TY  - JOUR
AU  - Simor, Fernando Winckler
AU  - Brum, Manoela Rogofski
AU  - Schmidt, Jaison Dairon Ebertz
AU  - Rieder, Rafael
AU  - De Marchi, Ana Carolina Bertoletti
PY  - 2016
DA  - 2016/10/04
TI  - Usability Evaluation Methods for Gesture-Based Games: A Systematic Review
JO  - JMIR Serious Games
SP  - e17
VL  - 4
IS  - 2
KW  - usability testing
KW  - evaluation
KW  - computer games
KW  - gestural input
KW  - usability evaluation
KW  - method
KW  - gesture-based games
AB  - Background: Gestural interaction systems are increasingly being used, mainly in games, expanding the idea of entertainment and providing experiences with the purpose of promoting better physical and/or mental health. Therefore, it is necessary to establish mechanisms for evaluating the usability of these interfaces, which make gestures the basis of interaction, to achieve a balance between functionality and ease of use. Objective: This study aims to present the results of a systematic review focused on usability evaluation methods for gesture-based games, considering devices with motion-sensing capability. We considered the usability methods used, the common interface issues, and the strategies adopted to build good gesture-based games. Methods: The research was centered on four electronic databases: IEEE, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), Springer, and Science Direct from September 4 to 21, 2015. Within 1427 studies evaluated, 10 matched the eligibility criteria. As a requirement, we considered studies about gesture-based games, Kinect and/or Wii as devices, and the use of a usability method to evaluate the user interface. Results: In the 10 studies found, there was no standardization in the methods because they considered diverse analysis variables. Heterogeneously, authors used different instruments to evaluate gesture-based interfaces and no default approach was proposed. Questionnaires were the most used instruments (70%, 7/10), followed by interviews (30%, 3/10), and observation and video recording (20%, 2/10). Moreover, 60% (6/10) of the studies used gesture-based serious games to evaluate the performance of elderly participants in rehabilitation tasks. This highlights the need for creating an evaluation protocol for older adults to provide a user-friendly interface according to the user’s age and limitations. Conclusions: Through this study, we conclude this field is in need of a usability evaluation method for serious games, especially games for older adults, and that the definition of a methodology and a test protocol may offer the user more comfort, welfare, and confidence. 
SN  - 2291-9279
UR  - http://games.jmir.org/2016/2/e17/
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/games.5860
UR  - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27702737
DO  - 10.2196/games.5860
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/games.5860
ER  -