The Evolution and the Future of Video Game User Interface

Before delving deep into the topic of evolution and the future of video game user interface, let’s understand what is the user interface? To simplify the answer, it can be said that it is the medium through which users communicate with computers, websites or applications. The ultimate goal is to make the process of interaction easy where maximum output can be achieved with minimum effort on the user’s part. UI comes in layers to appeal to human senses like sight, touch, auditory etc. Now, a device can interact with multiple senses as well which can be called a multimedia user interface. A system has input devices such as a mouse, keyboard, scanner, camera etc and output devices like monitors, speakers, printers etc.

Why such importance?

To support the effective functioning of the site, the user interface stands as one integral part with its clean design, responsive nature and nice visuals, in terms of smooth communication between a user and the program. The information architecture, visual design and interactive design are key elements of User Interface. These elements are driving forces behind logical structuring and organizing of the website, user satisfactory behaviors and effective design consisting of color, contrast, font, video etc. The user interface is undoubtedly the most important factor of video game development. A strong UX design can engage a player for a long time whereas a poor design can end up in games with glitches. Given the fact that strategy games pay special focus on interactive systems and demand huge creativity to cope up with diverse challenges, therefore most Strategy Game Development Companies give special importance to UX/UI designs. The primary importance is also laid on improving the player’s understanding of the game mechanisms. In a video game learning through the UI is important as the speed of the game might confuse the new gamers so the game needs to explain to the players about the happenings. A great UI is the perfect combination of form and function and it helps to make sense of a game, minimize cognitive friction and to bring players back to the game by providing bars, badges and other prizes.

User Interface for 2D games

In the case of 2D gaming well, UI and UX work with the game’s design to ensure the best experience for the user. The user interface works with art direction as the branding. It is all about the buttons, typography, animations etc. 2D Game Development Companies often use graphic designs to create other assets like graffiti, tattoos, art used in the gaming environment to offer a realistic look to the game. The UI design of games often differs from other UI designs because of the element of fiction in it. It can involve an avatar or the actual player who later becomes the key element of the game. UI uses three elements such as HUD, Meta and spatial elements. HUD elements don’t interfere with the storyline but allow the player to do some customization in the appearance, whereas Meta elements interfere with the story narrative but are invisible to the game’s characters. For example, the bloodshed on screen or the health bar denoting the lifespan of the player are some of the examples of Meta elements. Spatial elements help in breaking the narrative and are connected to the senses of the player’s character.

How did the first evolution happen?

The best leading android game development company was formed in 1972. Games like Pong, Super Mario Bros, and Pac-Man appeared with great UI content. The next big step of the user interface was to associate with role-playing games and the nature of the user interface changed from simple to complex. With time the arrival of 3D games happened and 3D graphics got first published in 1990. Games started to get created in first-person perspective (POV) where the action can be visible through the character’s eyes. The gaming industry is unstoppable and this message was clearly delivered through the advent of realistic games. “The broader one’s understanding of the human experience, the better designs we will have.”– Steve Jobs, Apple

A video game might be considered as one creative platform for interactive storytelling but technically speaking it is more like software requiring traditional as well as modern inputs from the players. The most basic games too need a navigation menu to start, load or save the game. The user interface has made a long jump from the simplest designs to the more complicated ones and the journey to becoming the most complicated interface is yet to be achieved. A game’s UI gets defined by the complexity of the game. If the character of a game experiences exactly what the player experiences, then the game becomes much more relatable. The advanced nature of video games growing gradually might result in creating intelligent allies in the video game itself. The future of User Interface has a lot in the store like wearable user interfaces to give hands-free experience or the holographic user interface using light diffraction to create 3D objects or even a full autonomous user interface which would lead us to trust the automated system. Lastly, the future of gesture-based user interfaces looks promising. The day is not far when the tech would be invisible and fluid and talking to devices like we do with other people, would be the new normal.