Mobil oyun tasarımında oyuncu deneyimi ve içgörüsüne yönelik bir model önerisi
A model proposal for player experience and insight in mobile game design
Yazar: SALİH AKKEMİK
Danışman: PROF. DR. ŞEBNEM TİMUR
İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi / Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü / Endüstri Ürünleri Tasarımı Ana Bilim Dalı / Endüstri Ürünleri Tasarımı Bilim Dalı
Derece: Doktora, 2020
Konu: Endüstri Ürünleri Tasarımı = Industrial Design

Özet:
Bu çalışmada mobil oyuncu deneyimi ve içgörüsü bilgilerinin elde edilmesi ve analizine dair bir model geliştirilmeye çalışılmıştır. Bunun en önemli sebebi hızla büyüyen ve global olarak oyun sektöründe en büyük pazar payına sahip olan mobil oyunların ana aktörü olan mobil oyuncu kitlesini daha iyi anlayabilmek, mobil oyun dünyasına daha fazla entegre olmalarını sağlayarak elde edilecek veriler yardımıyla mobil oyun sektörüne katkıda bulunabilmektir. Geliştirilen model üretken tasarım araştırma tekniklerine dayalı olarak hazırlanmıştır. Bu teknikler çoğunlukla endüstri ürünleri tasarımında kullanılan tekniklerdir ve modelin oluşturulmasında yine daha çok endüstri ürünleri tasarımı alanında kullanılması üzere geliştirilmiş olan "Deneyim Yansıtma Modellemesi" temel alınmıştır. Bu yöntemin önemli özelliklerinden olan yaratıcı bir süreç yardımıyla tasarımcı ve kullanıcının bir araya gelmesi ile bu süreç içinde tasarımcı ve kullanıcı arasındaki iletişim yoluyla katılımcı roldeki potansiyel kullanıcıların deneyimlerinin ortaya çıkarılması ve tasarım sürecinde kullanılmak üzere analiz edilmesi, tez çalışmasının genel çerçevesinin belirlenmesinde etkili olmuştur.
Oyunu tasarımı alanının dışında farklı bir tasarım alanına ait bir üretken tasarım araştırması yöntemi mobil oyun tasarımı sürecine adapte edilmeye çalışılmıştır. Böylece mobil oyuncu kitlesinin mobil oyun tasarımı sürecine üretken, katılımcı ve yaratıcı bir yaklaşımla dahil olmalarına çalışılmıştır. Sürece katılım ile hem mobil oyun fikri üretimi konusunda hem de deneyim ve içgörü bilgilerinin elde edilmesi noktasında sektöre katkıda bulunulmaya çalışılmıştır.
Tez çalışması sürecinde karma bir araştırma yaklaşımı ile hem nicel hem de nitel veriler üzerinde çalışılmıştır. Araştırmanın ana eksenini oluşturan modelin geliştirilmesi aşamalarında sırasıyla grup, bireysel ve mobil oyun firması testleriyle ortaya çıkarılmak istenen mobil oyuncu deneyimi ve içgörü bilgilerinin nasıl elde edileceği ve analiz edileceği yaklaşımı hakkında araştırma süreci yürütülmüştür. Bu aşamalar sırasında mobil oyuncu kitlesinin mümkün olduğunca mobil oyun tasarımı sürecinde kendini aktif bir rolde hissetmesi, yüksek motivasyonda mobil oyun tasarımcıları ile birlikte çalışmaları ve mobil oyun tasarım firmalarının da bu süreçten elde edilecek verilerden faydalanması üzerinde durulmuştur. Bunun dışında niceliksel olarak oyuncu deneyiminin ölçümü ve saptanması konusunda da çalışılmıştır.
Gerçekleştirilen tüm çalışma ve testler ile modelin son haline kavuşturulması sağlanmıştır. Ortaya çıkan modelin tüm aşamaları detaylandırılarak uygulanmaya çalışılmıştır. Gelinen son noktada da modelin kullanımına ilişkin bir kılavuz hazırlanmıştır.
Çalışmanın sonunda oyun fikri üretmeye yönelik mobil oyuncu deneyimi ve içgörü modeli ortaya konmuş, elde edilen analiz sonuç ve önerilerine yer verilmiştir.

