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Playing Aloud: Leveraging Game Commentary Culture for Playtesting

Playing Aloud: Leveraging Game Commentary Culture for Playtesting

Anthony Pellicone, David Weintrop, Diane Jass Ketelhut, Ekta Shokeen, Michel Cukier, Jandelyn Dawn Plane, Firoozeh Rahimian
Copyright: © 2022 |Volume: 14 |Issue: 1 |Pages: 16
ISSN: 1942-3888|EISSN: 1942-3896|EISBN13: 9781683181057|DOI: 10.4018/IJGCMS.296705
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MLA

Pellicone, Anthony, et al. "Playing Aloud: Leveraging Game Commentary Culture for Playtesting." IJGCMS vol.14, no.1 2022: pp.1-16. http://doi.org/10.4018/IJGCMS.296705

APA

Pellicone, A., Weintrop, D., Ketelhut, D. J., Shokeen, E., Cukier, M., Plane, J. D., & Rahimian, F. (2022). Playing Aloud: Leveraging Game Commentary Culture for Playtesting. International Journal of Gaming and Computer-Mediated Simulations (IJGCMS), 14(1), 1-16. http://doi.org/10.4018/IJGCMS.296705

Chicago

Pellicone, Anthony, et al. "Playing Aloud: Leveraging Game Commentary Culture for Playtesting," International Journal of Gaming and Computer-Mediated Simulations (IJGCMS) 14, no.1: 1-16. http://doi.org/10.4018/IJGCMS.296705

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Abstract

Think-alouds are a common method of collecting design data where a player describes their play for a facilitator. Games promote a feeling of immersivity and player presence, which is in tension with traditional think-aloud methods. This work introduces a new type of think-aloud protocol intended for game-based contexts that leverages the genres of video blogging and livestreaming in game culture. This new approach, called Play Aloud testing, has participants take on the role of a game streamer by expressing their thoughts, feelings, and experiences as they play – modeled after live streaming commentary. This paper demonstrates the potential of the Play Aloud approach using playtest data from a game called HEX of the Turtle Islands. The authors highlight how Play Aloud testing generated useful data providing insight into the experience of young players in a way that was authentic to the format of digital games and consistent with youth gaming practices.