HCI Technologies

Ezine Article
Donnelly, Kevin - Omagh Student

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Unit 75

HCI Technologies

Conte
nts
Page

Section 1- Technologies

Screens
Keyboards
Joysticks
Gamepads
Touchscreens
Motion detectors
Headsets

Section 2

User Interfaces

Command line interface

Speech recognition
Menu selection and the methods of selection
Sense orientated(graphical speech touch)
Capabilities for intensive data manipulation
Intelligent systems
Avatars
Section 3 Human Factors

User experience
User requirements
Demographics

Section 4 User interface design principles

Structured( co location of related elements)

Simple(users language, meaningful shortcuts)
Visible(avoidance of distraction)
Feedback(clarity relevance)
Tolerance(undo, redo, inconsistent input)
Reusable(reduction of user memory process

E-zine article

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Kevin Donnelly

Unit 75

HCI Technologies

Kevin Donnelly

I will be discussing about HCI Technology (human computer interface) and

how the different types of technology can improve the experience of
gaming. Technology has evolved so much in the past 10 years or more
advanced technology leading to more in gaming. Myself as a gamer I find
that different types of technologies can help improve your experience with
games. The best experience is when it is immersive as you feel like youre
in the game. There is a lot to talk about the different types of technology.
There will be four areas to talk about so enjoy.

Technologies
Screens: Screens are one of the most important technologies when
gaming as you could not play the game without it. A game becomes real
when you see what is happening as it engages the player and creates an
immersive experience. From my own experience from playing games
such as when playing FIFA the bigger the screen the better because of the
quality of picture and the immersive experience but for the likes of `Call of
Duty `for competitive gameplay I prefer smaller screens due to input lag
on bigger screens. This brings me to my final point on screens which is the
advantages and disadvantages.
The advantages of screens in gaming is that they have great quality of
picture which can make gameplay better, the screen size can make a
massive difference as it gives the player immersive gaming such as
games like FIFA, Grand Theft Auto V.
A disadvantage to using screens is that they can be costly depending on
the size or model. Input lag may affect your experience in games which is
not what you want and some radiation can emit from screens with is not
good for you.

This is an image of a BenQ

monitor which is perfect for
gaming especially competitive
games such as call of duty
https://www.google.co.uk/search?
q=call+of+duty+respawn&espv=2&biw=1029&bih=845&source=lnms&t

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bm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi6jaum_ajJAhVBJh4KHdAICuoQ_AUIBigB#tb
m=isch&q=BenQ+RL&imgrc=J3fU_o_18XOMDM%3A

Keyboards: Keyboards is the next form of technology I will be discussing

as it is a big area of debate for PC gamers. Keyboards play a key role in PC
gaming as it has controls for games like a controller but in letter based
terms. For example in Team Fortress 2 you would use the WSDA keys to
move; w to move forward, s to move backwards, a to move to the left and
d to move to the right. Keyboard can be good because it is easier to use
for some people who are familiar with it. I have had little experience on
using keyboards but the games I have had played are mostly point and
click and I liked it. I do find it awkward using the keyboard to play games
where you have to use the keys and still use the
mouse especially when playing shooter games such
as Team Fortress 2. The advantages
and
disadvantages are that they have a quick response
time which is good for competitive game such as `Call
of the Duty`. Another advantage is that some have
built in LED lights so you can see what buttons you
are hitting and the last one is that they don't need
charged because they can be USB connected. A
disadvantage is that not all games are suited to using a keyboard and
they can be hard to use when gaming such as racing games because it
would be hard to control.

This is a gaming keyboard which can be really effective in certain games

and the lights are a big advantage when gaming as it is easier to hit the
keys you want
https://www.google.co.uk/search?
q=gaming+keyboard&biw=1280&bih=907&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved
=0CAcQ_AUoAmoVChMIwLaRxeOFyQIVxKEOCh1bkALn#imgrc=ngpMl9HTuDO6fM
%3A

Joysticks: Now we I will be talking about a technology with a little bit with
a nostalgic feel and look to it which is Joysticks. Yes that's right that little
stick which you could control and move in different directions. Joysticks is
an interesting form of technology dating back to the late 90`s. Joysticks
are mostly made for games like simulator based games such as a flight
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simulator which is the most popular, some prefer it as it is easier to

control. Personally from my experience with Joysticks I did not like it that
much due to its uncomfortable feel and the way it performed. There are
some advantages to using a joystick as it has a nostalgic feel and is it can
be more functional. The only disadvantage I would say that only certain
games can be played with it like retro games like Dead Ops Arcade, Flight
Simulator.
This is a joystick which
was used for mostly
playing Flight simulator

