UX of Onboarding and Player Engagement

Celia Hodent, PhD. @CeliaHodent Director of UX @ Epic Games

Perception Cognitive Science

Interaction Human Factors Satisfaction

Emotions HCI

User Research UX Design UX Strategy Interaction Design …

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion REMINDER: How the brain learns

PERCEPTION MEMORY (input) (synaptic modification)

INFLUENCING FACTORS

INFO PROCESSING

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Perception: How it works

Perception is a construct of the mind. It is subjective.

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Perception: It’s subjective

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Memory: How it works

SENSORY MEMORY Part of perception Importance of attention

WORKING MEMORY Short-term – Easily disturbed Requires heavy attentional resources

LONG-TERM MEMORY No known limits in time and space

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Memory: It’s fragile

Forgetting curve:

(Ebbinghaus, 1885)

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Attention: How it works

We are not carefully scanning all of our environment …

Rather, attention works like a spotlight.

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Attention: It’s VERY limited

Multitask

Inattentional blindness (or why we suck at multitasking …)

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion A UX Framework User eXperience Usability GameFlow

 Signs & Feedback  Perceived Pacing (challenge, learning curve, surprises, …)  Clarity  Form Follows Function  Motivation (competence, autonomy, relatedness)  Consistency  Minimum Workload  Emotion  Error Prevention / Recovery (game feel, implicit motivation, …)  Flexibility

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Why does onboarding matter?

Awareness

Acquisition

Retention players

% % of …

Cumulative playtime (hours – non linear) Source: Steam Spy (Warframe)

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Onboarding: Elements to consider

Discovery Learning Immersion

First steps, remove Teach efficiently Engage & the barriers about your game Motivate

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Learning Principles

• Behavioral Psychology Principles

• Cognitive Psychology Principles

• Constructivist Psychology Principles

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Discovery Learning Immersion Working Memory: Limitations

WM is composed of 2 "slave systems" that maintain and process information:

VISUAL-SPATIAL TASKS PHONOLOGICAL TASKS MOTOR TASKS (LANGUAGE IN ALL FORMATS)

 It’s nearly impossible to do 2 complex tasks of the same type.  It can be trained (but only to a certain extent).

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Divided Attention

Fortnite: fort behind is being attacked but the Constructor player does not even look at the pop up info (red circle is eyetracking)

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Cognitive Load Theory

Working memory span = 3 “items” on average

Paragon alpha: first minutes of play

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Limit cognitive load: Affordances

4 kinds of affordances in UX design:

• Physical affordance • Cognitive affordance • Sensory affordance • Functional affordance

The perceivable part of an affordance is a signifier (cf. Don Norman’s work)

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Affordances

Physical affordance (or “real” affordance)

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Affordances

Cognitive affordance (or “perceived” affordance)

Fortnite: 3 different symbols help understand there are 3 types of materials and how many of each the player has.

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Affordances Cognitive affordance going wrong: false affordance

Fortnite: only the pickaxe is the right tool to harvest in Fortnite (functionality) but players believe axes can efficiently harvest wood. Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Affordances

Sensory affordance

Fortnite: Sensory affordance Player doesn’t realize that he’s slotting the same worker « Click to respawn » violated (red corner signifier not working)

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Affordances Functional affordance

Fortnite: inventory categories and pinning are functional affordances

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Affordances

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Discovery: Key takeaway

Discovery Learning Immersion

Attention limitations Mind the… Cognitive load Easy to make sense of Main Objective: Remove barriers

Use (i.e.)… Usability principles

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Discovery Learning Immersion Application: Context and Meaning The deeper you process information (= focus your attention) the better you learn/retain … DON’T PUNISH Context = learning by doing WHILE Meaning = worthwhile now (for player’s life/mission/goal) TEACHING!!

