Top Ten Game Research Findings

Gamasutra has an in-depth piece of reporting from GDC on a final-day panel that ran down what the organizers believe to be the top ten academic research findings about video games. No pomp and circumstance about video game violence and its effect on the young ones here -- just good, solid research about the medium. Example:

9. What do players really think about voice chat and its usefulness in gameplay?

Number 9, by K. Hew, M. R. Gibbs, and G. Wadley of The University of Melbourne, uncovered aural feedback that players actually found disruptive, such as noise, speech not intended for them, and trash talk. Poor voice chat usability, in other words, hinders the players' attempts to be social, subverting the very goal of voice chat. Consalvo explains that the research participants slowly could adapt to the ambient and distracting noises, but usually removed their headsets when the sounds became “too troublesome.” If developers choose to use voice chat, she advises it be targeted in a way that's very specific to the game.

More condensed findings from smart people hide behind the link.