Vogel’s is market leader in Europe for the business of placement and mounts for audio and video equipment. Always looking for opportunities to expand their market, they have started developing accessories for the gaming industry. In order to become a serious player in the market for gaming accessories Vogel’s wants to gain knowledge of gaming and the gaming experience. This led to the assignment: ‘Design a product that enhances the gaming experience (of existing videogames)’. The first step to design a product that enhances the gaming experience is to make a clear definition of the word ‘gaming experience’. Experience is the reactional relationship between the subjective world of a person and the objective world around them. Applied to gaming, the experience can be defined as the relationship between the gamer and the physical, virtual and social environment he is involved in. There are many factors that influence this relationship, like player type, immersion, the physical environment, social interaction, game genre, platform and in-game perspective. Based on this definition, an overview is made of products that influence either one of these factors to get an overview and understanding of the current market for gaming accessories. 3 levels have been identified on which products can enhance the gaming experience. Level 1 products are independent gaming accessories which are not directly involved in gameplay or part of the direct interaction with the game. Level 2 products enhance the gaming experience by modifying the input or output from the game. Finally level 3 products combine technology creating a complete new type of game in- and output or platform. It requires the cooperation of game developers to create games for the new technology. Since Vogel’s has indicated they will not be developing a new technology, a level 3 product is not an option to develop in the near future, but it could inspire a long term vision for the company. Based on the basic conception of gaming experience questionnaires were sent out among a wide variety of gaming contacts to get a global impression of the gamer demographic. There was a wide variety in the gamer types, it was clear a categorization was needed. However as explained in the introduction stage, there is no clear categorization of gamers yet based on their experience of games. The hardcore and casual distinction is ambivalent and too simplistic. It became an important objective to find a categorization that showed the full spectrum of the gaming experiences and the most significant distinctions to allow for a user centered approach to the design of a gaming accessory aimed at improving the gaming experience. It was decided to focus on the console gaming market, because it fit well to Vogel’s’ current product portfolio. Based on the feedback from the first questionnaires a subsequent in-depth interview was done with a small group representative of the console gamer audience. Based on the finding of the in-depth research, the Gaming Experience Model was formulated as described in section 7.2. The most important finding was that apart from the factors as described earlier, commitment and identification are important factors that influence the gaming experience. Identification is a psychological process whereby the subject assimilates an aspect, property, or attribute of the other (in this case other ‘gamers’ or simply the activity of gaming) and is transformed, wholly or partially, after the model the other provides. Commitment is a component of identification; it is the relative strength of an individual’s identification with and involvement in a particular organization (or in this case the activity of gaming). The Gaming Experience Model identifies 4 types of commitment: immersion, skill, communion and knowledge With this holistic understanding of the gaming experience 2 brainstorm sessions were organized to create product ideas. The first brainstorm was organized with a mixed group of young creatives, who were not updated on the project and research findings. The purpose was to inspire and ‘break out of the box’ after analyzing the gaming experience so intensely for months. The result was a wide variety of bizarre ideas of which the direct application in a product was not immediately obvious, but the exercise explored the gaming experience spectrum in a playful matter and worked inspiring. The second brainstorm was done at Vogel’s with a team of colleagues from the R&D department. The brainstorm was more structured and the team was informed of the findings on gaming experience. The results were product ideas that were more concrete, but also less surprising. The most promising ideas were selected and further developed, until finally 2 concepts were left: the Guntroller and the Perivision. Prototypes were created in order to evaluate the concepts through user testing. The Guntroller concepts aims at enhancing the experience of First Person Shooter games, by improving the look and feel of the controller. The concept could be further developed in to a standalone product (a controller) or an accessory (a controller add-on). The Guntroller adds a bright flickering light to the shots fired in game and a translational recoil effect (instead of the rotational vibration that is standard on most console controller nowadays). The Perivision was inspired by the light design as applied on stage in music, TV or theater productions. It aims to improve the gaming experience, by applying visual effects to the physical environment in the user’s peripheral vision. The characteristics of the peripheral vision are directly related to the built of the human eye. There is no color perception in the peripheral vision for example. This understanding led to a set of guidelines to design light effects for the Perivision from a dramaturgical point of view. A research study was set up to evaluate both concepts. The same participants were used, but the products were tested and evaluated separately. The Guntroller was highly rated on all positive and ‘impressive’ aspects. Participants indicated that especially the light effect on the controller contributed to its intensity. The Perivision was rated a bit lower, on both the positive and negative aspects. Overall it was less noticeable.