Comparison of Diegetic Navigational Aids in Virtual, Audio-Exclusive 3D Environments
Authors
Larsen, Camilla Horne ; Rasmussen, Niklas Ammitzbøll ; Lauritsen, David Skødt
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2015
Submitted on
2015-05-27
Pages
85
Abstract
Blinde og svagsynede spillere udgør en lille gruppe, som ofte overses af spiludviklere og markedsføring. Dette projekt undersøger, hvordan man kan hjælpe dem med at navigere i et 3D-spilunivers, der udelukkende bruger lyd (et lyd-eksklusivt miljø). Med inspiration fra eksisterende lydspil udviklede vi tre navigationshjælpemidler: Cans, Dog og Map. Cans og Dog er rumlige lydhjælpemidler, hvor lyde placeres rundt om spilleren for at angive retning og placering. Map er et verbalt hjælpemiddel, der giver talte instruktioner. Vi sammenlignede de tre hjælpemidler i et within-subjects-studie med 36 deltagere, hvor hver deltager prøvede alle tre. Formålet var at sammenligne løsningerne og indsamle præferencer. Resultaterne viste en generel præference for Cans som navigationshjælpemiddel. Samtidig kan Dog eller Map være det rigtige valg i nogle projekter, fordi videospil også er et kunstnerisk medie med forskellige designmål og specifikationer.
Players with visual impairments are a small group that is often overlooked by game developers and marketing. This thesis explores how to help these players navigate a 3D game world that relies entirely on sound (an audio-only environment). Drawing on ideas from existing audio games, we built three navigation aids: Cans, Dog, and Map. Cans and Dog use spatial audio, where sounds are positioned around the player to signal direction and location. Map is a verbal aid that provides spoken instructions. We compared the three aids in a within-subjects study with 36 participants, meaning each person tried all three, to compare the solutions and gather preferences. Overall, participants preferred Cans as a navigation aid. At the same time, because video games are also an artistic medium with different design goals and specifications, Dog or Map can be the better choice in some projects.
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