Usability an important goal for the design of therapeutic games for older adults

Abstract

The importance of usability for older adults in therapeutic games has not been well explored. Aspects of game-related usability that go beyond typical considerations are a need for challenge, complexity, adoption by novices, motivation for extensive use, and enjoyment. Benefits to considering usability as it pertains to this special population may have long-term benefits for personal independence, maintenance of skills, and rehabilitation from injury. We outline areas we deem critical as a first step to utilizing what we know of older adult use of games for training purposes to facilitate a conversation between designers and researchers for creating and improving games for older players. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.