Dead Island 2
Case Study
Summary
I collaborated with Dambuster to assess the first-hour impression, focusing on gameplay, balance, and pacing. We conducted a playtest, analyzed the data, and identified key issues in the gameplay experience. The insights led to actionable recommendations. The implemented changes optimized gameplay balance, refined pacing, and enhanced usability, resulting in increased player appreciation and trust in the brand, as confirmed by positive feedback from follow-up evaluations.
Situation
Stakeholders had identified concerns regarding gameplay balance, pacing, usability, player appreciation, and brand trust, all critical factors in retaining player engagement and fostering a positive perception.
Tasks
I aimed to comprehensively identify the key concerns and perceptions regarding the first-hour experience, which involved collaboration with my Research Lead and Junior UX Researcher at GamesLab.
Actions
I worked closely with stakeholders from Deep Silver Dambuster to define and prioritize the research objectives, focusing on the critical aspects of the first-hour gameplay experience.
My teammates and I crafted a detailed research strategy, designing surveys and crafting participant instructions to capture targeted feedback on identified concerns in gameplay balance, pacing, and usability.
We conducted playtest sessions with 25 participants from our target demographic to ensure that our findings represented diverse perspectives.
I evaluated the data collected from these playtests and surveys, uncovering patterns and deriving insights into the core issues.
I synthesized the results into actionable recommendations, which I presented to the game development team. I advised on specific improvements to gameplay balance, pacing, usability, player appreciation, and brand trust.
Results
The analysis clearly showed the issues with the first-hour gameplay experience. It highlighted the need for adjustments in gameplay balance to challenge players without frustrating them, improvements in pacing to maintain engagement without overwhelming users, and enhancements in usability for a smoother onboarding process.
Outcomes
Optimized Gameplay Balance: Dambuster adjusted the gameplay to ensure it was challenging yet accessible, effectively addressing concerns of potential player frustration.
Refined Pacing: Pacing adjustments kept players engaged through carefully calibrated challenges and story development progression.
Enhanced Usability: Usability improvements facilitated an intuitive and welcoming onboarding experience for new players.
Increased Player Appreciation and Brand Trust: These modifications led to a tangible increase in player appreciation and trust in the brand, as corroborated by the positive feedback from follow-up surveys and playtest sessions.
