- Select one example to outline the key concept of human-computer interaction. Reflect upon the role of the ‘human’, the ‘computer’ and the ‘interaction’
I choose the keyboard as an example to outline the key concept of human-computer interaction.
The keyboard is a tool that helps humans to interact with the computer by typing letters, symbols and numbers (What Is a Keyboard? Lifewire). It is one of the most important components when operating the computer.
In the role of the ‘human’, we have a completely different language to the computer, and one way to communicate with it is through typing in the computer language, known as coding (What is Coding? Codeconquest). Usually, there are 104 keys on a standard keyboard (How many keys are on a computer keyboard? Computer Hope). Nowadays keyboard also used as a game controller, for example in most of the PC games, WSAD typically represents moving forward, backward, left and right, and it is a method to tell the computer which direction your character is moving to.
In the role of the ‘computer’, it mainly receives data from its own language because it doesn’t have an independent ideology, the keyboard converts human language to computer language which helps the latter to understand the human’s order.
In the role of ‘interaction’, the keyboard has good ergonomics to support the human. For example, the wider range of the button ‘space’ allows human to type easily (Why space is so long? Quora); letters are surrounded by symbols and numbers because they are mainly what the human would utilize; letters, symbols, and numbers appear on keyboard because it is a type of language that the human can understand (Computer Keyboard); These are all the interactions between the ‘human’ and the ‘computer’.
References:
https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-a-keyboard-2618153
http://www.codeconquest.com/what-is-coding/
https://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch001598.htm
https://www.quora.com/Why-is-the-spacebar-key-so-long
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_keyboard#Key_types
- Discuss the application of user research methods in game design. Reflect upon the role the game’s designer in this context. Can we anticipate player behavior?
The answer to this question is: yes we can anticipate player behavior.
A good example of this case is an eye-tracking system used in ‘Assassin’s Creed Origins’ called Tobii’s Eye Tracking technology. It allows the computer to understand, track where players are looking at and create suggestions for their intentions, for example, when player is in a fight, Tobii’s Eye Tracking technology will make sure enemies are always in sight which helps player to be aware of their presence (Both resource and picture are from Tobii Eyetracking, Assassin’s creed Origins page, Enemy Tagging).
.
In the role of the game designer, they always want to know what players need and ways to satisfy players. In this context, Tobii’s Eye Tracking technology is not only for improving the player’s experience, but also collecting data for games designer. For example, when a player is looking at something, the system will assume their intentions, and the data will be sent to the game designer to help them anticipate the player’s behavior, so in the next development, the game designer will add more elements which might interests players (Game Design and Player Feedback).
Not only technology can help us to anticipate player behavior, but also by using affordance. Another example, in ‘Assassin’s creed origins’ is that there is always a haystack under a tower or a high platform which encourages players to jump for a soft landing, this is also a part of the anticipation of player behavior, because game designers assume it is an easier way for players to transport.
References: