Group Name: Gaming
Members:
- Ginny Morris
- Ryan Thomas
- Emanuel Strachan
- Jasmyn Collier
- Steven Howard
Type of Site: Video Game Reviews, Walkthroughs, and Collaboration
Examples:
- https://www.ign.com
- https://www.gamesradar.com
- https://www.pcgamer.com
- https://www.gamespot.com
- https://www.gamepressure.com
- https://strategywiki.org/wiki/Main_Page
Why this type of site?
We chose this type of site because it is a form of entertainment that we all enjoy, and it was more interesting to us than the other topics presented, such as health care or museums. It covers a wide spectrum, going from online card games and e-sports to long quests that you can take by yourself, or with a group of friends.
Many gamers rely on video game reviews to choose the games they purchase and play. There are a vast number of websites that provide this type of information, and each gamer has a personal favorite. The articles and videos on these sites have multiple authors, and many of these sites allow for gamers to submit their own walkthroughs, reviews, and comments about games. Users of these sites are looking to gather information about video games that interest them.
Many times, users of these sites find there is a lack of quality control due to the vast amount of content being shared on the site each day. Other sites can make it difficult to find information about a specific game. Useful information may be lost within a cluttered or disjointed website design. Users may become irritated at large distracting advertisements and unwanted pop ups asking for permission to push notifications or to create accounts.
Exploring the usability of these types of sites can begin to shine light on what problems exist within these websites themselves but also can give insight to what is happening in the video game from a user’s perspective.
Ensuring that the site is effective and user friendly is an important start for games and gamers alike. These types of sites not only can determine the success of many gaming titles but also play a factor in how different video games are perceived in the gaming community. Games such as The Quarry and Cyberpunk sometimes don’t reach the mainstream public, so they rely on reviews and word of mouth to spread. These gaming sites give users a place to look at new releases, play demos, look at previews and much more which they might normally be exposed to. From there, news starts to spread, and streamers start taking an interest and ultimately others start taking notice and the games eventually take off. It all starts with a great layout that’s easy to understand and use while also keeping the end user engaged.