Advancing Mixed Reality Game Development: An Evaluation of a Visual Game Analytics Tool in Action-Adventure and FPS Genres

TL;DR

This paper introduces GAMR, a specialized analytics tool for Mixed Reality games, evaluated through an experimental study with students, showing significant benefits in analyzing action-adventure and FPS genres.

Contribution

The paper presents GAMR, a novel MR game analytics tool with advanced features, and provides empirical evidence of its effectiveness across multiple game genres.

Findings

GAMR significantly improved gameplay analysis in MR games.

Participants found GAMR useful for identifying gameplay issues.

The tool showed particular effectiveness in action-adventure games.

Abstract

In response to the unique challenges of Mixed Reality (MR) game development, we developed GAMR, an analytics tool specifically designed for MR games. GAMR aims to assist developers in identifying and resolving gameplay issues effectively. It features reconstructed gameplay sessions, heatmaps for data visualization, a comprehensive annotation system, and advanced tracking for hands, camera, input, and audio, providing in-depth insights for nuanced game analysis. To evaluate GAMR's effectiveness, we conducted an experimental study with game development students across two game genres: action-adventure and first-person shooter (FPS). The participants used GAMR and provided feedback on its utility. The results showed a significant positive impact of GAMR in both genres, particularly in action-adventure games. This study demonstrates GAMR's effectiveness in MR game development and suggests its potential to influence future MR game analytics, addressing the specific needs of developers in this evolving area.