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<u>'''Zachary Andrew Bloom'''</u>
Normal 0 false false false EN-CA X-NONE X-NONE Introduction
Game console UI follows the same design principles that a computer application does. The main difference that game console UI has from desktop application UIs is the focus of certain HCI principles. It takes a different thought process in developing these UIs to yield desirable user likability. Games should be pleasing to the senses, and so presenting information isn’t at the pinnacle of design for UI but rather that it visually looks cool. Does this mean that information isn’t important? Or rather that it just takes a backseat compared to visual displays that “wow” the user? No, it is still very important that gamers may find and navigate their console’s UI just as any other application. There are different options available to game console UI, some better and some worse than average desktop application UIs. Xbox360’s dashboard, PS3’s XMB, and Wii’s UIs are similar in that they place similar amounts of emphasis on similar elements of the UI. The main different between each system is the “wow” effect on visuals.
What makes it so different?
When analyzing the different elements of UI there are many factors that must be considered other than just what is on the display itself (though that is a part of it).
Inputs
Comparing console UIs to other UIs, there are drastically different kinds of inputs. Game consoles’ main input is a controller – the tool users use to play games. The main input for computer applications is mouse and keyboard. Designers have to take into account that the input is so different that some actions must be completely rethought.
A good example of changes on UI due to input is textboxes. Textboxes are common for anyone who uses a computer, and are pretty standard way to receive input quickly from a user. Textboxes run into problems with game consoles due to the lack of a keyboard. They are used only when receiving text is unavoidable. Controllers make it difficult to type because users are not offered any lettered keys that can give them the letter they look for in a single button press, this should be obvious when looking at any controller. What has to be done instead is to provide the user the option to type with a virtual qwerty keyboard, this very annoying to a user due to the amount of effort involved.
Motion sensors have started being implemented in most modern consoles now and provide a whole new aspect in designing UI. The difficulties it may cause are with buttons. Designers must use larger buttons so that gamers have a larger area to “click”. Gamers have much more sensitive controls with motion sensors, so that makes it harder to point and click that may be harder to navigate with. Console UIs seem to swing more towards being able to handle input from motion sensor. Starting with the Wii, the controller itself had point and button press built in it (this is how it was marketed), the UI was built to be completely navigable. PS3 and Xbox360 were originally used only a controller with no motion sensor, but recently there have been add-ons to the systems to allow motion sensor input. The UI has limited capabilities in handling these motion sensor inputs, but with the popularity of these games/inputs it will be only a matter of time until the UI can be completely navigable with motion sensor inputs.
Displays
The displays that consoles use are generally T.Vs. This creates some complications in design as compared to monitors for computers. Designers must realize two differences: size and distance. Size and distance are balanced by the user. Some prefer to use small T.Vs and sit at a close distance, while others prefer to larger T.V and sit further away.
What designers need to be aware of is that in some cases the font size or pictures that they use may be too small for some users. Discretion must be used to determine optimal settings for displays.
Network Connectivity
Modern Console UI now employs some networked services. Some of the services that are offered on the majority of consoles now are: game downloading, movie viewing, and various other network services. Design principles show that with any UI you should attempt to lower loading times to an acceptable manner.
Each service offered in the UI should load in an acceptable time, but what is acceptable to the user? Well to many users they understand that the more intensive activities require more time to complete. This means activities such as downloading a 6 GB game should not be expected to download in no time. The designers have mitigated this long download time though, by it not locking up your system (users can do other things with the console while they wait for the game to download). Smaller items, like viral videos should load smoothly as if on their desktop. Icons and text downloaded from the internet should be done seamlessly so that users do not even notice that it is from a network resource.
Designers should realize the capabilities set by the console. The NIC (network interface card) on each console can handle only so large of files to be downloaded. They must accept that some users do not have that fast of an internet, and therefore their consoles not have that fast of a connection as well. Make sure that users are not burdened by so much content on one page, that it takes a long time to load for an average network speed.
Personalization
On all recent consoles some form of personalization exists. Some of the personalized elements are avatars to represent users, custom background and icons. The benefit to this personalization is to make the user feel as if they are more comfortable. Users control their own profile which has their own avatar that looks like themselves, their favourite background picture, and the most visually appealing look and feel. The familiarity this experience provides allows users to not only visually enjoy their UI, but better understand all the information/tasks.
The huge task of personalization must provide the user many options to make it truly feel as if it is their personalized theme. Avatars are usually outfitted with more options then users know what to do with, and they enjoy it that way, otherwise the avatar will not look similar to the user, and therefore lose its value. Look-and-feel should be created by 3rd party designers since they are normally too sophisticated to create for users, but need too many to provide any real variation for the console designer to create them.
