Since the emergence of the first video games in the 1960s, the industry has been constantly innovating and seeking new ways to interact with users. The consoles and platforms have undergone various changes, both aesthetic and technological, contributing to the creation of new experiential possibilities.
Innovating a segment that involves real actions with virtual performances – like in karaoke – one of the main cases in Experience Design for video games was the creation of controllers in the shape of musical instruments. By allowing a much more real experience between the game and the player, this type of console opened doors to various experiences that are both real and virtual, such as Guitar Hero. From there, the experience with the game not only became more real but also brought a new element: music.
The game also generated several spin-offs, thus increasing its interactivity in games with the possibility of including up to four simultaneous players in interfaces for vocals and drums. In this way, the connection between the virtual and real environment expanded the user experience, as well as promoting interaction among players.
Another important case in the entertainment industry was LEGO Mindstorms, a project that innovated the building block game by transforming it into a programming learning tool. The result of a partnership of over a decade between the Media Lab of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the LEGO Group, the product consists of a set of conventional pieces with different sensors: touch-sensitive, light intensity, and temperature; which enable control from a computer.
This launch made it possible to increase not only the manipulation of the toy but also the experience of interaction and level of learning. Thus, the product gave not only children but also adults the opportunity to develop their own creativity by building and programming their own inventions.
In both cases, it is possible to observe that the innovative interaction generated by these products creates a form of dialogue between the real and the virtual, providing a greater experience of creativity, skill stimulation, and learning, opening a range of possibilities and ways of use for its consumers.
