Mario and Zelda Get It
The last time I had a game console in my house (that wasn’t in a box in the attic), it was in my dorm room – a shiny new Super Nintendo that provided many hours of “nothing-better-to-do” fun often accompanied by a blasting soundtrack of Rush and 90’s grunge. I’ve always been a fan of video games but have resisted the urge to own a console since, for two reasons: (1) on subsequent systems the games seemed to go in the direction of becoming so complicated and needlessly complex that it just became unappealing, and (2) I felt like there were much more productive things to do with my time.
While the latter may still be true, it was the former that was the kicker. Sure, there have been a lot of studies showing the benefits of gaming such as building hand-eye coordination and enhancing problem-solving and relational skills (personally, I recently had a near-miss in the car that would have proven devastating had I not reacted the way I did – and I know without a doubt that the somewhat unconventional action I took was due to my video-gaming past) – not to mention the relationship building that is possible with more than 1 player – so it’s easy to make the argument that it isn’t completely “wasted” time.
But what DOES feel like wasted time, for me anyway, is thumbing through a two inch thick book of complicated button combinations to be prepared for everything a game will throw at you and all of its possible permutations, before even turning the darn thing on. It’s the same reason that complicated board games can be such a drag the first few times you play them.
So, you guessed it, for Christmas this year my wife suggested that we get a Wii. But where I’m going with this isn’t to talk about the more advanced and physical method of interacting (not that it isn’t the coolest EVER – we’ve got Wii Fit and the dancing game and the whole nine, and LOVE it) – but is instead to talk about how the better titles use the elaboration theory to teach while the user (learner) is immersed in the game rather than the “read first, then play” approach.
It isn’t an entirely new concept in video games (or software tutorials, for that matter), and I’ve seen it done with varying levels of success in the past. But being a fan of the classic franchises (Legend of Zelda, Mario Brothers) I of course had to pick up the latest installments – and they really, REALLY get it.
Both games are actually deceptively complicated – and they do indeed have a ton of different button combinations (with the added complexities of various hand movements on the Wii) for the numerous settings and levels. If it were all presented at once in a manual, it would be a daunting volume. Instead, when you begin the games, you can only perform the most basic maneuvers. As you encounter new enemies and problems, there are characters and signs and things that give you information and elaborate on techniques you’ve learned previously, teaching you the new twist you need to know to get past the present obstacle and ones like it in the future. It’s all presented in small chunks, just-in-time for the task at hand, with immediate practice and feedback, and before you know it your wife is yelling at you that “you have to use the Z button and wave the nunchuk back and forth to build things on this level! C’mon!”
But think about it – that last paragraph? Replace the game-speak with dance terms and the progression in a beginner’s dance class is identical. This is one reason why the Wii and these titles in particular are a breath of fresh air – they harken back to a simpler and more effective way of ramping people up to complex behaviors that existed before this type of technology (and technical writers) existed. They’re breaking the trend toward heavier cognitive loads being thrust upon users that some of that technology spawned.
In one of the classes I teach I always harp on applying Keller’s ARCS model to your (instructional) designs – and in particular I’m impressed at how well the techniques discussed above get at the Confidence and Satisfaction pieces of that model; concepts that can sometimes be a little esoteric.
There are certainly many more ideas we can take from games. It’s not a bad idea to look there for inspiration since the percentage of people that play them is growing at a huge rate – even moreso now that platforms like the Wii have blown the doors off of the traditional gaming demographic. Conventions that began with video games are slowly infiltrating other types of media if you know where to look. I recently pitched the idea of “unlocking” additional content in a video game style to encourage medical professionals to voluntarily progress through a system, and it went over like gangbusters. So “wasting” a little time here and there can actually add some additional ideas to your design toolbox.
Also, it’s just fun.
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By Chris, January 23, 2009 @ 10:10 am
Russ, great points about how the Wii and other games lead you down a path where you acquire new features and hone existing skills.
