Duration: 18:16

219 views

5

It’s amazing how many things in the world of games aren’t actually games. PCs and Consoles are quickly filling up with game launchers, multiple stores, companion apps, communication tools, game overlays, and a myriad of other features and apps. These aren’t games – they don’t have headshots or level navigation or enemy types – but they are integral to the gaming experience.

So how does Games User Research work for these experiences? Yes there’s straightforward usability and removing blockers. But as an industry, we know the value of playtesting and getting attitudinal data from our users.

In Xbox Research, we’ve been tackling this question for the past few years – How do we go beyond fun and look at the attitudinal measures for non-game experiences?

In this talk, we’ll review the needs for this track of work: simplicity, growing the funnel and a focus on our ecosystem. And how we brought the motivations and constructs from games to non-games. And how effective it has been in shaping how we build and ship these experiences for Xbox.
Tom Lorusso is a User Research lead in Xbox committed to using applied research to get closer to our mission of “Gaming for Everyone!” Tom focuses on a mix of games, platform and accessibility in his current role. And has previously worked on Windows, mobile and medical devices. He’s happiest when he’s at the crux of software, hardware and services. Or out on the soccer field. Tom is currently hooked on Minecraft Dungeons, Call of Duty Warzone and Hearthstone Battlegrounds.

Lauren White joined Microsoft in early 2015. Before that, she was sharpening her skills as a user researcher with consumer products. She has a BA in psychology from Reed College, and a PhD in media psychology from Fielding Graduate University. She is currently working on the Xbox platform shell with a focus on Xbox ecosystem experiences. When not working, she’s gardening or looking up at space and wondering when we’ll get to Mars.