There were lots of great topics discussed at the Canterbury Game Dev and Creative Tech Day 2024. It’s clear that usability is pretty well baked into games, from what I’m hearing, which is a great sign! I focused on Usability is a Culture and talked about how usability has been used well the past several decades.
Good usability makes a good game!
Have a quick read through my presentation. In it I outline the value of UX in games by taking a walk down memory lane.
UX is a culture. It’s embedded in the studio experience as well as the player experience and it can be consciously designed. When this is done right, Cultural Value occurs (see Fortnite mentioned in other games and movies!) and monetary value/profit usually follows.
Convenience + Creative Intent = Cultural Value (increased profits)
The key takeaway
The trick is tracking data on UX improvements to make sure Usability is a Culture is well represented throughout game development.
