How David Guo optimizes Evony’s interface and novice guidance to enhance user experience
User experience (UX) is pivotal in the gaming industry today. Leaders like David Guo of Top Games, Inc. Owen Mahoney (former CEO of Nexon), and Strauss Zelnick of Take-Two stress the importance of putting players first to ensure their companies remain competitive. All of them highlight the necessity of prioritizing user experience. This article will explain how to enhance the UX in SLG games under the case study of Evony: the King’s Return.
Key Perspectives on User Experience
Industry leaders underscore the significance of user experience:
- David Guo believes a game’s design should start with the player in mind to create a compelling experience.
- Owen Mahoney emphasizes the need for those who understand development to prioritize user experience.
- Strauss Zelnick highlights the importance of ensuring players feel comfortable during extended gaming sessions to secure the future of gaming products.
How David Guo’s Team Adapts to Changing User Needs
As the gaming market evolves, player expectations and preferences shift. David Guo believes it’s vital for game developers to adapt and enhance user experience continuously. His team at Evony has implemented several changes to improve the player experience:
Enhancements of UX in Evony TKR
- Improved Interface: Evony has redesigned its buttons and icons, as well as refined interface animations, to create a more cohesive and polished aesthetic.
- Monarch Avatar Updates: Guided by David Guo, Evony’s team revamped the Monarch Avatars for each civilization with more detailed models and animations. New skins and special collector’s editions provide players with more customization options.
- Monarch Image Customization: In response to feedback, Evony introduced a feature allowing players to choose their Monarch Image independently from their Avatar, offering greater personalization.
- Enhanced Novice Guidance: Evony has also upgraded its onboarding process to help new players. By blending narrative elements with casual gameplay, newcomers can quickly grasp the core mechanics. A Notice Board provides additional guides and updates, offering players more resources to explore the game in-depth.
- IP Collaborations: Heeding the voices of players, Evony changed the direction of cooperation after working with Kong. They ended their collaboration with Napoleon Movie not long ago. Players’ recognition of this cooperation has increased significantly. After investigation, it was because David Guo’s team listened to the high-quality suggestions from users, selected an IP that was more in line with the game theme, and also conducted more in-depth linkage in terms of gameplay.
Evony’s Awards Explains What It Means to Focus on UX
Evony received the 2022 Best MMO Award of Samsung Galaxy Store and the NYX Silver Award of the 2022 NYX Game Awards Season 1 cycle. Moreover, before this, Evony had won more than one award as early as 2017. All of this shows that it is wise to focus on UX strategies, and David Guo’s team has indeed achieved success in this regard.
In conclusion, the gaming industry has long emphasized user experience, with game developers striving to meet player expectations through fun, playability, immersion, and more. However, as players’ needs change, games must be continually optimized to remain relevant. Evony demonstrates how ongoing adjustments can help adapt to evolving player demands, providing valuable insights for the gaming industry.
