What Computer Game Visualization Techniques Offer Interface Designers

Jack Zaientz
Research Scientist
Soar Technology, Inc.

7:00pm
Wednesday, June 11, 2003
411 West Hall (Ehrlicher Room) directions...

Computer games have been around as long there have been computers to play them on. In that time game designers have experimented with a wide range of concepts for game play and visualization, each generation of games building on the most successful games of the previous generation. The results are game displays that are widely varied but are highly tuned to dealing with the serious information visualization problems that games run into. These problems are not unique to games, though, and there is a lot that the interface design community can learn by taking a look at the solutions that game designers have developed. This talk will present a snapshot of key visualization problems and techniques that contemporary game designers use, focusing on the genre of strategy games such as "Civilizations" and "Empire Earth" and god games such as "Pharaoh" and "Roller Coaster Tycoon." Issues covered include managing multiple levels of detail, display selection and placement, and ensuring decision quality displays by using both qualitative and quantitative displays.

About the Speaker

Jack Zaientz, is a Research Scientist and Software Designer for Soar Technology focusing on Human Computer Interaction issues involving interface design, information visualization and agent systems. He has a background in cognitive psychology and cognitive modeling and, prior to coming to Soar Technology, developed cognitive modeling tools for the Cognition Lab at NASA's Ames Research Center. He has over seven years experience in Human-Computer Interaction, analyzing, designing and implementing applications and application interfaces for a wide range of industries including financial, legal, insurance, commercial, scientific, military and intelligence service and has earned a Masters of Human Computer Interaction from Carnegie Mellon University's Human Computer Interaction Institute.