Ideals in game interface design
Today, many computer game developers want to hide the fact that games are mediated, and
therefore remove the traditional physical controllers as well as virtual system information such as
icons, windows, and menus. Instead “natural” physical interfaces based on motion-sensors such as
Wii, Xbox Kinect and Playstation Move are becoming popular, and in terms of software, the ideal is to
remove as much as possible of icons and menus and make the interface “invisible”.
In this paper I will present empirical data from a study of game user interface (UI) designers. With
basis in research interviews, I will discuss challenges for game user interface design and what ideals
practitioners are working towards. The views of the game UI designers will be compared to
guidelines for traditional user interface design as well as the views of other practitioners in the field.
The paper is a draft for a chapter in a monograph on game user interface design. The book is based
on a postdoctoral research project that was finalized in December 2010.