ExperienceLab

OnLive: the future of gaming?

Thursday 22 September saw the UK launch of revolutionary new gaming service: OnLive. 

OnLive is essentially games in the cloud. The advantage being that you don't need an expensive games console to play the games - you can stream them via your computer, and you don't need the latest, more expensive 25-core processor to run the games: if you can watch fullscreen YouTube videos on your computer, then chances are that you can also use OnLive.

So, we decided to give it a go…. 

Usability Amusements

I found this machine in an amusement arcade on Sandown pier.

The idea is that you put in 50p and move the claw across the top of the cabinet. Then you press the button to make it drop down and try to pick up one of the money cartons underneath it. They are valued between £5 and £20 from what I can see.

At least, I assume that’s what the game is. That’s what I told my daughter. Then I noticed that there’s a note written in biro at the front of the cabinet. It says: ‘There is a TIME LIMIT on this game’.

Do better motion controllers affect gaming?

We decided to investigate the effect of the new generation of motion controllers (e.g. Wii MotionPlus and Sony PlayStation Move) on the gaming experience, looking at the following factors:

• Immersion – how engaged and immersed they are in the game
• Motivation – why people play
• Style of play – types of movements and amount of movement

Comparing the Wiimote and Wii MotionPlus, we found that a more accurate motion controller (Wii MotionPlus) did influence style of play – gamers played more realistically and in turn were more immersed in the game. The effect was particularly strong in people who played primarily to win!. People who played to relax still benefited but the effects were less pronounced. This suggests that hardcore gamers may particularly benefit from advances in motion controllers.

The research also showcases the use of different methods to get at players experiences whilst playing games. We used a full-body motion capture suit, video recordings, questionnaires and interviews, to gather data. 

Read a summary of the findings here: research article (PDF)

The research was conducted by Jasmir Nijhar in collaboration with PlayableGames, and formed the basis of an M.Sc. project for the UCL Interaction Centre.

See the PlayableGames research page for more articles and research!

 

 

Will gamer familiarity with the Nintendo Wiimote affect the PlayStation Move?

The Wiimote has been in use since around 2007. Since then it’s been the main motion-sensitive console controller. That’s three years of time to get used to the way it works, it’s nuances and mechanics: three years to create our mental model of what a motion controller can and can’t do, and how to use it.

Sony’s PlayStation Move now finds itself positioned within this mental model. The Wii paved the way for motion controller acceptance and understanding, which should be good news. However, there are differences between using the Wiimote and the way the Move works. Gamers who bring their Wii-based experiences to Move games will take a little time to adjust to it.

Here’s how these differences affect gameplay, and some suggestions for how Move developers could help overcome gamers' Wii-based expectations.

This article doesn’t say one controller is best; it just points out that Wii-familiar players might need extra, or more precise, instructions to use the Move controller in the way developers intend, and to stop them expecting it to work as a Wiimote.

If you're interested in reading the full article, it can be found here.

Mobile gaming downloads...weird wap connection!

I downloaded Tetris on my mobile over the weekend, it's one of my favourite games. I love playing it when I am out and about, on the tube, on the bus, waiting for others ... to pass the time.

So I downloaded the game and got ready to play, except each time I select the option to play Tetris it comes up with a weird message telling me that the phone needs to make a connection. It's FREE when in the UK but still, its an annoying extra step before playing my game and it doesn't give me a reason for making the connection. This is what the message looks like:

Updates from Hell...

It's Thursday night and I want to shoot some people. There I've said it, although its only by playing MAG Sony's new uber online shooter. However I can't and do you know why? Because Sony has decided to punish me because of where I live.

Now Sony is not normally known to decide who can and can't play their games dependent on where they live but I'm being punished as I only live close enough to a telephone exchange to get a 1MB broadband connection.

Halo Reach Beta Trial - Our Gameplay Feedback

As dedicated players of the Halo games we have been giving the beta version of Halo Reach a workout.

Halo Reach is the next installment in the Halo saga, and according to some surveys one of the most anticipated game releases of 2010. 

The fact that Microsoft and Bungie are conducting a beta trial of such hot property on a wide scale is good news in itself. Already over a million gamers have signed up for the trial, ourselves included.

So what do we make of it? Read on to find out what we think works, and what might not be quite the step forward the developers were hoping for.

Reactive Music: Can artists learn from game developers?

Music has always played an important role in the story of video games and with the recent interest in game controller interfaces (2:27) and distribution channels like the Rock Band Network, video games are playing an increasingly important role in the story of music. Does the emergence of Reactive Music create opportunities for artists to learn from game composers?

Reactive music adapts to a listener’s environment by using the cameras, microphones, accelerometers, touch-screens and GPS features in media players to affect reactive musical Scenes. The field is being pioneered by RjDj who produce Reactive Music apps for the iPhone. Several artists including Air have made scenes available through the RjDj network.

Using games to make up for bad UI?

 

Microsoft have introduced a game called Ribbon Hero that helps teach people to use their new interface for Office effectively. An attempt at fixing a bad UI or an innovative way of teaching how to use new software...? Let us know what you think!

GDC 2010 Highlights

This year GDC, the game developers conference was held in San Francisco. Around 18,000 people reportedly attended the conference. We jetted over last week to get all the latest news including the announcement of the Sony Move - Sony's new motion controller device that goes up against the Wii. Once we got to the expo floor there was a lot more to see, from 3D gaming, to middleware platforms, to the latest in mobile games and mobile gaming technology. Before all this, however, we had business to attend to...