Abstract:
The technology has developed with great momentum especially in the last 20 years. With this growth, it has affected all areas of life and caused significant changes in social life. The computer science is the most important area of these technological developments. The mobile devices are the most influential platform of social life in terms of computer science in recent years. Many new technological sectors have emerged as mobile devices become a part of daily life. These improvements in the mobile world have directly affected the digital game industry and caused significant changes. Mobile games have the largest market share in the global gaming industry, which is developing day by day and increasing in economic value. It is known that about half of mobile device users install and play mobile games on their devices. It is clear that gamers now see mobile devices as their most preferred gaming environment.
The scope of this thesis is determined by mobile games and player experience. During the thesis process, first of all, mobile player experience was prioritized and a model was created in which game designers and players produced ideas together. However, it is not aimed to produce a complete mobile game. This method is intended to be used on mobile player experience and insight research in the early stages of design.
In this thesis, first of all, a bridge between game design and industrial product design which are two different disciplines of design field is tried to be established. This bridge has been tried to be established among the players in the field of game design with its user experience and insight researches, which are important research topics in the field of industrial design. As a generative research method, experience reflection model is mostly used in the field of industrial design. This method has been tried to be adapted to mobile game design process. In this case, one of the main objectives of the thesis is to incorporate a user experience research method from a different field into the mobile game design process. In addition, it is planned to use the research techniques based on the more common designers and potential users in product design to come together and create ideas in a collaborative environment in the mobile game design process.
Both qualitative and quantitative analyzes were used as a research approach and a mixed method was followed. At this point, the generative and participatory approach was carried out on the relationship between the designer and the actor during the research process. The basis of this thesis is the use of a research method from a different field in the mobile game design process. As a result of the analysis of the collaborative works carried out by bringing the gamer and the designer together, a model was tried to be reached on the player experience and the idea of mobile gaming. These issues indicate the limits of the thesis.
Game design teams or companies take advantage of the experience of mobile players to shape the game design process and especially in the early stages of the design of this game by applying the idea of mobile game idea generation and working together with the potential gamers is to feed the data obtained. Through the workshops and tests performed one after the other, research techniques from the field of industrial product design were utilized and a research model was tried to be developed in order to reveal mobile player experience and insight. The completion of this model by updating it in the process has become the main objective of the thesis.
The research questions determined according to the mentioned aims of the thesis are shown below:
   •	Can the techniques and methods used in a different field of design and research be adapted to the field of mobile game design?
   •	Can mobile players be involved in the early design stages of the mobile game design process? Can mobile game designers and mobile players create together?
   •	How can the experience and insight of mobile players be explored?
The developed model is based on generative design research techniques. These techniques are mostly used in industrial product design and the model is based on "Experience Reflection Modeling", which was developed for use in industrial product design. One of the important techniques of this method is to reveal the experiences of potential users through communication between the designer and the user by introducing a creative process. In this process, the user and the designer come together and work together to develop ideas. The designer is the moderator of this process and its aim is to achieve user experience and insight. The analysis of the experience and insights obtained from this process to be used in the design process has been effective in determining the general framework of the thesis.
During the development of the model, different types of tests were performed to collect data from different angles:
   •	Group
   •	Individual
   •	Game design company
As a result of these tests, the development process of the model was completed step by step. With all the tests and analyzes performed, the model was finalized. All stages of the resulting model have been tried to be applied in detail. At the last point, a guide for using the model has been prepared.
The individual and group test stages of the model were conducted by the researcher himself. The game design company test was carried out by a game designer from the company's employees. Thus, it was demonstrated that the model can be used by independent researchers.
It is clearly stated that the model focuses entirely on player experience and insight. It is a decision of the game design company to continue the design process and develop a mobile game with the collected mobile player experience and insight. This model is based on revealing player experience and insights in the early stages of the mobile game design process.
At the end of the thesis, the mobile player experience and insight model for creating a game idea was completed and the analysis was presented to the results and recommendations. The conclusion and  recommendations section was explained in four titles by considering all aspects of the thesis study:
   •	The Results On Player Choices and Experience
   •	The Results On Participation of Players in Mobile Game Design Process
   •	The Results On The Model Recommendation Prepared for Mobile Player Experience and Insight
   •	Recommendations for Future Studies
All results and recommendations are described and explained in detail with the titles above.