The Importance of Fun in Video Game Tutorials: A Case Study of Uncharted 4

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to clarify the role that fun and engagement have in the learning element of a video game tutorial. The hypothesis is that the more fun and engagement a player feels, the better they are able to learn from a video game tutorial.

In order to study this, I invited six participants of varying gaming backgrounds to take part in play sessions of the action-adventure video game Uncharted 4 on the PlayStation 4 console. The participants took part in the sessions one at a time, with only myself present with them. The participants played a tutorial section from the beginning of the game, and the length of each session depended on the player. Each session lasted between 20 and 30 minutes. I took notes and sometimes asked questions during sessions, but mostly allowed the participants to explore and comment on their own. After each session I conducted a recorded interview, each of which somewhat deviated from the pre-written question pattern as I encouraged the participants to speak freely. I transcribed the interview recordings myself.

There is an ongoing discussion about the relationship between playability and usability, but whatever the hierarchy between the terms is, learnability is always a part of the discussion. Video game tutorials attempt to teach something to a player, and they are therefore a special case in terms of usability and playability because of the learnability aspect. Previous studies have shown that learning is tied to fun and engagement. Based on previous studies, I will consider playability as an umbrella term that covers usability, while fun and engagement fall under usability. Learnability or learning is generally agreed to be an element of usability.

One of the participants did not enjoy the game, while the rest did. The participants that were enjoying the game were also able to learn from the tutorial more efficiently. This was shown by how well they overcame initial difficulties within the game. Enjoyment was often caused by the story-driven setting of the video game. The rich writing simultaneously forwards the story and provides tutorial instructions through dialogue. However, story and setting were not at all important to one participant, but some other genre might have been more engaging for them. The results of this study support this hypothesis. They also show that while is highly important in a video game tutorial, the definition of fun will vary from player to player.

The results of this study can be applied to video game design. A tutorial designer should take into account the element of learning, and incorporate that element in a manner that is consistent with the style of the rest of the game. If a game attempts to tell a rich story, the story should be introduced in the tutorial. In the case of Uncharted 4, the tutorial instructions are very effectively delivered through character dialogue that simultaneously forwards the story. The results can also be applied to educational games and education in general. A rich story will encourage learning in a student that enjoys following such a story, but not everyone enjoys the same. The same elements can be taught in multiple ways, and for another student a puzzle game with no story at all might work much better than a story-driven approach.