Kenneth Hullett
Nachiappan Nagappan
Eric Schuh
ABSTRACT
The software engineering community has had seminal papers on data analysis for software productivity, quality, reliability, performance etc. Analyses have involved software systems ranging from desktop software to telecommunication switching systems. Little work has been done on the emerging digital game industry. In this paper we explore how data can drive game design and production decisions in game development. We define a mixture of qualitative and quantitative data sources, broken down into three broad categories: internal testing, external testing, and subjective evaluations. We present preliminary results of a case study of how data collected from users of a released game can inform subsequent development.
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Index Terms
- Data analytics for game development (NIER track)
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Reviews
John M. Artz
When video game developers design and develop a video game, how do they know that the game meets its objectives for performance, functionality, and game experience__?__ The simple answer is that the game needs to be tested and the gathered data needs to be analyzed. In fact, it needs to be tested just like any other piece of software. The authors lay out a testing framework for video games that includes internal testing, external testing, and subjective evaluations. Internal testing is largely quality assurance; external testing is user acceptance; and subjective testing attempts to measure user experience. The authors then apply this framework to a case study involving an Xbox racing game. The proposed framework looks like a first step, and I would hope that video game developers are further along than this. However, if they are not, this paper provides a good start, a useful framework, and a case study of the ideas. Online Computing Reviews Service
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