2015 game user research summit (How To Market A Game)

Key insights

5 takeaways

01
Game user research relies on rigorous scientific methodology, integrating principles from cognitive psychology, statistics, and data science to drive objective development decisions.
02
When testing with children, researchers must mitigate groupthink and peer-influence bias by separating participants or using structured, independent questioning techniques.
03
Traditional testing sessions are often insufficient for mobile games with long, slow-paced loops; longitudinal diary studies are required to capture nuanced, reliable player experiences over time.
04
Methodological flexibility is essential in game development, as research approaches must be tailored to the specific target demographic and the unique format of the game being tested.
05
Testing environments must be designed to mimic real-world conditions, such as domestic living rooms, to ensure that data accurately reflects how players interact with hardware and software.

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Transcript

okay so you see that that's Sony PlayStation I'm actually at their headquarters I took a break from GDC and I'm here at the uh game user so I'm going to give you three facts that I learned at this Summit three things that you can so fact number one the typical background they cognitive psychologists statisticians uh people data scientists that's really the background of a user actually okay number two fact number two is if you're doing a study with kids they Follow the Leader so make sure to break them up or at least get them to say what you believe is not always what you believe is not always what your friend believes so be sure to account for that when you're trying to do a good user study with uh with kids all right and the third thing that I learned today is that if you're Testing mobile games that are very long and slow to get user feedback do a diary have them write a little bit of feedback all right and that's it for

the Sony thing look at this this is the place where they make the dev boxes all those are little broken Dev kits pretty interesting anyway bye all right so this is the Sony testing area they actually make it look like a living room look at that even put little video game books okay I'm done with the user research Summit and I'm now heading to the sticker swap which is touch arcades trade for stickers all right so I'm here at B 55 it's a uh kind of a late night uh this is the sticker swap let me show you exactly what it is the good [Music] new all right so I'm in Chinatown heading back to the hotel uh end of the day there's nothing much more to talk about I'm just kind of walking down the

middle of the street see look

Summary

Game user research functions as a specialized discipline rooted in rigorous scientific methodology, primarily drawing from the fields of cognitive psychology, statistics, and data science. Professionals in this sector prioritize objective data collection to inform development decisions, ensuring that testing environments—such as those designed to mimic domestic living rooms—accurately reflect the real-world conditions in which players interact with gaming hardware and software.

Effective user research requires tailored approaches based on the target demographic and the specific nature of the game being tested. When conducting studies with children, researchers must account for the tendency of younger participants to exhibit groupthink or follow the opinions of their peers. To mitigate this bias, it is essential to separate participants or implement structured questioning techniques that encourage independent feedback. Similarly, for mobile games characterized by long, slow-paced gameplay loops, traditional testing methods may prove insufficient. In these instances, utilizing longitudinal diary studies allows players to document their experiences over time, providing more nuanced and reliable insights than a single, isolated testing session.

These practices underscore the industry's commitment to refining player experiences through evidence-based design. By integrating diverse analytical backgrounds and adapting methodologies to suit specific user behaviors and game formats, developers can better understand player engagement and improve the overall quality of their titles. These insights highlight the necessity of methodological flexibility in the evolving landscape of game development and user experience testing.