Chapter Seventeen (B)

Further Thoughts from Steve Swink on Game Usability

(Editors’ note: We asked Steve for a chapter on game feel, and he submitted that as well his musings about usability and games, more generally speaking. We include much of that rant here, because it is another interesting and valuable developer perspective on how to think about usability. Enjoy!)

17.3 Game Testing and Homework

If there’s one thing I learned about videogame players while working on Tony Hawk Underground, it’s that no one will ever read text if they have the ability to skip it. For this reason (among others), the success or failure of a videogame can come down to usability. The player must be able to engage with the core challenge of the game without reading ...

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