Interaction design and UX are very new to the video game industry. The design of great user experience in video games have specific challenges considering that they need to be fun and engaging.
In this talk IxDA‘s Interaction’19, Celia Hodent covers the UX framework used during the development of Fortnite, consisting of breaking down game UX in two main pillars: usability and “engage-ability”.
The usability pillar is close to the heuristics used in other industries but game developers use a specific vocabulary that she describes. “Engage-ability” is a fuzzier concept, sometimes also called “fun” or “immersion”. She describes how this framework and “ingredients” applies to games, using examples from the development of Fortnite.
The UX of Fortnite
About Celia Hodent
Celia Hodent is recognized as a leader in the application of user experience (UX) and cognitive science in the game industry. Celia holds a PhD in psychology and has over ten years of experience in the development of UX strategy and processes in video game studios. Through her work at Ubisoft (e.g. Rainbow 6 franchise), LucasArts (e.g. Star Wars: 1313), and as Director of UX at Epic Games (e.g. Fortnite), she contributed to many projects across multiple platforms, from PC to consoles, mobile, and VR.
Celia is also the founder of the Game UX Summit, advisor for the GDC UX Summit, and author of The Gamer’s Brain: How Neuroscience and UX can Impact Video Game Design. She currently works as an independent consultant, helping studios increase the likelihood of their games to be engaging and successful.
Source: The UX of Fortnite – Interaction 19 – 3-8 February 2019 • Seattle, WA
