Erik Hazzard

Data visualization augments cognition. Data visualization provides new insights; data visualization teaches the reader. Games, at their core, are all about learning: spatial, temporal, motor, and sometimes even intellectual. You learn how to play within a game’s rule-set, and to improve you learn. Once you completely master a game to the core, it ceases to be fun. Once you stop learning, or if you’re unable to learn, you play games for reasons other than fun. Data visualization provides a way to aide in the learning process; to keep games fun. If the game is no longer fun, data visualization can also be used to provide other motivators to play. Types of Data Visualizations in Games The purpose of data visualizations in games can vary. Some visualizations, like a health bar, exist to show you a character’s status. Others, like a...