ethnography
TRANSCRIPT
Gaming Ethnography: How to Discern and Evaluate Player
Experience
Jeremy Pesner
“The Pezman”
What is this about?
Player experience obviously very important for games
Whether designer, researcher or general enthusiast
Clarifies what players enjoys/dislikes about the game
Can also be used with finished games to derive clearer understanding of what makes them work
It’s easier than you might think to make a mistake…
For Those Who Don’t Know…
Ethnography (eTHˈnägrəfē)
(noun) The scientific description of the customs of individual peoples and cultures
Various levels of interaction with those you’re studying - may speak with or silently observe subjects
Generally qualitative
People study anything from native cultures to patient interaction in hospitals to fan communities
Studies may last for years
Uses of Ethnography
in Gaming
Typically used for interaction in virtual worlds/MMOs
Ethnography frequently analyzes communities (rather than individuals)
Can help to understand how players interact with each other
I’m going to use it in a more individualized context
Grounded Theory
The process of theory-building through data gathering
In contrast to many social studies of the time, which sought to validate existing social theories
(e.g. Marxist theory of class)
Glaser & Strauss (1967), Charmaz (2006)
Don’t let prior assumptions guide your thinking - rely on the data
Codes and Categories
“Codes” - Small, tangible ideas observed through data
Nothing to do with computer code
“Categories” - Groupings of codes that come together to form a major aspect of the data
“Theory” - Establishing relationship of categories to one another through thorough understanding of data
Seems vague, but actually very powerful if you do it right
Example
Ethnography site: MAGFest (because why not?)
Codes: Arcade cabinets, costumes, merchandise, band performances, alcohol, camaraderie
Categories: Video game cultural artifacts, celebratory practices
Theory: MAGFest is an event where people come to have a good time and enjoy video game culture
Let’s Give It a (very expedited) Shot
Remember, observe the data (the player, their actions)
Ask specific, focused questions (not “did you have fun?”)
Encourage them to provide more data than less
What Did We Learn, Class?Basic codes?
Any categories?
Are we excited to learn more?
This IS possible to beat
(I did it.)
Let’s Do It Again!
Did it go better?
One More Time!
Getting the hang of it?
And that’s gaming ethnography
Conclusion
Ethnography & Grounded Theory are powerful tools for games and other digital programs
More formal than “observe and figure out”
Can help to build a vocabulary of player actions and reactions
Can help game designers to develop their games in response to what they know players know