Other personalized elements should be controlled by the user, so providing interfaces for them to do so is favourable. This is noticeable with background images; they can be uploaded from computers, and used.
What HCI principles do console UIs focus on?
Because of the very noticeable differences with game consoles and desktop applications, there is a difference of focus when it comes to HCI principles. The principles guide designers into how to make an efficient UI, so analyzing each aspect would give insight into what is focused, and how it is applicable to modern game console UI.
Perceptual principles
These principles are based on how information is presented so that it is perceived by the user properly.
“Make displays Legible” is applicable in all text and pictures. The text must be made at the right size so that users may be able to read it. It becomes noticeable as T.V. size and distance must be taken into account for how legible the text will be. More focus must be put into so that users may see all text.
Top down processing and avoiding absolute judgement limits are both taken into accounts but not as focused. Top down processing will be noticed with a familiar loading screen, or downloads/file transfers – these make the UI easier to understand. Avoiding absolute judgement limits is a hard principle to break as consoles are limited by their input. There is little to be done for adjusting precise settings with an absolute judgement. The only applicable variable would be for colour schemes, but there are full previews to mitigate the confusion that may be applicable.
Mental model principles
Mental model principles explain best practices with
Gamers are used to navigating with a controller and so when they are asked to navigate
6.1. PERCEPTUAL PRINCIPLES
6.1.1. Make displays legible (or audible)
A display’s legibility is critical and necessary for designing
a usable display. If the characters or objects being
displayed cannot be discernible, then the operator cannot
effectively make use of them.
Is used within the OS of gaming, very obvious to note. It goes under the assumption that you have specific displays. PS3 Xbox360, and wii all have issues with legibility on smaller televisions. The handhelds are where gaming companies have a say when it comes to display, they determine the screen size and therefore can strictly control how legible the fonts and pictures are.
6.1.2. Avoid absolute judgment limits
Do not ask the user to determine the level of a variable on
the basis of a single sensory variable (e.g. color, size,
loudness). These sensory variables can contain many
possible levels.
Does not apply. Even in personalization of the look-and-feel for game consoles OS, it limits the options available. Picture/icon size is very large and they are fixed sizes. Changing font sizes is not supported in any of the large modern gaming console UIs. Loudness is usually handled through the t.v. or the games themselves, there is no modifying it within the OS.
6.1.3. Top-down processing
Signals are likely perceived and interpreted in accordance
with what is expected based on a user’s past experience. If
a signal is presented contrary to the user’s expectation,
more physical evidence of that signal may need to be
presented to assure that it is understood correctly.
Loading screens are shown with bars that fill that go along with the progress. Copying files over onto the system show a similar UI.
Xbox360
games
Games are sorted by last played being at the top – players expect this as most players will continue the game that they had last played. There is also an expectation that there are games that are not physically on a disk that are contained on the hard drive
PS3/PSP
games
Games are sorted by last added to the system, newer at the top, older at the bottom. The top of the list will always be the disk that is in the PS3. This goes under the assumption that there is not many downloaded games and that players are generally playing games through the disk.
Wii
games
Wii uses channels to show UI. Most ui elements in channels are displayed in a tile format. It is read like a book – newest elements are the top left, oldest are at the bottom right. There are channels with singular elements (disk channel – only one disk in the console) it normally will take up the whole screen.
6.1.4. Redundancy gain
If a signal is presented more than once, it is more likely
that it will be understood correctly. This can be done by
presenting the signal in alternative physical forms (e.g.
color and shape, voice and print, etc.), as redundancy does
not imply repetition. A traffic light is a good example of
redundancy, as color and position are redundant.
Xbox 360
There is similar menu items that are presented through both the OS UI and the UI presented when hitting xbox guide button(big button with the xbox logo in center of the controller).
All systems
There is redundancy with options for what with preferences in a gamer profile, they become redundant within games themselves as players may be able to change those options within the game itself.
6.1.5. Similarity causes confusion: Use discriminable
elements
Signals that appear to be similar will likely be confused.
The ratio of similar features to different features causes
signals to be similar. For example, A423B9 is more similar
to A423B8 than 92 is to 93. Unnecessary similar features
should be removed and dissimilar features should be
highlighted.
6.2 MENTAL MODEL PRINCIPLES
6.2.1. Principle of pictorial realism
A display should look like the variable that it represents
(e.g. high temperature on a thermometer shown as a higher
vertical level). If there are multiple elements, they can be
configured in a manner that looks like it would in the
represented environment.
