Ubiquitous Ambient Gaming - Evaluation of the visual interfaces of the game

From EQUIS Lab Wiki

May 18th, 2010

An informal evaluation with people from the lab was done concerning the visual interfaces of the game.

Contents 1 Goal 2 Evaluation 2.1 Sequence 2.2 Rules 2.3 Interactions 3 Results 3.1 User 1 3.2 User 2 3.3 User 3

Goal

The game is developed in order to present the potential of ambient audio, and to get feedback on the subjective feelings of the users concerning ambient audio. For the user to assess the possibilities of ambient audio, the game must be easy to play, the different interfaces must be easy to understand and to manipulate.

That is why, one of my first evaluations focus on the visual interfaces and interactions and not on the audio interactions. Since the game was created from scratch, the choice was made to first implement it with very simple visual interfaces that would contain what we considered useful to know, with not too much concern on the appearance. This allows users to play the game fully, to understand it and to notice what information they want to know while playing, and the best way to get informed.

Evaluation

Sequence

• Explain the rules to the user
• Explain the possible interactions
• Have him play a while with the game (with him being able to see the screen, since we are not evaluating the audio)
• Note where the user is having difficulties
• Ask about the global impression, the names, the disposition

Rules

Animals are wandering in the city. You move around and try to bring the animals back to their cages. You earn money for each animal that you bring back. There are 4 types of animals : cats, dogs and birds that can be caught and brought back into their cages, and tigers that can’t be caught and can eat the animals you are carrying.

You can hear and see the animals. You can carry as many animals as you want, but if you get too close to a tiger, it will eat all the animals you are carrying.

The animals require supplies to catch them. When you start the game you can only catch cats, and you don’t see nor hear the dogs and birds. When you have enough money, you can buy supplies at any cage to catch dogs and birds.

Costs :

• cat : 1
• dog : 2, tool : 2
• bird : 3, tool : 3

Interactions

• To move around : with the arrows
  • up / down to go forward / backward
  • left / right to change the heading
• With the animals :
  • to catch an animal, you have to get close to its location
  • to drop an animal, you have to pass over a cage of the same type
  • to know a cage’s type, you can click on the joystick when close to one
• To buy supplies :
  • click on the right down button to switch to the info interface
  • in the interface, there are buttons to buy supplies, the buttons are only accessible if you have enough money, if you are above a cage and if you don’t already have the supply

• To know the figures : go to the info interface,
  • in the first rectangle you know how many animals of each type and how many cages are remaining
  • in the second rectangle you have the money you earned, the animals yo can catch and the animals you are currently carrying
  • in the third rectangle you have the buttons to buy supplies (you can’t press the buttons if you are not in the good conditions)

Results

User 1

• Transition between interfaces:
  • when on the info interface, he understood the red cross as a way to close the info interface (and to come back to the map) instead of a way to close the game.
  • he would prefer that the buttons close and switch interface be separated from the rest of the interface (a dedicated space that doesn’t relate to the rest)
  • the info interface could be presented as a sub interface, as if a window had been open on the map
  • some movement when changing of interface would help understanding what happens (for example sliding of the window) => feedback
  • use one of the hardware buttons to do the switch, no need for a touch button for that

• Supplies:
  • he had problems understanding when he could buy supply or not : he had enough money, and thought he was on a cage, so tried to buy supply even if the button was inactive, and he wouldn’t understand why it didn’t work
  • he would like to be informed when he is in the good conditions to buy supplies (a good condition is having enough money, being on a cage and not having the supply yet), for example a small window pop up with the tools he can buy when he is on a cage (no need to go to the info interface)

• Miscellaneous:
  • for the info interface, the first rectangle with the global figures is good and necessary, but some work on the 2 others could be done
  • he would like to know all the time how much money he has (even when on the map)
  • in general : too much information on the info interface and not enough on the map
  • he thought the map was too colorful, it was hard to distinguish the animals and cages
  • he didn’t like the cage icon

User 2

• Transition between interfaces:
  • mistook the red cross with a way of closing the info interface, would rather the cross only being on the map interface

• Supplies:
  • sometimes he didn’t understand why he couldn’t buy a supply, he would have wanted to know all the time why he can or can’t buy a supply

• Miscellaneous:
  • he would prefer the icons on the map to be larger, because he had a hard time seeing them
  • he would have wanted to know how many animals are remaining all the time, even on the map, for example in a small bar at the bottom of the screen
  • he didn’t think knowing how many animals of each sort you are carrying is necessary, since you can see the animals following you
  • he didn’t recognize a coin in the icon chosen, and he didn’t like the cage icon
  • didn’t like the title “User numbers”

User 3

• Transition between interfaces:
  • he had no difficulties to use the switch button and the red cross

• Supplies:
  • the supplies are indicated at 2 places : in the “user numbers” rectangle in the form of icons, and in the “buy” rectangle in the form of button with text. He thought it was confusing at first to present the same information in 2 different ways
  • he tried to click on a tool when it was not accessible

• Miscellaneous:
  • the price of each supply was not indicated
  • he would prefer a map with less color and more zoom to see more clearly