Standardization of UX in cooperative VR games: identifying patterns for intuitive player interaction

Abstract

Virtual reality is a relatively new platform for cooperative games. Because of this, control and interaction systems in VR are not yet standardized. On other platforms, players often understand basic controls intuitively when they start a new game. In cooperative VR games, players frequently need to learn new control systems and interaction methods in each game. This can slow down cooperative gameplay and reduce player immersion. The objective of this thesis was to develop a simple and clear UX solutions for selected design elements, mechanics, and systems that affect UX and are included in the scope of the study. After that, these solutions were demonstrated through a low-fidelity prototype in Unity. This thesis followed a qualitative research approach. A literature review was conducted, which helped to identify current approaches and solutions. The collected information provided a better understanding of UX solutions and created a basis for the content analysis that was conducted next. Based on predefined criteria, cooperative VR games were selected for analysis. A content analysis was conducted to identify patterns in solutions that affect UX. Using the results of the literature review and content analysis, a UX design was created, which was then visualised through a Unity prototype. The obtained result was necessary for the development of a game with the company that collaborated in this study. Since the game project is still at an early stage, many mechanics and concepts remain undefined, which made it impossible to fully implement some of the solutions. The developed UX design will continue to evolve during the game development, and testing will be required to finalize the design. Despite this, the research achieved its goal, as signs of UX standardization in cooperative VR games where identified.