Hacknext
Cyberpoker
The challenge of this Texas Poker mobile game lies in its innovative 3D UI and interactive design. 3D poker mobile games are not common in the market, so we need to research and design the human factors engineering suitable for one-handed or two-handed mobile phone operation. The game needs to be kept simple and intuitive to ensure that players can easily read it, avoiding complex interfaces similar to other products in the market.
Goal
Enhanced Immersion: Unlike 2D games, 3D scenes can provide a stronger sense of immersion, allowing players to feel as if they are in the game world, similar to the experience brought by 'The Sims'.
Richer Visual Experience: 3D scenes allow for freely changing camera angles, departing from monotonous perspectives, providing players with a richer, dynamic gaming experience.
Innovative Betting Operations: Although current poker mobile games commonly use slide betting, this method is not conducive to one-handed operation as it restricts thumb movement and can lead to excessive decision-making time. Therefore, we explore a more convenient and intuitive betting method.
The Design Process
The product design process begins with defining the product positioning and the gaming life cycle, followed by confirming product specifications and overall process planning. We use wireframe flowcharts and game storyboards to facilitate horizontal and vertical communication, ensuring that all departments understand each other and collaborate. Subsequently, we conduct mockup and prototype design to validate design concepts and feasibility through visualization and interactive models. We then proceed with phased testing, making adjustments and optimizations based on the test results, and finally launch the product. Subsequently, we iteratively adjust based on user feedback to meet and exceed market expectations.
Product Positioning
Cyberpoker is a leading 3D poker gaming platform focusing on mobile games. Unlike 90% of 2D poker mobile games on the market, this posed numerous challenges in the initial stages of product conception, user experience design, and interaction design. However, it also allowed us to seize innovative opportunities to stand out from the competition and provide players with an unprecedented immersive gaming experience.
Gaming Life Cycle Definition
Based on Nir Eyal's 'Hooked Model,' we design the gaming product life cycle with the goal of establishing user habits and increasing product stickiness:
Trigger: We will use influencer live game broadcasts and extensive online marketing as external triggers to attract the attention and interest of potential players.
Action: By offering diverse game modes, players can experience different styles of Texas Hold'em. Adopting game character design, we aim to immerse players in the virtual world, encouraging them to actively participate in the game.
Variable Rewards: Players can obtain rewards through various means in the game (such as points, missions, slot machines, etc.). These rewards not only can be reinvested in the game or used to purchase equipment, but also bring unexpected surprises, motivating players to continue playing.
Investment: We use character design to allow players to self-identify and invest. Through leaderboards and social features, players can showcase their poker skills and compare with friends. This social competitive mindset motivates players to revisit, increasing stickiness.
Through these four key elements, we not only effectively attract players for initial trial, but also increase their continued participation and investment, ultimately achieving stable user growth and product success.
Wireflow & Storyboard
As a product designer, after establishing functional specifications, we use Wireflow and Storyboard for communication. This method differs from the traditional approach of separating wireframes and flowcharts, as wireframe flowcharts can more intuitively help team members and stakeholders imagine the final product presentation. Especially in game development, this emphasis on visual and interactive tools is crucial for inspiring imagination and creativity. Therefore, we decided to use this approach to enhance communication efficiency and design quality.
Mockup & Prototyping
Finally, when designing the interactive design of the betting roulette, we created two to three versions, from initially showing more information to the final streamlined version. This process went through the steps of Prototyping - testing - modification in the design method. Through Figma's Mockup and Prototype, we allow testers to experience and provide feedback, ultimately confirming the current information presentation.
Usability Testing
Testing Process Planning
Prior to testing, test plans are usually formulated, so we plan different tests for different phases
Early Development
We use the Scrum approach, releasing and testing the minimum viable product increment after each sprint cycle to obtain feedback from users and stakeholders.
Mid-Late Development
We start internal version testing, upload to the dual system store, and begin internal testing, formulating the problem table as shown below, collecting and visualizing issues and schedules.
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Takeaways
What's special this time is the innovation of executing 3D UI and interactive design. For example:
Research and design the human factors engineering aspect when operating the mobile phone with one or both hands.
How to simplify the game screen when entering the poker table to make it easy for players to read, unlike the complexity seen in similar products in the market. We modified the screen 2-3 times before the public test version.
In addition, game pacing, gift giving, and feature selection and trade-offs are also challenges.
The game pacing needs to be moderate, finding a balance point so that players have enough time to think about strategies without feeling that the game is progressing too slowly.
Gift giving can motivate players, but the timing and content of the gifts need to be carefully considered, with attractive and game-setting-appropriate content.
In terms of feature selection and trade-offs, the most core and interesting features need to be chosen, and new elements need to be introduced at the right time to maintain the game's freshness and appeal.
Designing a poker game journey requires careful consideration of these factors to find the best balance point. This requires continuous testing, adjustment, iteration, and optimization based on player feedback.
