How a Fly in a Urinal Improves Game Design Usability

So you are probably asking yourself what a urine soaked fly has to do with game design, let alone being the subject of anything fundamental. During one of my days at work I felt the need to harass one of the texture artists who was dressing a bounce pad prop for a project. I had a specific request… place a target or wear spot on the top surface in the middle. He thought this request was odd but after some persistence, he agreed. Shortly afterwards the lead artist came to ask me exactly what I was thinking. And so begins this crusade: 

Ready, Aim, Fire…
A while back I was victim to one of those internet spam mails from my father. Reluctantly I clicked the link:

urinal

The goal: Give men a target and reduce spillage effectively reducing area clean-up.

Note: This toilet psychology has been so effective that it has moved from to its place at Schiphol Airport to urinals in JFK airport, major sports stadiums and even grade schools. Now how exactly does this work its way into a game design fundamental? Read on.

The Theory
The theory is simple: If a person needs to throw “something” and is given a large target or wide open space, they will most likely hit that target somewhere regardless if it is entirely effective.  But if you drill down on that target giving it a focal point, (the fly), that person will instinctively and subconsciously attempt to aim for that very same focal point without any influence from an outside source. The result is a passive increase of accuracy. In its purest form, this design theory can be seen in a bull’s-eye. Multiple concentric rings leading to the center focal point (the bull’s-eye).

flyFail

Fundamentally Fly
So this bounce pad (interactive prop the player can use to get greater jump heights) was subject to some contention. The problem was some players were experiencing problems performing some of the higher fidelity maneuvers from bounce pads.  These maneuvers could have their margin for error greatly reduced by more accurately hitting the “sweet spot” center of the bounce pad. Focus testing indicated players were not always doing this thus unwittingly increasing the difficulty and more important frustration level of the game.  We did not have the time nor budget to “can” these props to behave similar to say… the kickpads from Portal. We needed to find another solution that was virtually cost free but would still aid the player.

JumpPad_fail

(Player cannot perform maneuver properly if they do not hit the prop in the center)

It was my request that the texture artist paint on a bull’s-eye / wear spot on the center of the bounce pad as a guiding point for players.  After this explanation, the lead artist agreed and the prop received its usability change.

JumpPad_win

(Huge success!)

Design Result
After secondary focus testing we found players to be more effective at navigating these challenges. Accuracy increased dramatically on lower skilled players, effectively bringing up the bottom line and making the product barrier of entry smaller.  Like in any design, we must never underestimate the power of human instinct or the subconscious.