General information


Subject type: Mandatory

Coordinator: Adso Fernández Baena

Trimester: Second term

Credits: 4

Teaching staff: 

Adso Fernández Baena

Teaching languages


The materials can be provided in Catalan as well as in Spanish or English.

Skills


Specific skills
  • V1. Demonstrate knowledge of the history of video games and analyze the reference video games with arguments based on evaluation criteria contextualized in the historical and cultural framework.

  • V3. Identify the type of player and design the game experience according to its psychological characteristics.

Transversal competences
  • T2_That students have the ability to work as members of an interdisciplinary team either as one more member, or performing management tasks in order to contribute to developing projects with pragmatism and a sense of responsibility, making commitments taking into account the available resources

     

Description


The subject of User Experience deals with the design and analysis of the experience that a player has in a video game in the framework of the subject of Game Design and Creation. We work on the basics of the user experience and how these are applied in video games, knowing which aspects of video games are most relevant in the experience of players, and how we can analyze them with both quantitative and qualitative methods. The subject consists of theoretical sessions and practical sessions. To achieve the knowledge of the subject is evaluated on the one hand the analysis and design of the user experience with laboratory practices and group work, and on the other the theoretical knowledge individually with the final exam.

This subject has methodological and digital resources to make possible its continuity in non-contact mode in the case of being necessary for reasons related to the Covid-19. In this way, the achievement of the same knowledge and skills that are specified in this teaching plan will be ensured.

The Tecnocampus will make available to teachers and students the digital tools needed to carry out the course, as well as guides and recommendations that facilitate adaptation to the non-contact mode.

Learning outcomes


At the end of the course students must be able to:

E1.6. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of a video game in a reasoned and exemplary way.

Working methodology


The subject uses the following work methodologies:

Master class, video capsules, debates and forums, collaborative learning and small group laboratory.

Contents


Topic 1: Introduction to User Experience (UX)

1.1 Introduction

1.2 Definition of UX

1.3 Roles within UX

Theme 2: Game Feel

2.1 Definition of Game Feel

2.2 Experiences from the Game Feel

2.3 Types of Game Feel

Topic 3: Cognitive process

3.1 Perception, memory and attention

3.2 Motivation and emotion

3.3 Learning

3.3.1 Interaction Loops

3.3.2 Principles of learning

3.3.3 Onboarding

Topic 4: Computer-Person Interaction (HCI)

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Usability and Accessibility

4.3 Controls

4.4 Screens

Topic 5: Games User Research

5.1 Scientific method

5.2 Playtesting

5.3 Surveys and interviews

Learning activities


With the aim of collecting evidence of the achievement of the expected learning outcomes, the following activities of an evaluative nature will be carried out (related to all the common competences):

 

A1. Lab Practice - Couples: Game Feel  (Evidence of E1.6 learning outcome)

The student will have to choose a commercial video game and make an analysis of the Game Feel of this indicating the control in real time, the simulated space and the polishing.

A2. Laboratory practice - Pairs: Interaction (Evidence of E1.6 learning outcome)

The student will have to choose a commercial video game and make an analysis of the player-video game interaction indicating several Interaction Loops.

A3. Laboratory practice - Couples: Controls (Evidence of E1.6 learning outcome)

The student will have to choose a commercial video game and make an analysis of its controls indicating the entrance, the exit and the mapping.

A4. Laboratory practice - Pairs: Screens (Evidence of E1.6 learning outcome)

The student will have to choose a commercial video game and make an analysis of the screens specifying the characteristics of the HUD and the menus performing wireframes i UI maps.

A5. Group work: Onboarding playtesting (Evidence of E1.6 learning outcome)

The groups choose a video game, design one playtesting of the onboarding of the chosen video game, and they carry it out. The members of each group act as both researchers, designing the playtesting, as of playtesters.

A6. Final exam (Evidence of all learning outcomes)

 

General criteria of the activities:

  • The teacher will present a statement for each activity and the evaluation and / or rubric criteria.
  • The teacher will inform of the dates and format of the delivery of the activity.

Evaluation system


The grade of each student will be calculated following the following percentages:

A1. Lab Practice - Couples: Game Feel 10%

A2. Laboratory practice - Pairs: Interaction 10%

A3. Laboratory practice - Couples: Controls 10%

A4. Laboratory practice - Pairs: Screens 10%

A5. Group work: Onboarding playtesting 25%

A6. Final exam 35%

 

Final grade = A1 0,1 + A2 0,1 + A3 0,1 + A4 0,1 + A5 0,25 + A6 0,35

 

Considerations:

  • It is necessary to obtain a mark higher than 5 in the final exam to pass the subject.
  • An activity not delivered or delivered late and without justification (court summons or medical matter) counts as a 0.
  • It is the responsibility of the student to prevent plagiarism in all its forms. In the case of detecting a plagiarism, regardless of its scope, in some activity it will correspond to have a note of 0. In addition, the professor will communicate to the Head of Studies the situation so that measures applicable in matter of sanctioning regime are taken. .

Recovery:

  • It is necessary to obtain a mark superior to 5 in the final exam of recovery to pass the asignatura.
  • The mark of the resit exam will be applied only to the mark of the A6 activity.
  • Activities A1, A2, A3, A4 and A5 can be recovered with a maximum grade of 5.

REFERENCES


Basic

Hodent, C. (2017). The Gamer's Brain: How Neuroscience and UX Can Impact Video Game Design. CRC Press.

Swink, S. (2008). Game feel: a game designer's guide to virtual sensation. CRC Press. ISO 690

Rogers, S. (2014). Level Up! The guide to great video game design. John Wiley & Sons.

Schell, J. (2019). The Art of Game Design: A book of lenses. AK Peters / CRC Press.

Fullerton, T. (2018). Game design workshop: a playcentric approach to creating innovative games. AK Peters / CRC Press.

Adams, E. (2014). Fundamentals of game design. Pearson Education.

Drachen, A., Mirza-Babaei, P., & Nacke, LE (Eds.). (2018). Games user research. Oxford University Press.