Homecoming: Exploring Returns to Long-Term Single Player Games

Title of the Paper

Homecoming: Exploring Returns to Long-Term Single Player Games

Paper Information

• Field of Study: Game Experience Design and Human-Computer Interaction
• Keywords: Long-term single-player games, autobiographical design, player return experience, game immersion, Pivot Point

Research Background and Issues

• Problems and Challenges:
  • There is a lack of research on the experience of players returning to saved games in long-term single-player games after a significant period.
  • Challenges faced when returning to games include: players struggling to immediately regain the rhythm of the game, needing to readjust to complex game mechanics, and game systems typically not supporting such return scenarios.
• Significance:
  • Long-term single-player games (e.g., The Witcher 3, Assassin's Creed) require players to invest significant time to master complex mechanics and narrative content. The return experience is critical to these games' appeal and long-term success.
  • Improving the return experience can enhance player retention and satisfaction, benefiting both game developers and player communities.
• Research Motivation and Related Work:
  • Existing research primarily focuses on player retention and multiplayer cooperative experiences, with little exploration of return scenarios in single-player games.
  • Design theories and transition experience theories (e.g., virtual reality exit experiences) provide insights into understanding return experiences but have not been specifically applied to long-term single-player game design.
  • Some industry practices (e.g., narrative recaps during loading screens) offer partial support for returns but fail to comprehensively address players' return needs.

Proposed Solution

• Proposed Solution:
  • Using an autobiographical design approach to explore the return experience in long-term single-player games, the study introduces the concept of the "Pivot Point"—a critical moment during the return process when players rediscover the enjoyment of the game.
  • The focus is on optimizing design to reduce negative emotions during the early stages of return and enhancing combat mechanics to help players regain a sense of mastery.
• Innovations:
  • Defining three stages of the return experience: Pre-Pivot (pre-turning point), Pivot Point (turning point), and Post-Pivot (post-turning point), and proposing design goals for the Pivot Point.
  • High-fidelity prototype design using a custom mod for The Witcher 3 to demonstrate a solution that leverages combat and emotional mechanics to reduce return friction.
• Implementation Steps:
  • Phase 1 (Game Experience Recording): The Player-Designer replays long-term games they previously played, recording and analyzing their own experiences to identify the occurrence and impact of the Pivot Point.
  • Phase 2 (Design Exploration): Developing low-fidelity sketches based on early experiences, evolving into high-fidelity prototypes to explore methods for optimizing the return experience.
  • Key Techniques and Methods:
    • Autobiographical Design: Systematic analysis of the designer's own in-depth user experience.
    • Prototype Iteration: Including low-fidelity hand-drawn sketches and high-fidelity game mods.

Research Outcomes

• Specific Findings:
  • Clearly defining the Pivot Point as the critical moment in the return experience when players rediscover their expertise and emotional connection with the game.
  • Proposing three major design goals:
    1. Minimizing negative emotions during the early return phase: Reducing the likelihood of players being deterred by complex menus and information overload early on.
    2. Focusing on primary skill growth drivers: Gradually restoring players' confidence and focus through combat scenarios (rather than tutorials).
    3. Matching emotional and cognitive elements: Leveraging established characters, music, scenes, and other game elements to evoke a sense of familiarity in players.
  • Using a The Witcher 3 game mod to explore how to achieve these goals, with specific implementations such as removing high-difficulty tasks and disabling menu functions.
• Advantages Compared to Existing Solutions:
  • This study is the first to deeply explore the return experience from a first-person perspective, analyzing typical challenges and providing practical solutions.
  • Compared to current industry practices, it emphasizes emotional and psychological alignment, particularly addressing negative emotions during the early return phase.
• Experiment and Evaluation Results:
  • During the Player-Designer’s replay of four games, a consistent Pivot Point moment was identified, confirming that combat is the primary driver of the return turning point.
  • High-fidelity prototype designs validated the effectiveness of combat-oriented designs in optimizing the return experience.
• Limitations and Future Directions:
  • Limitations:
    • The data source is singular, primarily relying on the autobiographical experience of one Player-Designer, which may introduce bias.
    • The optimal process for enhancing the return experience has yet to be validated on a large scale.
  • Future Directions:
    • Conduct broader testing of return experiences across different player groups to verify the universality of the Pivot Point.
    • Explore return mechanisms in other game genres (e.g., lightweight casual games or multiplayer online games).
    • Develop interactive features that game publishers can directly integrate, such as custom save reminders or personalized return guides.

Notes

This study focuses on exploring player return experiences in long-term single-player games, offering valuable guidance for game designers and researchers while also providing insights for broader HCI applications.