Usability in video game editors

Abstract

This thesis is a research carried out to uncover what difficulties user with little to no video game editor experience encounter when using a in-game editor, and the characteristics of users who find video game editors easy to use by using two different methods. Four different game in-game editors Grand Theft Auto Five, LittleBigPlanet 3, Portal and Trials Fusion were selected based on gaming platform, complexity and popularity. Through usability testing, questionnaires and interviews with the five participants, several usability issues within all four editors were uncovered particulary the more complex editors. The participants found the Portal 2 and the Trials Fusion editor to be significantly easier to use than the LittleBigPlanet 3 and the Trials Fusion editor.

Four surveys related to the four games were distributed through different game related channels, and player data was analyzed to find out the which users found the editors easy to use. There were some differenced within each editor between which type of players who found the editor easy to use. However, when cross comparing the survey results, there were no strong indications that certain player types found the editor easier to use, as the results were individual to each survey.