Neuroscience for Video Game Testing

Stop asking your testers to self-report. 

Because they don't really know what they thought of your game.

Start measuring their neurological response with Lively. 

It’s nearly impossible to guess what people love. And traditional video game testing relies a lot on self-reported tester feedback. 

When testers play your game, they can't correctly identify which parts of it they loved or hated. And it’s not their fault they can’t give articulate their emotional responses!

It’s human nature for people to struggle with communicating how they truly feel about something.

Nobel prize winner Daniel Kahneman(2) showed that people can't describe what they like about something new.

So, people lie.

Not because they mean to - but because the human brain is not able to consciously report our unconscious emotional responses with any accuracy.

You wouldn’t ask your stomach to tell you how’s it’s been digesting lately or ask your liver if it liked that steak last night! And equally so – we cannot expect to consciously understand what our unconscious brains are doing.

You want to really understand what people love about your game? Or the things that frustrate them that you need to change?

You need to measure their brains directly. And, now you can. It’s super easy.

 

Lively predicts market impact with over 80% accuracy during testing

With Lively, testers wear a smartwatch or fitness sensor while playing your game. Lively reads subtle changes in their heartbeat to determine the presence of oxytocin and dopamine - the two neurochemicals present when someone is engaged, paying attention and connecting to your game. 

You can measure testers' brains in real time while they play so you know the exact moments of the game they loved . . .  or didn't . . . and you can iteratively improve for the highest level of connection with your players. 

Lively’s objective, predictive, and granular measures give you the superpower of objective, actionable feedback.

And the best part? These measurements have been scientifically proven to predict market impact by over 80%. 

With Lively and the predictive power of neuroscience – you will know exactly how well your game will do in the market. And how to optimize every detail. 

 

How do you use Lively to optimize Video Game testing?

Simple. You measure a specific neurologic state in your audience.

At Lively, we call this state Immersion, named for the neurologic state our founders discovered that powers our platform. Immersion induces the audiences' brains to release the attachment neurochemical oxytocin.

Very science-y, we know. But stay with us . . .

"Oxytocin increases perceptions of competence ... and participants are willing to pay more for products through its effect on competence. says published scientific research.¹

The release of oxytocin forms a physiologic attachment to your game. In other words, it causes people to fall in love - and pay more for - products and services.

When your testers experience peak immersion – you know for sure your game is a winner.

 

How do you use Lively?

It is so simple. You set up your game test and invite testers to wear a fitness sensor or smartwatch while they participate.

You and your team can log into the Lively platform and watch the data roll in to understand how the group’s brains are connecting or pulling back during use.

The real-time data show you the areas to explore more deeply to see exactly why people love or do not love in the game.

You can see moments of peak connection and moments of frustration or boredom. 

If you already collect eye-tracking data or video, Lively will automatically sync these inputs with Immersion so you can visualize what people's brains are feeling. 

At the end of testing, Lively generates a full, downloadable report of the moments of high and low immersion.

You can even tag key moments while they happen to identify unusual uses or odd experiences that impact how testers experience a new game.

Lively is the fastest and most effective way to improve in your game.

You get data that definitively explains what makes your product outstanding and what doesn't. This helps you go refine your product so it’s ready for market with zero guesswork.

 

How do you get started?

Want to use Lively in your testing phase to get clear, actionable next steps?

Drop us a note today for a free demo to see how easy it is to use Lively!

 

 

 

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1: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0260589

2: Kahneman, D., & Snell, J. (1992). Predicting a changing taste: Do people know what they will like?. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 5(3), 187-200.