Applying quantitative models to evaluate complexity in video game systems

This thesis proposes a games evaluation model that reports significant statistics about the complexity of a game's various systems. Quantitative complexity measurements allow designers to make accurate decisions about how to manage challenge, keeping in mind the player's physical and mental resources and the amount/type of actions the game requires players to act upon. Managing the operational challenge is critical to keeping players in a state of enjoyment, the primary purpose of video games. This thesis first investigates the relationship between enjoyment and complexity through the concept of Flow. From there it examines the properties of GOMS that are useful to analyzing videogames using Tetris as a case study, and then it examines and dissects the shortcomings of a direct usability approach and offers solutions based on a strategy game example. A third case study of the idle worker scenario in strategy games is detailed to further corroborate the usefulness of applying a GOMS based analysis to videogames. Using quantitative measurements of complexity, future research can aggressively tackle difficulty and challenge precisely, mitigate complexity to widen market appeal, and even reveal new genre possibilities.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2009

Author dc:creator

• Tanwanteng, Matthew (Matthew E.)

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Robert C. Miller.

• Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/55113

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/55113