Asking questions to Users! Student Project on Grouvee Website

[peter]

Asking questions to Users! Student Project on Grouvee Website

Hello everyone! Peter is posting this on behalf of me, a user of the website who wants to stay anonymous. I am doing a student UX/UI project for my program and decided to refresh the look of three different pages (Shelf, Search, and Game pages in desktop and mobile modes) in a Figma prototype.

One part of my project is user experience research. Feel free to answer whatever you can, but keep in mind that the more answers & details you provide, the more I can take into account what users want, understand each user, and identify solutions.

I’ve provided tons of examples to help you, but they are not an exhaustive list. Please list anything I may have missed when answering, and all that applies to you for that question, please. If it makes sense, you can use examples from other questions. Sorry if those examples make the list seem long, I have bolded and used “” emoji to mark questions so you can identify them more easily.

This questionnaire can be completed this weekend for school purposes, but will remain open indefinitely because I may improve on my project once free from the semester in a couple of months.

Also, please respect other people’s answers. Curiosity is fine but being combative is not.

Thank you to everyone who answers.

• Why do you use grouvee? What benefit does grouvee provide to you?
  • Ex. (community, notes, tracking, hearing opinions, saving/posting reviews, talking about games, etc)
  • How often do you visit grouvee? How much time on average do you spend each visit?
• When gaming, what habits, concerns, etc. impact your gaming enjoyment?
  • Ex. (Time constraints (job, school), deciding/choosing a game to play, can’t find games you have access to, misplacing notes, resuming games after pausing for a time, keeping track of different save files, playthroughs, I don’t have a reason to play a game, I won’t have someone to talk to about the game, it’s lonely, etc.
• When do you search for a game on grouvee?
  • Ex. (I just bought a game, I saw a game I want to play elsewhere, I want to learn more about a game, I want to talk about a game, I started playing this game, I want to see what others think, I want to find more games like it, I want to add it to a shelf (status or new personal list), see where I can buy it, see its platforms, etc.)
  • For each scenario that applies, please tell me what information specifically you want to find for each reason.
    • Ex. (I saw a game I want to play → I want to add it to my wishlist. Other ideas: community reviews, star rating, release date, platforms, comments from others, series, it’s a remake, is it part of a collection, DLC, game summary, add it to shelf, other releases, genre/game type, I want to see my notes, my platforms, my shelves, etc.)
  • What don’t you like about the search function? What information is hard to find?
• What tasks are most important to you to complete when you visit the website?
  • Ex. (I want to add a game to a shelf, I want to see when games I want are released, I want to review a DLC, I want to add a note as I play to remember something, I track my time spent so I want to add my time played today, I completed a game and want to mark it finished, etc.)
  • Do you face any barriers/annoyances completing tasks you want to?
    • Ex. (Filters are hard to use, shelves are hard to find, I don’t know when to move from one shelf to another, I can’t make a journal or easily track my time, I can’t find notes I want to, I can’t keep track of multiple save files on a single game, I can’t add playthrough information easily, why do I have to manually mark something? Too much clicking to keep grouvee updated Etc.)
  • When do you usually access grouvee and to do what tasks? How long do you spend on the website doing these tasks?
    • Ex. (I only have a phone, computer, or both. I visit the website in the evening after gaming to add my new thoughts using the computer, I use grouvee when commuting by train during the day to talk to other people about games, I keep my phone close to me while gaming to write down my thoughts or track information and how long I play, I am on the computer and see new games so I go on grouvee to wishlist them, I bought a game earlier and want to update owned games, etc.)
  • Do you like to look at statistics using information you’ve added? What kind?
    • Ex. (I want to know how much time I spent playing a specific game, save file or playthrough; I want to know what genre I play most or during a specific timeframe like last week; I want to know the last time I played a game or the most recent game I played, etc.)
• The default shelves are Playing, Played, Backlog, & Wishlist. Personally, what games do you put on each shelf and why?
  • Ex. (Playing → games you’ve started, Played → games you’ve 100%’d or don’t want to play, Backlog → games on pause, games I own but haven’t started, games I want to own, endless games I don’t want to play right now, Wishlist → games I want to own, games I want to play)
  • Do you place games on multiple default shelves? Why & how do you decide that?
  • Do you have your own status shelves? Why are they different to the default?
  • What other kinds of lists do you make?
  • How do you handle games without an end? Any suggestions?
• What do you usually post in statuses? Is there a difference in what you post in public VS private statuses?
  • Ex. (journal tracking, comments, letting people know you started or finished a game, looking for multiplayer online people, telling people about bugs, doing a challenge in a specific game, announcing PlayStation trophies or Steam achievements, looking for people to talk about a game with, writing down random thoughts as you play or ‘silly’ statuses (different from a review))
• Do you have accessibility concerns when using the website?
  • Ex. (light/dark mode, colour contrast, undescribed links, too much scrolling, too much clicking to do a task (list the task + how you currently complete the task, I don’t know what a shelf means, unclear text, mobile version of certain pages restricts options available on desktop)
• Is there a current feature you’d like to use more? What stops you from using it?
• What additional features do you wish the website had?
• Anything else you’d like me to know?

