What Game Design Can Teach Us (BayCHI)

"More is known about making things usable than making them fun. Player experiences are not user experiences. We do not play computer games because they are usable. We play because they are fun.

As computers integrate themselves into more aspects of our lives, it follows that the services they provide should be self-motivating. This is more true of computer games than any other category of computing. So exploring the interaction between player and game provides product designers and usability professionals a fresh perspective on affective computing.

It's not the game, it's not the graphics, it's not the story, and it's not the AI. People play games for the experiences that games create:

- Hard Fun
- Easy Fun
- Altered States
- The People Factor

Creating more compelling experiences is the key to creating better games. Nicole will offer insight for the usability professional into what people like most about popular games through mastering difficult challenges and social interaction."

Nicole Lazzaro - Tuesday, February 8, 2005: Monthly Program (BayCHI) PARC's George E. Pake Auditorium, Palo Alto, CA.