As the development of games evolves, game developers have noticed that focusing on a player-centric development process and culture results in a positive user experience that leads to improved user engagement. The trend has resulted in creation of UX design teams and Games User Research teams dedicated to enhancing the player experience.
What is UX?
UX is a short form of User Experience. It is a branch of game design that focuses on gamers’ psychology, behavior, and thinking patterns. Game developers use UX to ensure that they develop games that capture their vision. Thanks to this approach, games have become more immersive. When you log into an online gambling platform like Betway, you’ll experience immense enjoyment while playing slot games. Do you know why? The developers invested in UX!
UX and UI
Many people confuse UX (User Experience) and UI (User Interface). But the two are different. For example, UX is concerned about players’ experience, while UI covers multiple screens, game levels, pages, and other visual elements that players use to interact with the online gaming platform.
Why UX is Important in Online Gaming Platforms
Creating a distinctive and pleasing gaming experience is not as straightforward as it sounds. But, if the developers always put the end-user first, they will likely create an immersive gaming experience.
UX is the bridge that ensures the designers’ vision results in a fun and intuitive player experience. One of UX’s roles is to make sense of the game because the games come with rules and require engagement with specific features and mechanics. The typical UX approach is to solve user needs meaning developers must provide in-game solutions and create challenges for gamers to overcome intuitively.
UX Design and Gameplay
Video games offer gamers a multi-sensory experience that involves them physically and mentally. In this regard, designers use UX to improve accessibility, usability, and ergonomics.
Additionally, UX helps to bring the players back to the game. For example, it allows developers to create multiple features that attract players back into the game. Examples of these features include the progressive bar, badges, and counters that tell the player there is still more ground to cover.
UX designers must learn what motivates gamers and the rewards they love. The UX designers are also responsible for ensuring the gamers are not frustrated by a poorly explained game.
UX Design and Player Emotions
A well-crafted UX can stir up powerful emotions. For instance, a game’s environment or background music usually sets the mood for the game’s scenes. If you enjoy video slots on top-rated platforms like Betway, you must have experienced some immersive background music that sets the slot games’ tone.
These elements usually help create the game’s storyline and emotional connection with the player. Most players play games for fun, meaning emotions are the label and filter they use to determine whether the gaming experience is positive or negative.
Final Thoughts
The UX design sector has progressively grown into one of the most critical sectors for industries offering online services. For example, the gaming sector has realized this truth, and the stakeholders and taking steps in the right direction. Gamers should expect to enjoy more immersive experiences as UX designers understand their needs better.
