Multi-tasking while playing computer games

Gretchen OrtizMS HCI-PsychologyCelia Pearce, Ph.D.

Director of Experimental Game Lab LCC

• Avid computer gamer.

• Past projects related to MMORPG’s and virtual worlds.

• Started to use Alt+tab command in many games without thinking about the HCI implications. Until one night…

Background Research Analysis Evaluation Implications

Background

• Computer games

• Designed with the computer users in mind

• Console games

• Designed with console users in mind

• Hybrid games

• Designed with both types of users in mind, now that computers and consoles are closing the gap

• Mobile games

• Designed for the cell phone user in mind

Different types of games}

Background Research Analysis Evaluation Implications

• When computer games are designed for console users.

• The computer user has a machine that does a lot more than play games.

• Designers make the assumption that all users want to be immerse inside the game and do nothing else.

Background Research Analysis Evaluation Implications

Conflict arises

• Participant observation and interviews inside an MMORPG called Maple Story Global

• 2D side scrolling MMORPG

• Anime Style Graphics

• Population: 12-35 years of age. Very popular among teenagers and college students.

Background Research Analysis Evaluation Implications

Research

Background Research Analysis Evaluation Implications

Maple Story

• Started the participant observation without having a clear focus on the topic.

• Once I started to keep journal entries it was clear that many players were AFK (away from keyboard) and frequently use the Alt+tab command.

Background Research Analysis Evaluation Implications

Participant observation

• “Today I did party quests (group missions) and it’s mind-boggling how many players rush to the top boxes on stage 8 just to be able to Alt+tab properly. Some will have the courtesy to let you know and others will just do it without notifying the group”.

• “We were all there waiting for him to respond so that the group could go on with the mission. After two minutes, he says: ‘Sorry I was on AIM’”.

• “Today I played while using the messenger (IM), which is kind of hard if you don’t want to get killed. I wanted to level up (my character) while also chatting with one of my best friends using the messenger”.

Background Research Analysis Evaluation Implications

Journal entries

• 20 inside the game interviews

• Participants were between 18-35 years of age

• 10 conducted in Spanish/10 conducted in English

• 14 male / 6 female

• All of them have been playing the game for more than 5 months

Background Research Analysis Evaluation Implications

Interviews

• AFK

• Away from Keyboard. The users are taking their attention away from the game. Not necessarily away from the computer.

• Alt+tab (Ctrl+Atl+Del)

• commands for switching to another computer application.

• Multi-tasking

• the attention of the users is split between the game and something else.

Background Research Analysis Evaluation Implications

Analysis

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Analysis

How many times do players AFK in a one hour game session?

0123456789

10

0 1 to 3 4 to 6 6+

Players thatAFK

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Analysis

What players do when they AFK?

•10/20 said they usually stayed in their computers

•5/20 said sometimes they watched TV

•5/20 said sometimes they have to answer the phone

•11/20 said they had to go somewhere away from their computer

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Analysis

What are players doing when they stay in their computers?

IM

Music Player

Other

Internet

• How do players switch from the game to another computer application?

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Analysis

5%

30%

60%

5%

Do not switch

Ctrl+alt+del

Alt+tab

Help of anotherapplication

• Maple Story is an example of a computer game that is designed for console users.

Full screen mode

Only seamless way to interact with other computer applications is by quitting the game

Assumption that the players want to focus on the game and nothing else

Background Research Analysis Evaluation Implications

Evaluation

• Maple Story is an example of a computer game that is designed for console users.

Some players are even using other software to help them multi-task more efficiently.

Background Research Analysis Evaluation Implications

Evaluation

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Evaluation

Quote from an Internet article :

“Plus, now I can play Maple Story while serving files with Subversion. And that’s nice and geeky “.

• Design computer games for computer users and their needs.

• Do not rely on users expertise.

• Do not rely on third party software to solve the problems.

• Computer games should have seamless way in which to set up the game on window mode if desired.

Background Research Analysis Evaluation Implications

Implications

• Research to know if this kind of behavior is also present in other computer games

• Issues with population:

• Could it be that younger players are multi-tasking more than mature players?

• Could it be that female players are multi-tasking more than male players?

Background Research Analysis Evaluation Implications

Future Work

Thank you