Tactical Rhetoric: User Experience Analysis & Strategies for Game Developers

<p>Game studies extends across many disciplines and has become an increasingly popular topic for academics. Many studies have been conducted to determine who plays games, why they play games, methods of constructing games, and what qualities create a positive experience for players. However, within current research and critiques, there is a lack of specific reasoning for how exactly developers can use this knowledge to create better, more immersive gaming experiences. Ultimately, a game’s success depends on its audience and, thus, it is crucial for research to take an audience-centered approach. This study takes an academic perspective in application to industry knowledge, using a rhetorical approach to examine the specific decisions developers make while creating persuasive user experiences. From prior scholarly and industry research, I have created a comprehensive theoretical framework with which to analyze games according to users’ experiences. This framework is applied to three games to serve as case studies for practical application of my research and I provide developers with specific recommendations for future projects. In conclusion, I discuss the potential for expansion upon my research and its overall benefits to the gaming industry.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts in Professional Writing (MAPW)

Level thesis:degree_level

Capstone

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

English

Year dc:date.available

2020

Author dc:creator

• Olszewski, Lexi

Contributors dc:contributor

• Sergio C. Figueiredo
• Jeffrey D. Greene

• Communication Technology and New Media
• Creative Writing
• Rhetoric
• Technical and Professional Writing

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/mapw_etd/72

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu:mapw_etd-1078