In general HCI combines • Computer Science & Sociology - Interactions between technology and people • Ergonomics – Safety & comfort of computer systems • Psychology – The cognitive processes of people and the behavior of users • Linguistics - Development of human and machine languages
HCI thinks about – Designing screens and menus that are easier to use – Studies reasoning behind building specific functions – Long-term effects that systems will have on humans HCI provides recommendations for user interface design e.g. Menus, icons, forms, huds, data display etc.
Immersion is the key for hci in games • When you're immersed you lose track of time and become involved in what the game is presenting. • A major factor in what makes or breaks immersion is how easy it is for your player to convert an idea into an in-game action - that is, how fluid your game's User Experience (UX) is and how well-designed its User Interface (UI) is.
The main hci considerations in games are • Technology • Interfaces • Human Factors • User Design Principles • Methods of control and forms of feedback
What do these things have in common?
A Computer Mouse
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A Touch Screen
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• Windows icons such as recycle bin, icons of disk drives, and folders Joystick
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Controller
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Head set •
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VR
Movement
They are all examples of Technology in HCI design
–Designed to make it easier to accomplish tasks and interact with a game.
Other ways of interacting with technology Appealing to your senses… HCI also can cover: • Speech recognition • Touch screen • Motion detectors • Vibration etc • Capabilities for intensive data • Manipulation of intelligent systems (AI)
User interfaces in games • Everything from opening menu, configuration screens, and in-game, onscreen buttons etc. • UI, or User Interface, refers to the methods (keyboard control, mouse control) and interfaces (inventory screen, map screen,Hud) through which a user interacts with your game. • UX, or User Experience, refers to how intuitive and enjoyable those interactions are
Basic UI Design Principles
• It needs to be structured (co-location of related elements) AND simple • Language used to its advantage. Easily visible to avoid breaking immersion. • All information needs to be meaningful with relevant and clear shortcuts where possible to keep player playing. • There needs to be options for tolerance (undo, redo) • The UI needs to be reusable and transferable to help keep uniformity and to minimise reduction of user confusion
To look at it another way: • The UI of a car is its steering wheel, its pedals, the dials and controls on the dashboard; • The UX of the car comes from things like the brake pedal being responsive, the engine smoothly accelerating when you step on the gas, the gear stick having just the right amount of resistance those things that make the car enjoyable to drive.
Who does HCI target in games? • A Diverse Audience – Range of users playing games: Novice player, Causal Gamer and the expert as well as people that may have learning or physical needs. • Accommodating all people is a challenge. For instance: - Novices need help - Experts want speed (get to the game!) • Are age and gender important too? • Memory - Humans can store only 7 (plus or minus 2) pieces of info at a time before forgetting it!
Honey Bee Match 3. The top-left half is how you see it if you are green-blind ; the bottom-right half is the original from the game. An estimated 1 in 100 people are green-blind, and this game is almost unplayable for them.
This is all important to consider when designing your game!!!
Can you think of example games with good UI and HCI to share with the class? Complete the HCI questionnaire on a game of your choice to discuss the different types of HCI and UI.