I broke down and bought a PS3 so I’d have a few games and also a blu-ray player. When you mention “Conventions that began with video games are slowly infiltrating other types of media if you know where to look”, I also find the opposite to be true.
As these games have grown more complex, I’ve found more and more usability issues, particularly with naming and labeling conventions, and the bundling of similar information.
I don’t know if EA or Activation has a fleet of IAs or other UX staff currently at the ready. But it seems game developers will need to address the needs those personnel often bring to the table as the gaming industry continues to advance and its audiences grow even more varied than today.
By russ, January 23, 2009 @ 10:51 am
Thanks for the post, Chris – your blog looks like it has some great posts in it; I’ll be digging into that later!
But yes, I absolutely agree with you – even the games I’ve mentioned above have some “head-scratchers” in there that are a bit south of intuitive…and some of the games outside of the big franchises are REALLY out there (reference the original “Cooking Mama” game for an example of that) – even when they’re relatively simple conceptually.
As a larger portion of the population acquires the luxury of being connoisseurs of design, AND as they start to play games in bigger numbers due to the changing nature of the interactions, you’re right – the game designers are going to have to step it up.
Have fun with the PS3, fellow! See you on the blogosphere…
By croharamer, January 26, 2009 @ 10:13 am
Great post, Rusty. I’ve also been very impressed by the way in which the added instruction in wii games is delivered: it is simultaneously helpful AND non-intrusive. As I’m balancing on the tightrope and the bear trap is snapping its way toward me, I can somehow glean from the on-screen instruction what I need to do to without losing my concentration and falling to the street. Excellent design AND delivery of gaming instruction.
By Mike Deutsch, January 27, 2009 @ 2:35 pm
Hey Russ,
I just got a Wii too, and I love the jump-right-in-ness of Wii Sports and Wii Fit. Very intuitive, tons of fun, and I hadn’t really thought about the just-in-time learning thing. Good point.
Two comments: (1) The lack of documentation in the booklets does get frustrating. I’ve played enough video games to know there *has* to be some button combination or body english that they’re not telling me about. Or sometimes I accidentally do one and can’t figure out what I did. I started keeping my laptop open so I could search online for tips — very annoying to have to do, totally breaks the fun/flow of the game. (if you want to leave adulthood for a few minutes and feel like a pimple-faced Nintendo Power reader again, desperate for the new Metroid cheat code, try Googling “wii ski jump technique” or “wii tennis super serve”)
(2) I can tell you most programmers just think about the gameplay itself, documentation being a totally separate part of the product. It takes vision (and probably strong product management) to get a pause-to-learn feature built right *into* the game.
p.s. – female trainer in Wii Fit — cute, or just the male trainer with half-grapefruits glued to his chest? Discuss…
By erntan, February 12, 2009 @ 4:05 pm
gaming design is huge and you bet they have UX expertise.
Wii — hate it, too much work and potential for breakage(my surroundings and my own body). Bad usability IMO.
someone please create a holodeck
By russ, February 16, 2009 @ 9:42 am
Mike – thanks for the comment – good to hear from you, my Neo-Canadian brother! I hear you about the more advanced button combinations that seem to be “hidden”…I don’t know if they’re trying to elicit the excitement of discovery or not, but sometimes it does feel like you’re not being told something that could be very useful. That feeling of “wait, how the heck did I do THAT?” and not being able to recreate it is really frustrating. Another example for me would be “Star Power” function in Guitar Hero – the booklet simply says “hit this button for Star Power!” – and doesn’t explain what the heck that is or why you’d want to do it (I had to go to Wikipedia for the answer). As for the Wii Fit trainer – they’re both so androgynous that I find it interesting that they ask you to select one or the other to begin with!
Ernie – good to hear from you as well – it’s funny, I always thought that the people who were throwing the controllers through their TV were probably a tad over-zealous about their gaming…but after I once lost my grip and flung one across the room, and then accidentally swatted my dog in the snout when bowling…it raised an eyebrow, for sure.
Stay tuned for the Think Brownstone Holodeck v1.0…we’re working on it…but keep that under your hat, ay?