UX in XR Gamification

The gamification pipeline by C. Hillmann (2021)

Gamification has become recognized and accepted in all fields. It has become a useful tool for XR designers to generate user engagement by establishing systems that motivate and aid users through an experience. Gamification developed fully where it is not just using stereotypical mechanics (leaderboards and achievements), but more subtle forms with less obvious elements. Subtle gamification uses the core elements of gamification, establishing a ruleset as part of the UX design and thus motivating behaviors to successfully master and complete the experience.

New XR users often feel uncomfortable and lost in the XR environment, discovery problems of 3D objects can also be an issue for users because they are often scattered at 360° and that could lead to usability flaws thus feeling unsure about the orientation and goals of an application. Gamification in XR can help in orientation, affirmation, and onboarding for XR products. It can be a great tool for UX designers to guide the user through the experience. However, gamification adds a complex layer to designing gamification elements in XR environments. Game mechanics have to be designed, implemented, and tested, in addition to UX basics.

The key ingredients of gamification that adds subtle intrinsic excitement for an XR environment

Motivation

Why are we doing things?

Motivation is the force that drives the user's behavior to earn rewards, such as satisfaction, positive feelings, badges, and rankings.

Mastery

How are we doing things?

Mastery is the process of acquiring skills and with it the feeling of accomplishment.

Triggers

When are we doing things?

Triggers are signals to prompt the user to act now. The trigger creates a positive feedback at a specific critical point in time, for example, when the user may be less engaged.

Progress Bar as a Powerful Tool in UX Desing in XR

The progress bar, a very important tool in games usually used as a health bar or power charge, is a gamification element that made its way into other areas in our everyday life, e.g., online registration. The progress bar is a powerful visual tool to use to motivate users to finish tasks and feel accomplished by seeing how close they are to reaching the final goal. The psychology behind this tool is that the brain releases endorphins when a task is completed thus creating the feeling of happiness and satisfaction. Human brains have the urge to clean things up and having the visual element of that is very powerful, if we don't follow that urge, we might be having feelings of incompleteness, stress, and tension. However, the progress bar can also have negative effects on some people, it causes feelings of failure when tasks are uncompleted.

VR & Gamification

VR offers new opportunities and gives a realistic feel to a learning situation. Educational VR applications with game mechanics connect learning materials to the immersive nature of VR experiences. Immersive VR learning should use scores, badges, and rankings to enhance the learning experience and increase user engagement. It is also important to study what features of gamification worked in real-life to transfer that knowledge into the simulated VR world.

AR & Gamification

Once AR wearables become mainstream, it is expected to revolutionize education. AR gamification has the potential to bring engaging and emotional experiences through AR mirrors and overlays. Historical sites, museums, and cultural heritage projects are able to benefit from a gamified AR approach that encourages user engagement, interest, and social interaction with the exhibits, e.g., map-based treasure hunt. Application concepts, ideation, prototyping, and usability tests using focus groups are essential stages in the process of designing AR gamified experiences. Wearable glasses could be a great accelerator for a better learning experience in the AR toad map ahead.

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