Beta Test: Divided Attention

Thanks to everyone for your feedback on the beta version of Divided Attention. Again, I got a lot of great ideas for improving the game. Here's a summary of what I'm thinking.

Game length: I think 10 minutes is about the right length in terms of holding people's interest. I think, however, that I need to restructure the game so it builds to a better climax. It should become more frenetic and exciting as it progresses.

Thematic consistency: The class seemed divided on whether it was a good idea to keep the visuals abstract or to use "themed" shapes (star, planets). I agree that keeping things consistently abstract is aesthetically better. Jane and others I've shown the game to like the movement of the shapes, so I think I'll head in that direction.

The falling word episode: Too long. I meant to shorten or remove it before the beta test.

Meaningful play: Some have commented that it seems that where one ends up depends entirely on how he or she answers the final question (Greek gods). This is true, however I was hoping players would begin to realize that consistent responses to the questions push them toward certain colors. That's the purpose of the falling word episode. I thought that made it pretty obvious but I was wrong. The problem is, if players aren't aware of the relationship between colors and choices, then the outcome seems pretty random.

The final question: The Greek gods question seems to push the majority toward red. It also relies on knowledge of Greek gods and their associations. I think I need to replace this question or move it toward the beginning of the game, where movement is still mysterious and seemingly random.

Displaying progress: Jane's idea of somehow letting people know how much of the game remains was a good one. I experimented with putting a "temperature" bar at the bottom that slowly fills up as the game progresses. The problem is, it was distracting and detracted from the visuals. I have to try other approaches, maybe putting text to indicate the halfway point or something like that.

Music: The piece of music I chose works well (though I'm pretty tired of hearing it) when I keep it timed with the game. I think, however, that the music should change during the final vote to aurally indicate the end phase. Otherwise, the end phase seems like just another part of the game.

Competition: While I think watching and participating in the game is engrossing, I was hoping for more competition and audience response. The pace of the game might be what's preventing more interaction (players don't want to look away from the screen), but I don't want to slow down the action. I'm going to try to invent episodes that give players a chance to do something to influence the actions of others. Don't know what yet.

The payoff: Still weak, in my opinion. People aren't excited enough about belonging to the largest group. If there were a way to display and congratulate the winning color, that might help. Unfortunately, PowerPoint does not allow branching. Players seem to like the statistics at the end, but again that poses a problem. If I wanted to transfer the game to a fixed medium, such as a DVD, I wouldn't be able to update the figures easily.

Well, the above thoughts are just the tip of the iceberg. I'm hoping to resolve as many of the problems as possible before the final class.