Traditionally used solely for academic research, eye-tracking can be used to analyze anything from how people perceive facial cosmetics through to finding the optimum placement of a product on supermarket shelves. It can also be employed to study player immersion while playing a computer game.

It could be argued that the inherent design of the game will dictate the eye movement required, but immersive games reduce the player’s eye movement and blink rate, which in turn can indicate player immersion. Research also suggests that the less eye movement on a screen, the greater the absorption of the information. If the player’s eyes jump around on the computer screen, it is often because they are struggling to absorb what they see and read. Screen layouts that reduce eye movement allow for a more in-depth absorption of data. The player’s concentration is increased and this is evident in the immersive environments created by some commercial games.

Eye-tracking can also highlight screen areas of frequent use and areas that are not used at all. We have tested games of different genres and varying design, and both the gaze plot and hotspot data were analyzed. The gaze plot displays a static view of the gaze data for each image of the stimuli and is a useful tool when visualizing scan paths. Whereas hotspot data consists of the stimuli as background image and a hotspot mask superimposed on top of this. The hotspot mask consists of a black background, with high lighted around points where test participants have been looking.

In a first-person shooter game the player’s eyes spend the majority of the time focused with the centre of the screen. This correlates with the movement of the mouse, as it is the mouse that moves the viewpoint. Also the hand-eye co-ordinations of the mouse result in the mouse following closely behind the eye movement, and synchronization occurred when targeting for shooting. However, this is not the case with a 2 dimensional game such as Solitaire or Tetris. Results show that eye movement is more rapid, and traverses the entire field of play while the mouse remains static. When the mouse is required to move an object in the case of Solitaire, hand-eye co-ordination is done using peripheral vision only.

Eye movement will also highlight player confusion and provides a different form of usability testing. Rapid movement of the player’s eyes will suggest a lack of concentration and analysis will show the area that detracts from the players enjoyment.

At Pivec Labs, we offer eye-tracking testing and analysis of products from initial prototypes through to completed games. The resulting report will suggest enhancements in screen design, feedback placement, and game mechanics. Contact us for further information.