LIVE Game Streaming UX for an Entertainment company

This is a exploratory research project for an entertainment based company. The high level objective of this research is to understand the users who are watching LIVE game streaming, explore their experience and expectations from it along with analyzing the reasons and barriers for their repeat behavior, in order to improve content relevance for them.

Some information is removed or modified due to confidentiality.

Background and Goals

The product team initiated this research to gain deeper insights into LIVE game streaming users and their preferences regarding platform features. The primary objectives were as follows:

1. Demographics and Expertise: To identify user demographics and assess their level of gaming expertise.

2. Viewing Experiences: To delve into their current viewing experiences, expectations, and motivations for choosing LIVE game streaming over playing the games themselves.

3. Repeat Engagement: To investigate the factors influencing repeat engagement and identify potential obstacles, all aimed at enhancing content relevance.

Method

To achieve these goals, a qualitative approach was adopted to collect attitudinal data from the target users. Moreover, remote in-depth user interviews were conducted with 16 users who actively engaged in gaming and watching game streaming to understand their behavior, engagement patterns, and preferences.

Research Contributions

This study aimed to address several gaps related to the characteristics and preferences of LIVE game streaming platform users. Two major research contributions were identified:

1. The study expanded upon existing research by exploring user demographics and behaviors related to gaming and LIVE game streaming on various platforms.
2. The study uncovered platform preferences that had not been previously explored in existing research, providing valuable insights to enhance the overall platform experience and potential improvements.

Crucial Insights

1. Mutually Interactive Relationship: Nearly all participants expressed a desire for an interactive relationship with streamers. They rely on streamers' actions and reactions for their gaming decisions. To enhance the streaming experience, integrating interactive tools throughout the stream and featuring naturally interactive streamers can add value and enjoyment.

2. Wider Display: Most participants noted that the vertical screen format limits the intended aspect ratio. To improve immersion and connectivity with gameplay, introducing a horizontal full-screen option could be beneficial.

3. The Emoji Impact: About 60% of participants mentioned their inability to express emotions fully with the limited set of emojis available on the platform. Expanding the range of visually expressive emojis during streams can strengthen the connection between participants and streamers.

4. Screen Space Utilization: Many participants found excessive idle black space on the screen bothersome and preferred the entire screen for streaming. Incorporating a full-screen option or filling idle space with engaging visual elements could enhance the viewing experience.

My Contributions and Learnings

Some significant contributions I made during this research include:

1. Leadership in Research: I assumed a leadership role throughout the research project, overseeing the entire process from initial discovery to the presentation of data. My responsibility extended to ensuring the project's overall success.

2. Effective Communication and Coordination: Weekly progress meetings were established to closely monitor the research's advancement. These meetings provided a platform for team members and product stakeholders to contribute the insights, and their input were duly recognized. While we encountered recruitment challenges that briefly impacted our timeline, decisive management actions were taken to resolve these issues promptly.