Designing a modern in-app purchase experience for a mobile game : case: Compass Point: Wes
Etula, Noora (2021)
Etula, Noora
2021
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2021060814934
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2021060814934
Tiivistelmä
The modern free to play mobile game market is highly competitive and saturated with new releases, of which only a fraction will reach their full potential. The players are not initially monetarily invested, so the game’s objective is to create an engaging user experience to turn them into potential paying customers. The objective of the thesis was to explore how these experiences are created and employ the found knowledge to modernise an in-app purchase shop experience of a mobile game, Compass Point: West.
The thesis research outlined the psychology behind user experience and the heuristic guidelines constructed to help UX professionals create engaging gaming experiences. The research focused on the unique characteristics of video games that affect user experience design and used contemporary examples from profitable free to play games.
The found UX methodologies and heuristic guidelines were successfully used to evaluate and improve the usability of the game’s in-app purchase shop. The results were an interactive prototype and layouts for a new shop design. The design introduced improved purchase flows, updated error handling and more precise communication in- side the shop. The modernisation provided a flexible shop design that allowed for new content to be added to the shop. With the addition of an offer system and offer labels, the shop was able to now promote and advertise the game’s IAP products better to the players.
The thesis research outlined the psychology behind user experience and the heuristic guidelines constructed to help UX professionals create engaging gaming experiences. The research focused on the unique characteristics of video games that affect user experience design and used contemporary examples from profitable free to play games.
The found UX methodologies and heuristic guidelines were successfully used to evaluate and improve the usability of the game’s in-app purchase shop. The results were an interactive prototype and layouts for a new shop design. The design introduced improved purchase flows, updated error handling and more precise communication in- side the shop. The modernisation provided a flexible shop design that allowed for new content to be added to the shop. With the addition of an offer system and offer labels, the shop was able to now promote and advertise the game’s IAP products better to the players.