Game Pads: Game pads or controllers are one of the

most popular form of technology for gaming especially on
consoles as they are what you play most console based
games with. There are different consoles out there that use game pads
such as the PlayStation and Xbox with them being the most popular; there
is also the Wii which is a controller but in the shape of a remote. Game
Pads have changed so much as new features have been built into them to
create an immersive experience when gaming such as vibrations motors
for shooting games as when you fire a weapon the controller vibrates or
when there is a loud rumble that comes from the controller. There is also
motion control built in such as the PS4 controller and the Wii remote.
Some prefer using game pads where others don`t but from my experience
I enjoy it very much.
I own a PlayStation myself and just like the feel of it and how it fits in your
hand. A lot of console games are used with a controller like FIFA, Call of
Duty and other great games. On the PlayStation 4 controller there is a LED
bar at the top which changes different colours to indicate which player
you are or when your health is low in the
game it will change from green to red
which is really a cool feature.
Now
to
the
advantages
and
disadvantages: The advantages of game
pads is that they have come along in terms
of features like vibration motors for
immersive gaming and another advantage is that a lot of games can be
played with a game pad. The disadvantages of a game pad is that the
battery life does not last that long, they are expensive and well it`

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not a big issue but for people who like they competitive games like Call of
Duty when aiming it`s harder to use than a mouse because when using a
mouse it's just a click where as a controller you have to press buttons.

"This is an image of what used to be called a game pad and

below is what they look like now
This YouTube link is a
which is called a controller"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=kfxxz4A89iw

comparison video of the

PlayStation 4 controller

This is an image of what used to be called a game pad and

below is what they look like now
which is called a controller.

Touch Screens: I will be talking about something exciting touch screens,

which I think was a wonderful invention. Touch screens are used in
everyday life now if you think about it with Smartphone's using it and
tablets e.g. kindle and iPads; even the army use it for Intel on their target
of details on their mission. It really is amazing how technology has
evolved and as the years go by it will only get better. Some might ask
what really a touch screen is? Well a touch screen is an input device
normally layered on the top of an electronic visual display of an
information system and I know it sounds complicated. A touch screen can
used by your finger or a special stylus pen.
I have had lots of experience of using touch screen technology as I have
used it for Smartphone's, iPad etc. From my experience on playing games
with it I would have to say that only some games work especially well,
swipe games such as Angry Birds or Fruit Ninja and I thought they were
very effective and worked well. The advantages of touch screen
technology is that swipe games such as Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja
work well, you can zoom in and out with your fingers and they are easy to
use. The disadvantage of it is that the screens can get dirty, they are quite
expensive, they can be really sensitive and because of a big bright screen
the battery life can be affected.

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This is an image of an iPad

tablet device which can be used
with your fingers

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https://www.google.co.uk/search?
q=gaming+keyboard&biw=1280&bih=907&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=
X&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAmoVChMIwLaRxeOFyQIVxKEOCh1bkALn#tbm=isch&
q=touchscreen&imgrc=sc5LMBV_hdtrWM%3A

Motion Detectors: Motion Detectors are a very fascinating topic and a

great form of technology in gaming that it is out there dating back to the
20th century but it was nowhere near as good as today. Motion detectors
are used a lot now for example when you walk up to a light and it
automatically turns on but we are focused on the gaming aspect of motion
detectors is recognising someone. For example on the Xbox
one you the Kinect has voice recognition to understand voice
commands or to log in a user with facial recognition. I have
had little experience from Motion Detectors but from what I
have experienced I am not a big fan from what I've heard the
Xbox one Kinect does not always recognise you and it's a
waste of money. The Advantages of Motion Detectors is that This is an image of
the Xbox one
it's great for immersive experience for the user and good for Kinect
security as it will only recognise the face of someone who set
a lock. The disadvantage is that it can be pointless and it does not always
work right.

Headsets: Finally the last technology I will be talking about is headsets.

Headsets can be a great form of technology for gaming especially when
the when the game has a good storyline to it and you want to listen
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without being distracted, it blocks out the rest of what`s around you and
blocks out any background noise. When playing games headsets can
create that immersive experience and it makes it feel like you're part of
this virtual world and that you are living the same. From my experience of
using headsets I really enjoyed it because it does pulls you to the game
and immerse your experience and you do not get distracted. The point of
most video games to have fun and make it feel real. There are advantages
and disadvantages the advantages of headsets is that it creates a real and
enjoyable experience and they can be comfortable. The disadvantage is
that some can be really expensive and some of them have to be charged.

