Why do people play video games? What features of games motivate players? How much should game developers invest in each of the various components of game design? The goal of these research projects is to explore the modalities of human engagement through active experimentation in published games. We use A/B testing, analytics, and telemetry to put a precise value on each of these components. Please click on the links below for individual papers.

	The Impact of Tutorials on Games of Varying Complexity Erik Andersen, Eleanor O'Rourke, Yun-En Liu, Richard Snider, Jeff Lowdermilk, David Truong, Seth Cooper, Zoran Popović CHI 2012 [Project Website] [Paper (2.4 MB)]
	On the Harmfulness of Secondary Game Objectives Erik Andersen, Yun-En Liu, Richard Snider, Roy Szeto, Seth Cooper, Zoran Popović FDG 2011 [Project Website] [Paper (1 MB)]
	Placing a Value on Aesthetics in Online Casual Games Erik Andersen, Yun-En Liu, Richard Snider, Roy Szeto, Zoran Popović CHI 2011 [Project Website] [Paper (1 MB)]