Watching a formal usability test of Resistance 2 was an eye-opening experience for developers at Insomniac Games. Players were struggling with FPS basics such as aiming and navigating, as well as hallmark Resistance features such as exotic weapons. The game was simply not being played the way we expected or wanted.
After this unpleasant surprise, Insomniac committed itself to ensuring that real gamers could enjoy Resistance 3 the way it was meant to be played and that doing more user-research was the best way to accomplish this. Resistance 3 Lead Designer Drew Murray will explain the methodologies and techniques Insomniac used to conduct user-research on Resistance 3, including specific examples of how core controls, weapons and pacing were improved.