Humans aren't always as rational as they might think, and Epic's Jim Brown thinks game developers should remember that when thinking through the user experience of their games.

At GDC 2017's UX Summit, Brown hopped onstage to expound on the basic emotions that drive everyone, and provide specific examples of design techniques that encourage the formation of enduring emotional ties that could enhance both retention and enjoyment for players.

It wasn't about about narrative design or "how to make people cry"; rather, it was a practical evaluation of the underlying factors that can create emotional attachment, and how Brown thinks you can encourage those connections in games with focused design and UX techniques.

If you missed it in person, don't miss your chance to now watch Brown's talk entirely for free over on the official GDC YouTube channel!

About the GDC Vault

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its new YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.

Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC, GDC Europe, and GDC Next already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.

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