Game icons are represented as disks. With the Wii specifically, when a disk is inserted you see the blank disk being inserted on the display, as it then later turns into the display for the game after it has loaded the disk. PSP, games are represented as UMD’s they happen to look different then normal disks. Games are allowed to display icons or small movies with music if they want. This functionality helps represent the games that are being represented within the system. The icon/music/movie clip helps players interpret and realize that the game they are hovering over is the game that they have bought(and should therefore recognize).
6.2.2. Principle of the moving part
Moving elements should move in a pattern and direction
compatible with the user’s mental model of how it actually
moves in the system. For example, the moving element on
an altimeter should move upward with increasing altitude.
Wii System and their disk loading.
6.3 PRINCIPLES BASED ON ATTENTION
6.3.1. Minimizing information access cost
When the user’s attention is diverted from one location to
another to access necessary information, there is an
associated cost in time or effort. A display design should
minimize this cost by allowing for frequently accessed
sources to be located at the nearest possible position.
However, adequate legibility should not be sacrificed to
reduce this cost.
The Wii takes special note in this priniciple. The system has to make large displays on the currently selected element so that the player would most likely perform actions, this display takes up a large portion of the screen. The user should also be able to navigate away from the currently selected item, it handles this by keeping similar icons to back out or move forward from the specific item, in similar places. Overall this design makes it enjoyable for the majority of users, first time users may have difficulty noticing the icons to navigate away.
6.3.2. Proximity compatibility principle
Divided attention between two information sources may be
necessary for the completion of one task. These sources
must be mentally integrated and are defined to have close
mental proximity. Information access costs should be low,
which can be achieved in many ways (e.g. close proximity,
linkage by common colors, patterns, shapes, etc.).
However, close display proximity can be harmful by
causing too much clutter.
N/A none comes to mind
6.3.3. Principle of multiple resources
A user can more easily process information across
different resources. For example, visual and auditory
information can be presented simultaneously rather than
presenting all visual or all auditory information.
6.4 MEMORY PRINCIPLES
6.4.1. Replace memory with visual information:
knowledge in the world
A user should not need to retain important information
solely in working memory or to retrieve it from long-term
memory. A menu, checklist, or another display can aid the
user by easing the use of their memory. However, the use
of memory may sometimes benefit the user by eliminating
the need to reference some type of knowledge in the world
(e.g. an expert computer operator would rather use direct
commands from memory than refer to a manual). The use
of knowledge in a user’s head and knowledge in the world
must be balanced for an effective design.
Due to the contextual nature of all game console UIs there are pictures that help represent ideas and pictures, this makes it easier for people who are new to gaming able to navigate systems easily. On the other end of the spectrum, due to the limited amount of input there are very few advanced commands for experts to utilize from memory. The only advantage experts have from memory is piecing together the shortest path to whatever command they need. There are a few exceptions to this idea, one of them is the command turn off the system. On all modern system UIs you are able to turn off the system through a command, but to an average user they may only be aware of how to turn off the console through the power button.
6.4.2. Principle of predictive aiding
Proactive actions are usually more effective than reactive
actions. A display should attempt to eliminate resource-
demanding cognitive tasks and replace them with simpler
perceptual tasks to reduce the use of the user’s mental
resources. This will allow the user to not only focus on
current conditions, but also think about possible future
conditions. An example of a predictive aid is a road sign
displaying the distance from a certain destination.
This principle is best shown in all the previews that the UI provides. When opening up the game menu in just about every UI you have it will provide previews to the games available to better aid the user in finding the game they would like to play. With the Xbox dashboard there are many previews to all channels available, so that a user may see what is new within a specific channel before entering (especially useful with online content), XMB (PS3) and the Wii’s UI provide similar experiences. When downloading online material the information is provided beforehand before the user is asked to download, this is true in all content, except in updates(and sometimes those can be avoided too).
6.4.3. Principle of consistency
Old habits from other displays will easily transfer to
support processing of new displays if they are designed in
a consistent manner. A user’s long-term memory will
trigger actions that are expected to be appropriate. A
design must accept this fact and utilize consistency among
different displays.
This principle is more true when comparing the PS3 to the PSP. They use similar operating systems called the XMB. But there has to be difference due to functionality. The PS3 has more online features compared to the PSP. This is due to the mobility and the lack of speed of the PSP. The PS3 allows a provides the user the option to turn off the system from one of its menu, while the PSP doesn’t. this is due to the physical distance that the user is expected to be away from the system. The PSP is expected to be in the hands of the user at all times, while the PS3 is to sit next to a t.v. out of arms’ reach.
Whether it was a fluke or not, there is some consistency between with UI in the PS3 and Xbox 360. They both feature UIs that are navigated in 2 dimensions (only up/down and left/right). This provides familiarity when switching between systems easier in terms of navigation.
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