About the Course, COSC 324 Designing for Humans:

COSC 324, Designing for Humans: Usability in Game Design, is a core course in the Bachelor of Technical or Professional Studies in Simulation & Digital Entertainment at the University of Baltimore.

This course introduces the concepts of play design and systematic software testing to students of interactive simulation and computer gaming. Students learn basic principles of interface and software construction and apply them to practical problems of game evaluation.

To summarize, this course teaches us that we should NOT make something that is difficult to use, and it gives us the knowledge and tools to evaluate and improve what we do make.

My Assignment and Your Participation:

The assignment is to create a playable game in one of several platforms (XNA, Flash or GameMaker) that we then use in for something called Usability Testing. Once the game is completed, a Usability Test Plan needs to be created which includes a survey or questionnaire to be completed by each of the Game's Playtesters. There are many types of usability game testing but the two types to be employed for this assignment are:

• Survey / Questionnaire Playtesting is where a Playtester plays the game and then provides feedback and information about both the game play experience as well as themselves (for demographic reasons only) through a survey questionnaire.
  
  
• Think-Aloud Testing is where the Playtester is encouraged to say whatever they are thinking or comes into their mind as they are playing the game. While this is happening a moderator directs and asks questions of the Playtester, as a silent Observer takes notes on the Playtester's reactions. This is extremely useful to the testing process as facial expressions, reactions and comments cannot be reflected in just a questionnaire. Sometimes Think-Aloud Testing is video recorded for further analysis. The same Questionnaire is also required to be filled out by the Think-Aloud Playtesters.
  
  

I need your help in tesing my game:

Will you help by becoming a Game Playtester?
Specifically I need 30 Playtesters for the first type of testing. This includes playing my game and filingl out an online questionnaire. If you choose to help me, you will need to:

• Download and run the game file (PC only) via the link below.
  Instructions on how to do this are also available via a different link below.
  
  
• Play the game as long as you like, but ideally play it for at least 10 minutes.
  • Make note of things that are NOT clear or intuitive affecting how you play or navigate the game.
  • Look for issues that affect how you interact with this game in terms of:
    • efficiency
    • effectiveness
    • and satisfaction
  • What things about the game DO work well?
  • What would make the game better or easier to use?
    
    
  Things about the game:
  • You don't need the mouse to play. Eventually you be able to use the large visible buttons using a mouse, the arrow keys or a Gamepad but right now it is only keyboard based.
  • There is no sound. Again later I hope to have audio feedback on all the actions you make.
    
    
• Try to Cashout with a Bankroll over $100. If you lose before the 10 minutes is up, restart and play the game again.
  
  
• And finally, answer all of the questions of the online Questionnaire (also linked to below)
  before November 19, 2011 to be counted as part of this survey.
  
  Your feedback is essential for a viable study!
  
  

Another way to participate is as a Think-Aloud Game Playtester
Think-Aloud Testing will be done by invitation only, as this portion of the testing requires us to target special and differeing demographic populations. It also requires more resources and coordination because of the in-person-nature of the testing. I will need five Think-Aloud Playtesters.

If you are interested in participating in the Think-Aloud Testing, please DO send me an email with your name and phone number so that we can talk about how you might fit the needs of the study as well as the logistics of doing the test. My email is:   eugene.moxley2 (at) ubalt.edu

What do you get out of it?

Besides my grateful appreciation, you will get for free both the first iteration of my game, as well as a link at the end of the sememster to download the new and improved version of the game based upon the feedback received from the testing results. I will also post my findings from the testing study for your review.

Also please know that I will not use or disclose any of your personal information in the reporting of my findings, or associate you with your answers from the questionnaire. The data will only be associated with demographic groups and used only for the reasons outlined above, for the imporovement of my game and the successful completion of this course.

Thank you very much in advance for your help!

Here are the links you will need to participate:

• The original first release version of the game to test is on the following page with instructions on to how to install and start the program. I am sorry that Microsoft does not make this easier:  
  
  Sonny's Video Poker Game Download and Install
  
  
  
• The online questionnaire is here:   COSC 324 Questionnaire
  
  Please submit your questionnaire by November 19, 2011 to make sure it is counted!
  
  
  
• The improved version of the game will be here:   [Sonny's Video Poker Game - FINAL VERSION]
  (at or around December 14, 2011)