User Interfaces
Command Line The Command line is a form of an interface with no
graphics it is just text based. It is usually a black screen with white text on
it and operations are carried out by typing in commands. There are quite
a lot of games out there that were made for command line such as a
versions of Monopoly, Zork, Tetris and Ninvaders. Command line has its
advantages and disadvantages; the advantages is that a command line
does not need windows to run, if the user knows the right commands as it
is a lot quicker than any other interface and command line uses a lot less
RAM than say a Graphical User Interface. The disadvantages of Command
Line is that it is not really used today, it can be very confusing, commands
have to be typed precisely and if you mistype an instruction it you will
have to start from scratch.

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This is an image of
command line looks like

Kevin Donnelly

what

https://www.google.co.uk/search?
q=call+of+duty+respawn&espv=2&biw=1029&bih=845&source=lnms&t
bm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi6jaum_ajJAhVBJh4KHdAICuoQ_AUIBigB#tb
m=isch&q=command+line
Speech recognition is software which allows the user to enter
commands using their voice. The computer recognises any words or
phrases that it hears; but the only thing is that you need a microphone. A
lot of smart phones use them now for commands and getting to different
applications on the GUI. Google and YouTube use them when searching for
information. Android and apple have voice recognition built in such as S
voice for android and SIRI for apple. There is some games that use speech
recognition such as Rock Band and Voice Attack which is software for
saying attack commands in games. There are advantages and
disadvantages to using speech recognition; advantages is
that Speech is a very natural way to interact, and it is not
necessary to sit at a keyboard or work with a remote
control, easier than having to type and This is an image
it is quick. The disadvantages is that it of speech
can be slow at recognising some words. recognition.

Menu selection and the methods of selection- Are your basic menus
such as drop down bars, youre in game HUD (heads up display) which
shows health bars, maps etc. Menu selection is your UI (User Interface)
which is your interface for selecting different applications. For example on
the PS4 and the Xbox One it has a smooth UI for switching between
applications. A lot of games if not all video games have menu selection as
you can bring up the options or check how much ammo you have left or
changing the settings which is the UI for example in Call of Duty it has
menu selection and so does Grand Theft Auto as well as far Cry 4
as they allow you to bring up the weapon wheel and change weapons.

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In "Call of Duty" you can choose a class which comes with different
weapons. From my experiences using the UI I preferred PS4 over Xbox
One because Xbox One menu was clunky as it was Windows 8 which is a
nightmare to get through where as PS4 easy and simple but smooth and
well was designed. The advantages of Menu selection and UI is that it can
be really functional and can be really useful but the disadvantages of
menu selection is that some UI can really clunky and disorganised or
complex which is not good. Another thing is that the HUD can play a huge
role in games and if the HUD takes up too much of the screen it can take
away the players immersive experience.

This is a picture of both the PS4 and

Xbox One UI and the differences in
design

Sense

Orientated
involves
graphical, speech and touch includes gestures and different senses such
as touch, feel etc. This is when the user uses different ways of interacting
with the game such as playing it by touch or voice command. Games that
are on mobile and handheld devices such as tablets which is experienced
and played through touch is sense orientated. Angry birds and the walking
dead are played through touch and voice attack a software for voice
commands for games is sense orientated. On the Wii the game Wii sports
is played through motion and gestures as you are interacting with the
game. So when playing golf you actually swing the remote as you would
swing a golf club for real. Most consoles and Smartphones are sense
orientated such as voice command on android and apple; also in the
Samsung galaxy s4 s5 and s6 you can swipe screens without having to
touch the screen. This advantages of sense orientated interface it that is
functional and useful and it can create and immersive experience for the
player but the disadvantage is that it might be clumsy and pointless and
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some players might want to explore the UI instead of doing it the easy
way.

Capabilities for intensive data manipulation Is multi-tasking and an

example could be when operating system or the console is working
extremely hard to handle lots of instructions at once. It means processing
large amounts of information. For example on PlayStation 4 you can
update in the background while chatting to a friend while still playing the
game; when playing around with the UI this is multitasking and a game
example of multitasking would be a popular
online game such as Call of Duty as it is
processing all the players on the server and
how many people are online etc. There are
advantages
and
disadvantages
with
Intensive data manipulation. Disadvantage
is that it might not be able to cope with
everything so either it could crash the
system or it will be really slow. Advantages is that
is can be really functional and useful as it can multitask and you can have
fun with the UI while doing other things e.g.
listen to music. Smartphone's also can deal
with data manipulation which allows you do
have fun with the UI.

