The Development and Validation of the Game User Experience Satisfaction Scale (GUESS).

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Psychometrics
• Game Studies

Background:

• Playtesting is crucial for game development, but lacks quality assessment tools.
• Existing methods struggle to provide comprehensive player feedback.
• A validated instrument is needed for effective game evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and psychometrically validate a new instrument for measuring video game satisfaction.
• To create a comprehensive scale assessing key factors of player experience.
• To establish a reliable tool for playtesting and game evaluation.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-method design was employed, including item generation, expert review, and pilot testing.
• Exploratory Factor Analysis (N=629) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (N=729) were conducted.
• Scale development followed best practices for psychometric validation.

Main Results:

• The Game User Experience Satisfaction Scale (GUESS) with nine subscales was developed.
• The GUESS demonstrated strong content validity, internal consistency, and convergent/discriminant validity.
• The scale was validated across over 450 unique video game titles and multiple genres.

Conclusions:

• The GUESS is a psychometrically sound instrument for measuring video game satisfaction.
• It can be applied across various game genres and player types.
• The scale aids in assessing user satisfaction and debriefing gaming experiences.