Paragon alpha (loading screen) Fortnite alpha (door tutorial) Fortnite alpha (door tutorial iteration) No context, no meaning Context, no meaning Context and meaning

LEARN THEN DO LEARNING BY DOING (shallow process, (deeper process when in context, weak motivation) greater motivation with meaning)

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Cognitive Load Theory

Fortnite: PvP prototype for ux testing

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion The Case of Loading Screens: Psychology of Waiting

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Engaging Tutorials: Teach the *why*

WHY?  Motivate players

HOW?  3 main points

WHAT?  Interactive elements

Cf. Simon Sinek UX Testing

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion The deeper the process the better the retention

Lecture

Reading

Audiovisual Depth of cognitive process

Discussion in group

Practice by doing Teach others (social) The learning pyramid Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Memory lapse

Encoding Deficit Information was superficially encoded because of a lack of attention, or because of a failed elaboration process.

 Draw attention

Storage Deficit Information was correctly encoded, but weakens with time.

 Repetition (in different contexts)

Recall Deficit Information is available in memory but is momentarily inaccessible  Reminders

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Memory lapse: ENCODING deficit

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Memory lapse: STORAGE deficit

Pinning = no info storage needed

No Pinning = info storage needed

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Memory lapse: RECALL deficit

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Tutorials: repetition The spacing effect of reminders:

Teach Reminder Teach A3 A4 A5 feature A A2 feature B B2 B3

100%

% Retention (memory) Retention %

0% Time elapsed

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Implicit Learning: Behavioral Psychology

Classical Conditioning (Pavlov)

When 2 events happen close to each other repeatedly, you implicitly learn to link them (associative learning).

How about this stimulus?* *Courtesy of MGS’s Players Conditioning Program

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Learning: Key takeaway

Discovery Learning Immersion

Attention limitations Memory load Mind the… Cognitive load Memory lapse Easy to make sense of Easy to learn Main Objective: Remove barriers Context and Meaning

Use (i.e.)… Usability principles Learning principles

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Discovery Learning Immersion Motivation

Motivation helps attention

Concept of number in Piaget’s task (using tokens)

Succeeded at 6-7 yo

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Motivation

Motivation helps attention

Concept of number in Piaget’s task (using tokens) vs. in Mehler’s task (using candies)

Succeeded at 2 yo!

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Motivation

EXPLICIT IMPLICIT MOTIVATION MOTIVATION

Extrinsic motivation Life and death drives (rewards) Power seeking

Intrinsic motivation Brain pleasure center (Self-Determination Theory: (learning, novelty) competence, autonomy, relatedness) Brain reward circuitry

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Motivation: Teasing

Zelda – Phantom Hourglass (DS)

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Motivation: Teasing

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Motivation: Teasing

Fortnite HUD (march 2015)

Fortnite HUD (march 2016)

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Motivation

Short-term Mid-term Long-term • Win the Match • Beat the next trainer • Beat the Elite Four

• Catch more Pokémon • Evolve your Pokémon • Gotta catch ‘em all

Pokémon Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Social Impact in Learning

Team Fortress 2

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Immersion: Key takeaway

Discovery Learning Immersion

Attention limitations Memory load Emotional response Mind the… Cognitive load Memory lapse Complexity (vs. depth) Easy to make sense of Easy to learn Tease Main Objective: Remove barriers Context and Meaning Show progression path

Use (i.e.)… Usability principles Learning principles Motivation principles

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion

Onboarding: Elements to consider

Discovery Learning Immersion

First steps, remove Teach efficiently Engage & the barriers about your game Motivate

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion A UX Framework: ingredients User eXperience Usability GameFlow

 Signs & Feedback  Perceived Pacing (challenge, learning curve, surprises, …)  Clarity  Form Follows Function  Motivation (competence, autonomy, relatedness)  Consistency  Minimum Workload  Emotion  Error Prevention / Recovery (game feel, implicit motivation, …)  Flexibility

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Iteration This is not a recipe … only a few ingredients … Iteration is key!

League of Legends - beta

Intro Discovery Learning Immersion Conclusion Game UX Summit (May 12th): epicgames.com/game-ux-summit @CeliaHodent

Book WIP: Slides: celiahodent.com (up soon!) The Gamer’s Brain (2017, CRC Press)