on page 263 13

  14. Do Not Get Frustrated! • Remember: 14

  15. Now that you have data… • What do you do with it? • How do you act on the data you’ve gathered? • Tips: • Don’t wait too long! You’ll forget the context of some of your notes. • Talk (like out loud) with the entire team discussing how the session went – and then take notes on that too! • Compare notes with other teams! 15

  16. Advanced Play Testing • In modern games, we often put in hooks and let beta testers do a lot of the work without actually “doing the work!” • Here are some fascinating examples courtesy of Prof. White at Cornell 16

  17. Heatmaps 17

  18. SWTOR 18

  19. SWTOR 19

  20. SWTOR 20

  21. SWTOR 21

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