How Xbox Research is Shaping the Future of Game Development

Xbox Research, a division traditionally focused on player experiences, has recently expanded its scope to include the community of Xbox game developers. The objective is to listen to developer partners in the Xbox ecosystem and partner with product teams to bring forward insights and data that could help improve future tools and services. By directly engaging with game creators, Xbox aims to get the data that'll help address pain points and enhance the experience of partners across the spectrum of disciplines involved in bringing games to market. Dr. Deborah Hendersen, Principal User Researcher for Xbox, offers insights into this new initiative that could reshape the relationship between platform holders and game creators.

Evolving Methodologies: From Players to Creators

The decision to create a program dedicated to game creators comes as a natural progression in Xbox Research's organizational maturity. "We've known for a while this is a gap," Hendersen explains. "We do lots of work on games, on hardware, on the dash, and yet most of the systems for collecting feedback on the back-end were less formal."

This shift addresses a common oversight in the industry, where player experiences often take precedence over developer tools. "Honestly, I think it's very similar to the reasons studios often take a while to dedicate these sorts of resources to game-tools," Hendersen said. "The player always comes first."

The new program will employ a variety of research methodologies, mirroring those used in player-focused studies but tailored for developers. Hendersen details the approach: "We do all sorts – it really depends on the question we're trying to answer. Common methods are interviews, usability, playtesting, surveys, and flighting," she said. "It's the same sort of studies we perform when testing games, just on tools and services."

She also emphasizes the flexibility of the program and thoroughness of the recruitment process. "Whenever we recruit, we'll give participants the details of the specific study so they can make sure they're a fit," she explained. "Ensuring that participants feel they can properly contribute to the program is a key priority."

Building a Better Ecosystem: Goals and Strategies

The data collected from these studies will play a crucial role in shaping Microsoft's offerings for game developers. "It will help us figure out both what to build and how to build things well," Hendersen said. "What features are needed? How do we implement them gracefully? Where are our existing tools or services falling down? What can we do to improve them?"

The ultimate goal is to address the diverse needs of developers, from large studios to independent creators. As Hendersen puts it, "It's all about giving game developers what they need to feel empowered and supported by Xbox."

Xbox Research plans to apply its wealth of experience in player-focused research to this new developer-centric initiative. Hendersen explains the transferability of these approaches: "The great thing about our methodologies is that they can be applied to all sorts of products," she said. "Just as you might watch a player play your game while thinking aloud during a usability study, that same approach can be applied when analyzing the various publishing services that developers use within the Xbox ecosystem."

An Inclusive Approach: Broadening the Scope of Feedback

Crucially, the program is open to all members of game studios, not just technical staff. "Typically, it takes a lot of people to make and ship a game, including marketing, user research, artists, audio, PMs, community managers, and more. All these disciplines are vital to the process," Hendersen emphasizes. "We want to hear from everyone who works on games or helps support game studios because if we can make your life easier, it makes gaming better," she added. "We make a lot of tools – not just the GDK – and it's important we hear from folks like artists using PIX [editor's note: a performance tuning and debugging utility for DirectX], or release managers and PMs uploading stuff to our store. And yes, your entire Studio may sign up."

Perhaps most intriguingly, the program welcomes input from creators who aren't necessarily bringing their games to Xbox. Hendersen explains this open-door policy: "If you are making video games, we're interested in hearing from you. If you aren't on Xbox, we'd love to know why. And honestly, if you are using our competitor's products, you probably have a great perspective we could learn from!"

This strategy allows Xbox to gain fresh perspectives and avoid becoming an "echo chamber." As Hendersen puts it, "It's a bit like testing players who play games like yours – they are your target audience and you want to hear fresh perspectives because their expectations may differ from folks who are deep in your community."

Xbox's new research initiative is an attempt toward a forward-thinking approach to supporting game creators. By turning their attention to the people behind the games, the Research team aims to foster an environment where developers of all sizes and backgrounds can thrive, ultimately leading to better experiences for players worldwide.

Want to join the Xbox Research team in helping to shape the future of game development? If you’re in the US, head over to the Xbox Research page on Microsoft Game Dev and sign up today!