Intelligent systems is AI (artificial intelligence) and is how an NPC (NonPlayable Character) acts and performs in a game. AI is really important in
games as it makes the game feel and look more realistic and determines
how the people in the background interact in the world. A lot of games
now have good AI but some are terrible for "Sumotari Dreams" a mobile
game for android has terrible AI and physics but still is really fun to play
but is quite popular. Other games with good AI such as Watchdogs makes
the game feel more real which a good thing is. FIFA has good AI as the
defenders will track your runs on the ball or of and act like a defender
would. A good game will always have great AI as it is hard to program AI
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as there are not many people who can do it. The advantages of AI in
games is that it makes it feel more real and interesting to play. This
disadvantage is that some games have rubbish AI which is not enjoyable.

This image shows what programming AI looks like.

Avatars is your character or icon in a game which you create and is who
you will play as throughout the game. Some games allow you to
customize your own character or avatar. An example of a game which
allows you to do this is Sims, a virtual pc game where you create your own
world buy houses meet people and live a virtual life. An avatar can be
determined by lots of different things such as their body, clothing,
accessories etc. The advantages of an avatar is that you can create your
own character and customize what you want and it describes who you are
and your personality a bit. The disadvantage of avatars is that you don`t
know who the person really is and what they are like as a person because
all you see is the virtual
character.
.
This image is of the game Sims
where you create your avatar

Human Factors
Human Factors is all the factors that is associated with people who play
video games such as the user experience which is what their experience
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with games is, user requirements so if they are physically impaired,

visually impaired or have learning difficulties. The last Human factor is
demographics which is who are the gamers; is it male or female and what
age of are gamers play video games and so on to my first factor:
User Experience- The user experience refers to the types of gamers out
there such as an expert gamer, regular gamer, occasional gamer and a
novice gamer. An expert gamer is considered to be a gamer who plays
them all the time and is really good at playing them. An expert gamer
knows the ins and outs of the game and knows what they are doing and
how to use the interface and menus with efficiency and speed. Some
expert gamer would be in competitions all over the world competing to be
the best for example MLG major league gaming is where the best gamers
in the world compete in live events such as Call of Duty championships . A
regular gamer is someone who knows what they are doing in the game
and are your everyday gamers, they have a good understanding on what
they are doing and how to play. An occasional gamer is some who does
only play maybe a few times a week and not on it every day. They would
not have as much experience as an expert or regular gamer as they dont
play it 24/7. They have an idea what to do but will struggle with the game.
A novice gamer is someone who is a beginner and are first time gamers
and
don't
have
as
much
experience as a regular or expert
gamer. The best way for a novice
gamer to get better to buy
putting the game setting on easy
or do lots of tutorials to improve.

This is a picture of an MLG event where all

the expert gamers go to compete for big
money

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User Requirements- The user requirements include things like if the

user is visually impaired, physically impaired or if they have learning
difficulties. Some games have to be suited to this such as if someone is
visually impaired a game could be adjusted or developed where the game
interacts with touch and sound. For someone who is physically impaired
voice command is one way they can interact with the game or to make it
easier the user interface could be simple by adding lots of colour and
resizing the font. A game called Einstein Brain Trainer can be beneficial to
someone with physically difficulties.

Demographics- Demographics considers both age and gender of gamers

which is important in video gaming because a massive debate exists: are
video games played more by males than females? It is true that a lot more
males play video games than females. Ratings link into age because every
video game has an age restriction because of the content it contains. For
example a game rated 3+ is suited for all ages 3 and up so it could be a
family game or a game rated 18+ could contain violence, bad language or
fighting scenes which is not suited to anyone under 18. So different age
barriers on games can determine who plays the game. `Mario Kart` is for
all ages which anyone can play where as `Call of Duty` is more suited to
males. Mobile gaming is a lot more popular and played a lot by both
genders. But a lot more females are coming into the video game industry
and a lot do voice acting in games so it is starting to achieve a balance.
This is a pie chart of
male/female who
like playing video
games. And from
the chart males
have a higher
percentage

https://mphillipsmth332.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/pie3.jpg

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This image shows all the age ratings in games

and a lot of ages are suited

http://www.allaboutgames.co.uk/images/pegiratings.jpg

User Interface Design Principles

Structured- Structure is an important element in a Games interface
because it is the overall user interface architecture as it puts related
things together. Consistency plays an important role in the UI because the
layout, colour, fonts and identical terminology which makes it easier to
work your way around the interface. Structure in the interface should
separate all the unnecessary things to the side and focus on the important
things such as the map, and your essential tools. Some Games get rid of
the HUD as it takes up the screen and only show it when it is needed. A
game company called Naughty Dog do it with all of their game such as
The Last of us, Uncharted and the UI is very well structured and every
things work well together. The Games have no Map but because it is a
linear game you don't need one as you have an idea of where you are
going but it is really tidy. If the UI in the game is disorganised or there is
too much on the screen at once,
it over complicates things which
affects the overall gameplay.

