Dynamic Elements in a 3D World: Eye Tracking in Video Games
The Situation
Many gameplay issues are related to the player’s ability to notice and understand in-game cues and objects. Typical usability techniques do not always provide adequate information regarding player awareness and understanding of these elements.
The Solution
With methods like observation and “Think Aloud”, usability specialists can observe if a player is having difficulties or if he or or she fails a task. But in order to gain additional insight about why a player fails, these methods are limited. Using these techniques we were able to identify when players experienced difficulty but not WHY they were struggling. So, we attempted to answer this question using in-game eye tracking.
The Outcome
The eye tracking data helped quantify player perception of game components, such as heads-up display elements, as well as specific objects within the 3D world. Running the study with eye tracking provided additional insights into players‘ gaze and awareness.
This enabled game designers to assess the effectiveness of key elements in the 3D world and to optimize the placement and visibility of in-game cues and objects.