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Designing action games for appealing to buyers
Shang Hwa Hsu1, Feng-Liang Lee, Muh-Cherng Wu
1Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan. shhsu@mail.nctu.edu.tw
Summary
This study reveals key design features that attract game buyers, not just players. Avatar features and appealing presentation significantly impact perceived fun in action games.
Area of Science:
- Game Design
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Consumer Psychology
Background:
- Traditional game design research focuses on player experience, neglecting buyer motivations.
- Understanding buyer preferences is crucial for commercial success in the competitive gaming market.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify specific design features that appeal to game buyers, distinct from player preferences.
- To determine the relative importance of these features in influencing perceived fun.
- To uncover underlying factors that drive buyer engagement with action games.
Main Methods:
- Buyer interviews to identify 39 design features from Pacman game variations.
- Participant evaluation of 28 Pacman versions using identified features.
- Qnet2000 neural network and factor analysis to determine feature importance and underlying factors.
Main Results:
- Top 10 design features explained over 50% of perceived fun.
- Avatar as a key feature for buyers, previously overlooked in player-centric studies.
- Six underlying factors (novelty, presentation, interactivity, challenge, control, reward) explained 54% of variance, with 'appealing presentation' being a novel finding.
Conclusions:
- Game design should consider buyer-centric features like avatars and presentation for market appeal.
- The identified factors provide a framework for developing commercially successful action games.
- Future research should integrate buyer and player perspectives for comprehensive game design strategies.