EEG and the next generation of online gaming

By Mark Gristock

Gaming companies have long recognised that user experience is a significant factor in winning and keeping clients. Over the years, every element of the gaming experience – from initial signup through to the latest live betting sports books and 3D casinos – has been thoroughly tested across multiple and diverse audience groups.

The latest development, electroencephalography, or EEG research, reveals how people are responding to specific aspects and periods of the experience, and could instigate the next generation of online and multi-channel gaming. The first time we really started to be aware of the potential of EEG research was with the release of Microsoft’s Halo 3 on the Xbox 360. Within 24 hours of launch, the game had become the biggest entertainment launch in history, garnering an estimated $170 million in sales in the US alone. Research and conversations with the team at Microsoft revealed that the design of Halo 3 had been based around a system of design called MDA – Mechanics-Dynamics-Aesthetics. From the designer’s perspective, the mechanics give rise to dynamic system behaviour, which in turn leads to particular aesthetic experiences. From the player’s perspective, aesthetics set the tone, which is born out in observable dynamics and eventually, operable mechanics.

EEG is a pioneering neuroscience technique. By measuring mind-states, emotions and other sub-conscious responses, it helps us to understand how respondents really think, act and behave. It combines eye-tracking and neurological data to measure sub-conscious reactions and marry them with cognitive responses. By studying, in real-time, variations in the different patterns of electrical activity in the brain, it is possible to gain a very considerable understanding of exactly what is going on inside the mind at any given moment.

When combined with classic qualitative research methods, this approach enables us to explore the otherwise mysterious depths of the subconscious. It is already widely used in the advertising and film worlds, and has been successfully used in packaging, merchandising design and creative and concept work. By combining EEG techniques with the latest eye tracking, we are able to see exactly how opinions are formed and how consumers react to positive and negative outcomes, to exposure to different processes (e.g. registration), and where cross-promotions have the most impact.

What does this mean for the gaming industry? Well, for the first time, we are now able to measure the impact of both individual and combinations of elements on how the customer feels during the gaming process. We can look at, for example, the live betting process and how participants respond to different winning or losing messages. We can start to experiment with new concepts, such as:

• How much does positive or negative reinforcement change the way you view a game?
• How much is satisfaction increased by congratulatory or hard luck messages
• Would additional animations at key stages of game play (e.g. on the bubble, as betting closes) increase emotional engagement with a game or gaming company?

This research technique also allows us to challenge long-standing assumptions. The vast majority of the work that’s been done with registration processes has been focused on simplifying and shortening the time and effort needed to start gambling. But our work in the insurance industry has revealed that there is actually a trade off between providing a smaller amount of information and the amount of trust customers have in a brand and its security. Does this apply to gaming, and what elements would increase brand affinity?

Our workshop at EiG Expo 2008 in Barcelona from 23 to 25 September, will include a practical demonstration of the technology in action, as well as reviewing the findings of our initial EEG research. But what we’re really hoping to achieve is for you to leave the session with renewed vigour and focus on customer experience. These new techniques provide insight and answers that were previously unobtainable – and the information could lead to the biggest step forward in online gaming in years.