Shaping Interactions and Experiences: Investigating the Effects of a Game-Specific Custom Controller on Player Experience in a Digital Game Environment

Abstract

This paper explores the impact of game interface technologies on player experience. To investigate this, an original game and a game-specific custom controller were designed and tested on a sample of 32 participants. The experiment was conducted through a quantitative research approach with twelve data points to measure both the objective reality and subjective experience of the participants. The results suggest emergent trends pertaining to (i) objective data distribution; (ii) perceptions of the self; and (iii) playstyle differences. The findings revealed that the custom controller group had more similar objective results to one another than the mouse input group did, suggesting a more commonly shared experience. The custom controller group also appeared to be more goal-oriented, with a quicker completion time and focus on evading enemies, while the mouse input group achieved higher amounts of player- dealt damage. This research contributes to the existing studies on tangible user interfaces and game input research. The results may encourage game developers, academics, and artists to create controllers to alter the player experience for their uniquely designed game mechanics in experimental or creative projects.