This week we spoke to Emily Brown, lead game designer as UsTwo Games, currently working on Alba. Emily has a background in human and computer interaction so her content primarily focussed on playtesting.
(Alba Wildlife, 2021)
Emily spoke with a particular interest around how people interact with new ideas e.g. do they instinctively know what to do or are they discovering things by accident, stating that 'Just because it works great for you doesn't mean it works for everyone'. Games often have to appeal to a variety of demographics and so making it accessible is top priority. Playtesting and recording this is absolutely vital to be able to assess your project and how this has to happen all the way through the process;
· Children are the best playtesters – they are honest and unbiased
· Compromise is key – use meetings to create action plans and find solutions that satisfy design elements as well as consumer needs
· Plan – know your audience and ask the right questions i.e. open questions like ‘How did it make you feel?’, ‘What happened?’ and ‘What did you expect?’
(This is a highly iterative and collaborative process. Ask questions and draw on other people’s knowledge to make your work the best it can be).
The other key point made was that the player needs to feel at home. You can make the most beautiful scene in the world but if the player doesn't have a sense of ownership or identity in that space, the connection between the virtual world and the real one is lost.
Reflection:
Using Gibbs reflective cycle (see appendix) I was able to evaluate and analyse how much I need to discuss my ideas with my friends, peers, family etc to get as much feedback as possible. As an action plan I will be getting feedback throughout the development process from as wide an audience as possible as these opinions are what will make the game accessible.
References
Alba Wildlife, 2021. Alba a wildlife adventure. (Online) Available at: https://www.albawildlife.com/ (Accessed 10th January 2021).
Appendix
Rumson, R., 2018. Gibbs – Reflective Cycle Model (1988). (Online) Available at: https://www.eln.io/blog/gibbs-reflective-cycle-model-1988 (Accessed 11th January 2021).
Comments