A video game's interface can make or break its success. GameSpy looks at the many issues surrounding their construction.
By David Krieger | April 1, 2001
"We must do what the pointer says!"
Designing a good interface is a challenge for any programmer. Often the technical requirements of a product will be at odds with the needs and capabilities of the user; and nowhere is this more obvious than in the interface design of a computer game. A tightly crafted game not only has to be fun, engaging, and aesthetically pleasing -- but it also has to be supremely flexible and easy to learn. Sweating over the "learning curve" in a new computer game is precisely the opposite of fun, and so any programmer worth his or her salt is going to be sure that the interface for the game will be quickly learned. And yet, gamers insist on a product that will support many varieties of gameplay, and hold up well for replay value -- all while being easily accessible by users with a widely divergent ability level.
Computer games represent more than just a design challenge in terms of their interface, of course. A successful game will be visually appealing and artistically inspired. Discerning gamers also demand good sound from a game -- whether it be creepy atmospherics, driving musical accompaniment, or quality voice acting -- sound is critical to a game's success. All these demands for high-end graphics, sound, and performance put a huge demand on the hardware, so it's well known that a gaming machine is likely to be the most cutting-edge of consumer computers. Anyone willing to plunk down the money for a high-end computer in order to pursue their hobby is obviously going to demand the best from a game's designer -- stunning graphics, engaging sounds, and tight and compelling gameplay. And what is "gameplay," but the manner in which the player interacts with the game?
In short, when it comes to computer games, "Interface = Fun." A game with a well-constructed interface will be easy to learn, fun to play and stand up well to experimentation and increasing expertise. A poorly designed interface will be an exercise in frustration that will likely put off gamers from playing a game, and may well discourage them from purchasing other products by the same developer. And yet, how often are computer games released and fade into obscurity because they have difficult to use interfaces? Clearly the principles of Human-Computer Interaction should be applied most of all to games, which demand the highest level of performance in every aspect of production.
There are many genres of computer games, but for the purposes of this report, I will concentrate on the largest sub-division, the strategy game. Strategy games come in two flavors, turn-based and real-time, which emphasize greatly different things both in their gameplay and in their interfaces. The turn-based strategy game (TBS) often requires a depth of data analysis, easily accessed and digested data, and multiple "big picture" views in order to assess the situation and make astute strategic moves. It doesn't emphasize speed of play, but rather stresses making the right move. Real-time strategy games are a different animal entirely; their pace is frenetic, requiring both quick and accurate maneuvers by the player. Speed is emphasized over micro-management, and data that will aid decision-making had better be immediately accessible, or it will be lost in the mousing-frenzy that is a typical RTS. There are hybrids of both, of course, but typically a game will follow one model or the other. Both have unique demands on the interface design. I will examine samples of both genres for good design practice, as well as mistakes that have cost some games their playability, and hence, their economic success.
TBS games are often of the "build and conquer" variety started by Sid Meier's classic Civilizationi. As such, the games will often start with a very small amount of resources to be managed and utilized, and so the user has relatively little to keep track of. However, as time goes on the game will grow and grow in complexity. There are several elements of interface design that will make this transition smooth.
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