Do Players Prefer Integrated User Interfaces? A Qualitative Study of Game UI Design Issues

Abstract

With basis in a qualitative player study, this pape r presents different player attitudes concerning user interface elements. The paper focus es on how the game user interface influences the players’ involvement in the game, an d how the players navigate between different sources of involvement. We argue that the re is no necessary connection between a transparent interface and involvement, and that i n many cases, overlay interfaces are preferred due to the clear information they present . With point of departure in Ermi & Mayra’s (2005) vi ew of player involvement as a complex phenomenon, and Jorgensen’s (2010; forthcoming) research into the relationship between game user interfaces and the gameworld, we discuss how players in our qualitative study see involvement with respect to h ow the game UI is presented. This framework also enables us to discuss user interface design as a balancing act between aesthetics and mechanics, as the choice between tra nsparent or superimposed interface features is a way to represent system information w ithin the game context.