Game Usability

Introduction: "The intent of this chapter is to review principles and challenges in game design and evaluation and to discuss user-centered techniques that address those challenges. First, we present why games are important, followed by the definitions and differences between games and productivity software. In the next section, we discuss the principles and challenges that are unique to the design of games. That discussion provides a framework for what we believe are the core variables that should be measured to aid in game design and evaluation. The chapter concludes with some examples of how those variables can be operationalized in which we present the methods used by the Microsoft Game Studios User-testing Group."

The full chapter from "Handbook for Human-Computer Interaction in Interactive Systems".

And here's a conversation with one of the Microsoft Game Studio usability team: GDC Europe roundup