Pigscape game

UX evaluation

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

This project was part of the clinical trial performed in a research project in the Tampere Unit for Computer-Human (TAUCHI). The PigScape game is a skill-building motion-controlled game developed to support the rehabilitation processes of children with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). It was developed in a research project in TAUCHI and Psychology clinic PSYKE in spring 2018. The research team included HCI scientists from TAUCHI, neuropsychologists from PSYKE, students and research interns.

Challenge: To define how characteristics of the body-controlled interaction affect the performance and satisfaction of children with ADHD

Outcome: Design of the TAMPERE 3 mobile app with 6 main functions: schedule, enrollment, news, restaurant menus, bus schedule, and grades.

My role: facilitation of gaming sessions (as a technical specialist) and qualitative and quantitative data analysis.

Software: SPSS, MS Excel

THE GAME

PigScape is an infinite running side-scrolling game in which each of the two players controls their own pig avatar using their body movements. The task of the players is to collect items and avoid obstacles. The game includes two phases (active and still), that were alternated to achieve the contrast between activities.

Active phase

Players jump to collect points while their avatar is running. Single jump - allows the avatar to jump not very high and requires the player to jump physically. Double jump - allows the avatar to jump higher or fly and requires the player to raise hands up while jumping

Srill phase

Players fit into a certain shape and stay motionless in this posture for the required amount of time. Players can see on the interphase their own sceletons and the silhouettes of the posture

The user's goal in the game is to complete all phases of the game, competing with the opponent by achieving the highest score and maximum immobility in the stillness phase.

USER CHARACTERISTICS

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental syndrome that is characterized by an increased level of hyperactivity/impulsivity and instanton disorientation. This disorder affects brain functions responsible for

reflecting mistakes,
memory,
motivation,
attention,
ability to concentrate on one thing,
ability to put effort to complete the task,
organizational and social skills,
impulsivity and hyperactivity.

EVALUATION METRICS

GAME TESTING PROCESS

Sessions

8-13 min.

Game duration

5 pair of players

Gaming zone in TAUCHI

After each gaming session children where responding to the evaluation questionnaire:

Tell me how do you feel about the game?
Tell me what did it feel like to control the avatar by jumping
Tell me how did you feel when you were trying to solidify and fit into the frame?

Additionally, an extended questionnaire was used after the first and last sessions:

What was the best part of the game? / What did you like the most?
What was the worst part of the game? / What did you like the least?
How easy/difficult it was to play the game? [__]_easy [__]_so-so [__]_difficult.
Was it easy/difficult to understand how to play the game? [__]_easy [__]__so-so [__]__difficult
Was it easy or difficult to understand when the freeze period started or ended? / Was a hint to freeze clear?
Was it difficult to freeze after you have moved and jumped?
How easy/difficult it was to stay motionless?
Did you notice that time run away quickly? Or did you feel that the game was long? If yes, did you want to quit the game at some point?
Would you tell about this game to your friends?

COLECTED DATA

Quantitative data from the game logs

Qualitative data from evaluation questionair

Qualitative data from

Video analysis

OVERALL UX

Some of the main tables from the analysis

Comparison of percentage distribution of the cases on “What was the worst part of the game” between the first and the last session.

Comparison of percentage distribution of the cases on “What was the best part of the game” between the first and the last session

EASE OF USE

PERFORMANCE

Still phase

Based on the observation there were 7 cases when children could not precisely repeat a proposed silhouette because their skeleton could not physically fit to the silhouette.

Active phase

To analyze this metric I have compered data about jumps from the log with actual amount of children jumps, taken from the video analysis. The numbers of jumps between those two sores differ almost in all cases, with difference variation from 1 to 92 jumps.

PERFORMANCE & USER SATISFACTION

To analyze these metrics I have compared performance results with subjective feedback for every user per session and for every user in average for all sessions.

Based on the analysis of each session results were not possible to define any tendency or relations. Correlation analysis also did not provide any significant relations.

The average result for all sessions shows that children who have fewer mistakes and errors have higher overall satisfaction with the game and higher average scores. However, their subjective feedback for the still phase is lower. At the same children that hit the obstacle on the screen (because they did not jump over it) more often give more negative feedback about controlling the avatar. But Spearman correlation analysis did not show relevant connections between average answers.

WHAT WE LEARNED

The motion-based interface is easy and fun for children with ADHD. Even though children’s subjective feedback was not always positive, average satisfaction with the game and interaction was above neutral for all sessions.
Children easily understood how to interact and defined such interaction characteristics as “delay in the jump”.

Such characteristics of the motion-based interface that were unpleasant for children: the delay in the jump, and the fact that Kinect cannot detect all jumps were unpleasant for children.
Imperfections of the motion-based interface may affect the performance and satisfaction of ADHD children.
User’s mistakes related to the still phase (freezing exercise and fitting into the frame) may evoke the emotional behaviour of ADHD children.

Allow extra movement in the interaction. Taking into the count that hyperactivity of ADHD children, a motion-based interface for rehabilitation should be designed in a way to reduce users’ irritation from the extra movement that may affect their results. One way to improve it can be through changing types of interactive activities.
Motion-based interaction should be designed in a way to allow children to make small mistakes without influencing their results.
Choose appropriate movements for the input. As motion-based interfaces track the user's body it might be tiring to perform some actions for a prolonged period of time. Thus user movement should be relatively easy to perform.

LIMITATIONS

Missing data from questionnaires and absence of children in some sessions. This made the analysis more complicated and reduce the number of cases to analyse.
Children were not distinguished according to the ADHD types (those who are more impulsive and those who are more hyperactive). This separation might help to define aspects that affect one or another type of player.