Playing Aloud: Leveraging Game Commentary Culture for Playtesting

• Published in: International journal of gaming and computer-mediated simulations Vol. 14; no. 1; pp. 1 - 16
• Main Authors: Pellicone, Anthony, Weintrop, David, Ketelhut, Diane Jass, Shokeen, Ekta, Cukier, Michel, Plane, Jandelyn Dawn, Rahimian, Firoozeh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hershey IGI Global 01.01.2022
• Subjects: Computer & video games; Games
• ISSN: 1942-3888; 1942-3896
• DOI: 10.4018/IJGCMS.296705

Think-alouds are a common method of collecting design data where a player describes their play for a facilitator. Games promote a feeling of immersivity and player presence, which is in tension with traditional think-aloud methods. This work introduces a new type of think-aloud protocol intended for game-based contexts that leverages the genres of video blogging and livestreaming in game culture. This new approach, called Play Aloud testing, has participants take on the role of a game streamer by expressing their thoughts, feelings, and experiences as they play – modeled after live streaming commentary. This paper demonstrates the potential of the Play Aloud approach using playtest data from a game called HEX of the Turtle Islands. The authors highlight how Play Aloud testing generated useful data providing insight into the experience of young players in a way that was authentic to the format of digital games and consistent with youth gaming practices.