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If you look at more photo you

can clearly see the difference
of how tidy the UI looks in the
first picture (The Last of Us)
where the second photo is so
clunky and complicated
(Warlords of Draenor)

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Simple- A UI in a game should be simple and easy to use and not

complicates things and make common tasks easy. The UI should use
shortcuts to help its player to understand what to do by throwing in hints
or by changing the camera view which is indicating where to go. A UI
should not be cluttered with loads of options because it frustrates the
player. Every option should be easy to get to instead of spending 5
minutes every time to get to a menu or change something. It does really
help especially for novice gamers as they are not used to the games UI. A
simple UI are sometimes the best because they are easy to find your way
around like uncharted, the last of us which have simple UI design which
does not over complicate things and that is what a UI should be which is
simple but efficient.

Uncharted.
This is an example of a simple UI where all that is shown is your weapon
and ammo but no map health bar, drop down bar as it clutters the screen
and takes away immersion from the players experience. A game is
supposed to pull the player into the game and when there are less things
on the screen the easier to interact with and it gives the player a better
understanding of how to use the UI. Uncharted has a great UI shown
above and the things that makes it so good is because it is simple, screen
is not cluttered with options, only shows what it needs to show and it
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makes the game experience a lot better and it is the same with The Last
of Us which has a great UI and it is the same company that made the
game Naughty Dog

The Last of Us

Visible- Visibility is really important in the users interface design as all

the important options must be visible to see on the screen whether it be
an event such as a new trophy notification or a new objective and it must
be clear for the user so they know what to do and where to go. The UI
should only have necessary things on it so that the user does not get
distracted by other things on the screen which is of no help to them. A
handy way of making the UI better is my adding drop down bars to
simplify it more. Examples of doing this could be by interacting with player
using audio to imply instructions or if the animation catches the users eye
and it does help the player engage with the UI. The Player should only see
on screen what is needed which is the HUD which contains map, weapons,
score and thats all what should be on the screen instead of clicking into
menus and searching and that distracts the player. Lots of games do this
really well such as The Last of Us, Assassins Creed, Uncharted, Knack etc.

Feedback- Feedback is probably one of the most important areas of user

interface design because it is informative as it tells you all the important
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things that happens on the screen where it being low health the screen
will go red or if you are out of ammo this is feedback interface. Youre in
game HUD(heads up display) is the interface and then when a event is
triggered you will get feedback from the game telling you that you are low
on health or you or low on ammo, or you want a reward. If are stuck in a
game sometimes sound will be used as a hint on where to go which is
feedback. A game that does that really well is The Last of Us had this hint
mode which is that the camera angle will change looking in the direction
you are supposed to go. Sound is another way of communicating with the
player as sound can help find your way throughout the game. When you
complete a mission feedback from the interface will tell you mission
complete and it will give you a reward usually a trophy. Other games that
use the UI well for feedback is Call of Duty which has a good layout and
does give you feedback in many ways by showing the map for where you
are, checkpoints, score, ammo which is what
feedback should do is by interacting with
player and that shows that it is a welldesigned UI.

Tolerance- Every UI system should be tolerant and that it should be

flexible. This should be done by allowing undoing and redoing any mistake
you make in the game. It is really frustrating making a lot of mistakes and
having to do them over again. It should be consistent in all areas allowing
it so the player can use it easily. If a player makes one mistake in the
game there should be a checkpoint so the player does not have to start
from scratch which is really frustrating and the user loses interest after all
that hard work and having to start over. There is lots of games that have
checkpoints such as Uncharted, assassins creed, especially indie games
such as super meat boy. Multiplayer games have it as well but are in
different context as you can respawn anywhere on the map and
games like battlefield call of duty have respawn
points.

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Reusable- Humans can only store a certain amount of memory and if

your brain is filled with too much information you cant think. This is why
the UI should be reusable help the player find what they are looking for.
This could be done by adding options menus in,
drop down bars modifying the UI commonplace
in games because if things are located on
screen it makes it a lot easier to play the game
and use the UI. When designing the UI it should
be built in the right place in the first place. It
should be easy to use for all people even if
they have physical difficulties.
The image you see is far too cluttered and impossible nearly to remember
all of those element or options.

Conclusion- Everything I have talked about is related to HCI and why it is

important in the gaming Industry. We have talked about technologies such
as screens, game pads, and touch screens or if be interfaces which
include command line, menu selection. I hope this article has helped you
understand all the forms of technologies and you get a better
understanding of what they are and how they have changed over years
and will improve. Technology is the future.

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