Game Analytics and Game User Research

Game User Research is an emerging field that investigates the interaction between players and games and the surrounding context of play. Game User Researchers have explored different methodologies from e.g. human computer interaction, psychology, interaction design, media studies and the social sciences, extending and modifying existing methodologies to the environments that compose digital games with their many varieties, including, but not exclusive to, social games, casual games, and serious games. In this article, we will specifically focus on quantitative analytics of in-game behavioral user data and its emergent use within the Game User Research community. We will discuss a case study outlining its use and benefits with examples of current collaborations between the authors and game companies. In addition, we will outline open problems that emerged from the Workshops on Games User Research held at Computer Human Interaction and Foundations of Digital Games Conferences in 2012.