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Online gaming is a thriving sector of the video game industry. More people than ever before are choosing to play video games as a hobby, and most choose to play games online at least part of the time. Online gaming includes mobile gaming, cloud gaming and any games that require an internet connection to play.
For hardcore gamers who have been playing since they were kids, navigating gaming platforms and sites is second nature. For the rest of us new or casual gamers, it doesn’t come so easily. Confusing or badly designed websites that don’t cater to every level of gamer are alienating and make gaming a less inclusive hobby.
This is where design can play a huge role. In this article, we’ll explain the importance of user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) in online gaming. At the end, we’ll take a look at an online gaming site that is doing things right in terms of both UI and UX design.
What are user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) in design?
In the simplest terms, user interface design is all about how a site looks, and user experience design is about how it works. Obviously, the two go together and you need to have good UI and UX design to have a website that works well and is easy to use.
The main aspects of UI are page layout, color scheme and fonts, interactive elements and turning the rough structure given by UX designers into a functional site. All of these elements determine how easy a site is to navigate. Font colors that can’t be seen against the background, buttons that are too small or menus that are confusing can all ruin the experience of using a website.
User experience is more concerned with the behind-the-scenes elements that impact how the user feels when using the site. UX design begins with research into customer needs and expectations, then moves into creating a site that functions well and in a way that the customer appreciates and understands. This can include things like organizing the page hierarchy in a way that makes sense, or keeping all links up to date.
With good UI and UX, you have a site that looks good and works well. On Los Cerritos News, for example, the UX designers have separated the headings into two groups to make navigation easier – the primary links like news, entertainment and sports, and the business and advertising links. The UI designers have used different fonts and backgrounds to make it easier to distinguish between these two sets of links. Combined, these UX and UI elements let readers navigate more easily to the content they want.
Why UI and UX matter in online gaming
User interface and user experience design really do matter in online gaming – just like in every other type of site. A game that has bad UX will be glitchy and difficult to play. It may have lots of bugs or it might just not have intuitive controls or good systems in place for movement, fighting, item retrieval and more.
A game with bad UI will be confusing and hard to play. It might have a map that is impossible to read or other elements that make gameplay unnecessarily difficult. It may also just be unappealing to look at.
Good UI and UX design in gaming result in a game that is fully functional and intuitive to play. It looks good, makes sense and doesn’t put unnecessary hurdles in the player’s way. Good design makes any game more appealing to players at all skill levels.
An example
Let’s take a look at the online social casino WOW Vegas to see the importance of user interface and user experience in online gaming in action. Social casinos are similar to online casinos with two major differences. First, they use in-game currencies instead of real money. Second, they have a social or community element.
WOW Vegas is one of the most popular social casinos and a quick look through their website shows why. The UX design behind the scenes has been done well so that all of the links work, the navigation is seamless and it’s easy for the customer to understand how the pages work together.
The UI design has been done to make the site inviting but not overwhelming. One of the smartest choices they’ve made is to use a black background. This makes all of the pictures and text pop without being distracting or visually overwhelming. The buttons and icons are large enough to be obvious but not distracting. The combination of photographs, text and illustrations also creates a good sense of balance.
Before customers have even played any games, the UI and UX design of WOW Vegas have given them a good impression and made it more likely that they will create an account.
Final thoughts
User experience and user interface design are both very important in making online gaming more enjoyable and more accessible. Good design is essential in all products and websites, so it makes sense that the same is true for gaming.
A game with bad UI will be confusing and hard to play. It might have a map that is impossible to read or
other elements that make gameplay unnecessarily difficult. It may also just be unappealing to look at.
Good UI and UX design in gaming result in a game that is fully functional and intuitive to play. It looks
good, makes sense and doesn’t put unnecessary hurdles in the player’s way. Good design makes any
game more appealing to players at all skill levels.
An example
Let’s take a look at the online social casino WOW Vegas to see the importance of user interface and user
experience in online gaming in action. Social casinos are similar to online casinos with two major
differences. First, they use in-game currencies instead of real money. Second, they have a social or
community element.
WOW Vegas is one of the most popular social casinos and a quick look through their website shows why.
The UX design behind the scenes has been done well so that all of the links work, the navigation is
seamless and it’s easy for the customer to understand how the pages work together.
The UI design has been done to make the site inviting but not overwhelming. One of the smartest choices
they’ve made is to use a black background. This makes all of the pictures and text pop without being
distracting or visually overwhelming. The buttons and icons are large enough to be obvious but not
distracting. The combination of photographs, text and illustrations also creates a good sense of balance.
Before customers have even played any games, the UI and UX design of WOW Vegas have given them
a good impression and made it more likely that they will create an account.
Final thoughts
User experience and user interface design are both very important in making online gaming more
enjoyable and more accessible. Good design is essential in all products and websites, so it makes sense
that the same is true for gaming.
