Let's engage in playful thinking!
So far The Last of Us Part II made me cry very early on. Mostly because of its story but also because of few unnecessary usability problems. The biggest problem so far is that the game accepts only its linear solutions. Let me explain how forced problem solutions, linearity cuts the rope, and light brings clarity are destroying the game quality.
Learn With Me is a series where I write about a process, tool or similar that I need to learn for my current UX position. On today's agenda are decision tress. This week I needed to define a set of rules or conditions for an upcoming feature. Decision trees are not necessarily part of my … Continue reading Learn With Me: Decision Tree Diagram
Learn With Me is a series where I write about a process, tool or similar that I need to learn for my current UX position. This article is on KPIs.
Days Gone fails in delivering the promised player experiences, because there is no cohesion between structure, mechanics, programming and UI.
A while ago, I wrote a paper on the importance of image schemas in the Assassin's Creed franchise. This article highlights some important takeaways. Image schemas are connected to experiencing our everyday world. We need them to structure and connect meanings. Think of image schemas as a network or spider's web, where you have many … Continue reading Fixing the Assassin’s Creed Franchise: AC Unity vs. AC Origins
Full presentation is available now as a PDF here: NataliPanicCidic_Clash_19 Is you have any questions or need more explanations about slides, please get in touch with me. Credit: Cologne Game Lab, Clash of Realities 2019 Conference.
In this years’ talk at the Young Academics Workshop at the Clash of Realities Conference in Cologne, I want to introduce the benefits and possibilities of using digital fiction for narrative-driven games, especially its usage in the project “Writing New Bodies: Critical Co-design for 21st Century Digital-born Bibliotherapy”.
The Last of Us sparked some newfound hope and joy in life which I could't just let go. That spark turned into passion and today it's my life. In few months, I'll be holding a Master's degree in Literary Studies and Linguistics with a focus on games user research, cognitive narrative studies and player-narrative interaction. … Continue reading The Power of Video Games: How The Last of Us Changed My Life
From Immersion to Attention in AAA is a M.A. thesis project where I'm analyzing video games on their distinctive narrative elements. In the next step I want to find out if these narrative elements influence player's attention. This thesis is supervised by Prof. Jan Alber (RWTH Aaachen University) and Prof. Astrid Ensslin (University of Alberta). … Continue reading Research Poster: Master Thesis Update
I am looking for players to help me out with a study, which will be carried out in Aachen, Germany in September and October 2019. Among all participants I am giving away 1-year-PS+ memberships and props. During the study, you will recieve food and drinks. This study is not sponsored or funded. If you are … Continue reading PS4 Players Wanted for Research in AAA Video Games
Playful Brain Demand 