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Want to Get Inside a Player's Head? This GDC Masterclass Will Show You How

There's a lot that goes into making a great video game, like making sure people have a great time playing it. That's where human psychology comes into the picture—to figure out how a game will make players think and feel. Celia Hodent, PhD is an expert in fostering the ideal user experience (UX), and in this GDC Masterclass she'll show you how it's done.

"Experiencing a game happens in the player's mind. This is why understanding the human brain—especially its limitations—while it is perceiving and interacting with a game is paramount to accomplish faster and more efficiently your developers' goals," Celia told GDC. 

Psychology and Game UX is a two-day course from Celia Hodent, a leader in the application of user experience (UX) and cognitive science in the game industry. She holds a PhD in psychology and has over 10 years experience in the development of UX strategy and processes in game studios. It takes place November 3-4, with a repeat offering December 9-10. 

In this workshop, Celia will delve into how the human brain works in terms of perception, attention, and memory (critical elements for usability), and offers insights on human motivation, emotion, and gameflow (critical elements for engaging games). Based on these elements, the workshop proposes a UX framework and UX guidelines during the different game development stages. It's the perfect training tool for designers, artists, gameplay/UI programmers, producers, and junior UX practitioners.

"This Masterclass won't turn you into a cognitive scientist or a UX specialist in just a few hours, but it will help you understand why certain games are more successful than others, or why they fail to engage players and how to fix them more efficiently," Celia said. "Attendees will get to the meaning of UX principles, which will hopefully allow them to apply the ingredients and processes covered to any project."

GDC Masterclass delivers high-level training with industry experts in several game development fields. One of the Game Developers Conference's unique professional offerings, Masterclass is comprised of small-group workshops that deliver in-depth, hands-on training from top professionals in video game development—addressing some of the most important challenges facing developers today. 

Join the hundreds of satisfied attendees who've thrived after taking a Masterclass game developer course. Learn the latest tools and concepts to become a leader in your field (from the comfort of your home or office), discover networking opportunities with fellow attendees, and gain access to unique course materials to continue your education and training. 

Celia Hodent's course will get you on the path to understand your players' minds, needs, and best modes of engagement. Head to GDC Masterclass for more information on Celia's course. Early Pricing is available through October 6, and discounts are available for groups of three or more who register together! Go here to register now.

See all upcoming GDC Masterclass courses here

GDC returns to San Francisco in March 2023! For more information, be sure to visit our website.

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Tags:
GDC, gdc23, gdc22, Game Developers Conference, Masterclass, ux, user experience
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