Tailoring Your Game to Enhance Player Experience

During Devcom's keynote, Funcom's lead UX designer Anna Brandberg emphasized the importance of understanding and catering to players' needs. In her talk, 'The Psychology of Play: The Power of Understanding Your Players', Brandberg encouraged developers to prioritize the player's journey and align their vision with that of the players. She highlighted that focusing solely on personal achievements and talents can hinder the creation of successful games. Instead, developers should focus on the players and their needs, as meeting these needs often aligns with business objectives. Brandberg stressed that players are people, not just numbers, and that companies should care about their well-being. She advocated for user research, user segmentation, A/B testing, and playtesting to gain valuable insights into player behavior. Brandberg also shared 'easy UX wins' that developers can implement to improve player experience, such as providing visible feedback, maintaining consistency, offering clear tutorials, and ensuring accessibility. She concluded by encouraging developers to prioritize meaningful design, challenge themselves, and create a culture that welcomes feedback, ultimately leading to the creation of games that can positively impact players' lives.