The user experience is arguably the most crucial aspect of creating video games; good UX design can make the difference between a smash hit and a game that is impossible to play; it can keep players hooked for hours on end or cause them to give up; and it can even make or break a studio, with class-action lawsuits brought against developers who release buggy games.
It has traditionally been the responsibility of game designers and testers to comprehend player behaviors and thought processes, test their games with actual players, and iterate based on feedback. But as video games have gotten bigger, more complex, and more ambitious, dedicated UX staff—from designers to analysts—have played an increasingly important role in ensuring that the game
How Does UI/UX Design Fit Into the Video Game Industry
The fundamental objective of UX/UI design in the video game industry is the same as the fundamental objective of UX/UI design in other industries: to create a positive user experience that will increase user engagement, retention, and, depending on the product or service, conversion. However, there are many different ways that UX/UI design can be used, and in the creation of video games in particular, UX/UI designers are crucial to the success of the final product.
- understanding a game.
The majority of video games are structured around rules, demand interaction with specific elements and mechanics, and lead players on a journey, whether that journey involves following a conventional storyline, as in games like The Last of Us, competing for supremacy in real-time strategy games like StarCraft II, or just solving increasingly challenging puzzles, as in Tetris or Candy Crush Saga. No matter how complex a game is, players must be onboarded and educated to some extent; this is where UX designers come into their own in terms of aiding players in “getting” what they are supposed to do.
- lowering cognitive resistance
According to UX Planet, “the traditional UX approach is all about solving users’ needs.” In contrast, “the gaming UX approach introduces challenges to users to entertain them whilst simplifying the underlying complexities that come along with the challenges.” In other words, game developers and UX designers are placed in the unique position of not only solving problems for players, but they’re also responsible for creating the challenges that players are expected to overcome. To minimize cognitive friction for players and enable them to process the upcoming gaming challenges as well as interact with the game’s mechanics to overcome them, challenge and solution must be seamless and simple.
- accessibility, ergonomics, and usability.
Due to the frequent mental and physical entanglement of players with the rules and mechanics of video games, these games can present special usability challenges. UX designers can act as players’ advocates and aid in the development of a game because video games frequently involve multiple senses and accessibility issues must be taken into account. For instance, the developers of The Last of Us Part II were able to incorporate more than 60 accessibility settings, allowing those with vision, hearing, and motor impairments to enjoy the game.
- bringing back players.
Developers and UX designers include dozens of features in their games in addition to making them entertaining, such as progress bars, badges, and other counters that alert players to the fact that they still have work to do. Understanding what drives a player to come back, how they feel rewarded, and figuring out ways to satiate the user through game design are major components of a UX professional’s job.
UX/UI Designer Job Roles and Responsibilities in the Video Game Industry
Most UX/UI designers bring technical design skills to the table, including knowledge of tools like Sketch, Invision Studio, Proto.io, Webflow, Balsamiq, and Axure as well as the ability to conduct and interpret user research, wireframe and prototype, and create interactive designs and information architecture. H
owever, understanding video game mechanics and striking a balance between removing obstacles for players without subverting a game’s intended objectives are additional skills that UX/UI designers in the video game industry must possess. According to Philippe Chambon, a UX designer, “the focus is not to make the game easy, but rather to make it so the player can easily experience the gambling software .
FAQS
In the video game industry, UX/UI designers have some important duties like: locating and fixing problems with communication in a game. For instance, can the player easily identify their opponents?
Does the game provide sufficient visual, aural, or other sensory cues to lead the player to their objectives? According to UX Planet, new games like Overwatch and Team Fortress 2 have adopted Quake’s cue of using the color red to represent enemies. locating and resolving problems with usability, particularly those that concern control inputs and game mechanics developing user-centered design solutions by carrying out design experiments and A/B testing, hearing from users, and staying up to date with industry trends aiding design teams to identify the features that
UX/UI designer salaries ?
In the video game industry According to a LinkedIn report, UX/UI design is one of the top five most sought-after skills among hiring managers, and demand is predicted to increase throughout 2021. The demand for designers who can enhance user experiences will increase as video game budgets increase, games themselves become more ambitious, and the bar for the player experience is raised.