[Prin]

I’m at work now, but I will definitely be adding my responses soon on this as I want to provide thoughtful, yet honest answers.

[georgeypoorgey]

• Why do you use grouvee? What benefit does grouvee provide to you?

I started using it for tracking purposes but now mostly post for social fulfillment.

• How often do you visit grouvee? How much time on average do you spend each visit?

A few times a day and 5-10 minutes a visit. Probably once a week or so I’ll write a review and that will take me an extra 20-30 minutes.

• When gaming, what habits, concerns, etc. impact your gaming enjoyment?

Time constraints due to work and family definitely impact my enjoyment of games. Sometimes I look at my backlog and nothing speaks to me so I end up playing nothing- I think that is linked to exhaustion/poor mental health.

• When do you search for a game on grouvee?

9/10 times I am looking up a game I bought so I can put in a status update or review of that game.

• For each scenario that applies, please tell me what information specifically you want to find for each reason.

While I do enjoy reading what other people have written about the games I am searching, especially people on this site who I consider friends, I am not looking for information but am instead using the platform for self expression.

• What don’t you like about the search function? What information is hard to find?

Sometimes recently announced games are not there. Sometimes games with accents or non English characters are hard to search. I find the search function to be functional and don’t have any complaints that I believe warrant action.

• What tasks are most important to you to complete when you visit the website?

Check the feed. Write reviews/status updates/comments.

• Do you face any barriers/annoyances completing tasks you want to?

No.

• When do you usually access grouvee and to do what tasks? How long do you spend on the website doing these tasks?

I mostly use my phone to access Grouvee. 5-10 minutes a few times a day. I leave the Grouvee tab and Grouvee forum tab open in my browser on my phone.

• Do you like to look at statistics using information you’ve added? What kind?

No but if I was prompted when writing a review or status, I might insert that information and enjoy reflecting on it.

• The default shelves are Playing, Played, Backlog, & Wishlist. Personally, what games do you put on each shelf and why?

While I do have items on the shelves from when I first started using the site to track my gaming, I no longer use the shelves and do not know what I have on each shelf.

• Do you place games on multiple default shelves? Why & how do you decide that?

No.

• Do you have your own status shelves? Why are they different to the default?

I did make different system shelves when I started using the site but I do not use the shelves any longer.

• What other kinds of lists do you make?

I don’t.

• How do you handle games without an end? Any suggestions?

I don’t write reviews for games I haven’t finished unless the game has no end or I have no plans to finish it. Shelves I do not edit.

• What do you usually post in statuses? Is there a difference in what you post in public VS private statuses?

I solely post public statuses and kinda just use them to make jokes and talk about game design.

• Do you have accessibility concerns when using the website?

No.

• Is there a current feature you’d like to use more? What stops you from using it?

I guess recording game length, but I think that information is limited because of Nintendo, not Grouvee.

• What additional features do you wish the website had?

Big button that send a drone with a burger to my location on Peter’s dime.

• Anything else you’d like me to know?

That’s all. Hope this helps!

[Jeslie]

@peter

• Why do you use grouvee? What benefit does grouvee provide to you?
  The more games I’ve played, the harder it can be to keep track of what I’ve played and what I’m interested in. Grouvee helps track all of that.
• How often do you visit grouvee? How much time on average do you spend each visit?
  About once a day. Probably average about five minutes, longer if there’s an interesting discussion somewhere, or if I’m writing some thoughts on a game.
• When gaming, what habits, concerns, etc. impact your gaming enjoyment?
  Time constraints can absolutely have an impact. My big problem is when a game has a particularly lousy save system, i.e. if there’s only one save slot that the game automatically manages, or if it’s very easy to accidentally overwrite saves. When my time is already more limited for gaming than I’d like, losing progress is a big deal. Picking up if I’ve taken a break for a while can be an issue in some cases, particularly since I have to be in a particular mood to play some games. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice has sat on my hard drive uncompleted for a couple of years, just because I work in the mental health field and as good a game as it is, working with people who have mental health issues, then coming home and playing a game about the same thing is not the most enjoyable use of my time.
• When do you search for a game on grouvee?
  98% of the time, when I’ve bought it or heard about it and am about to add it to a shelf. The other 2%, because I saw something interesting on the front page–sometimes a new release where the title interests me, or it’s part of a series I didn’t realize was releasing a new game, or sometimes because someone wrote really interesting commentary–and want to learn more. So most of the time, I’m not here to learn about games, but to record something I already know.
• What don’t you like about the search function? What information is hard to find?
  I can’t say I’ve had any problems with search, aside from games not always being in the database.
• What tasks are most important to you to complete when you visit the website?
  In order: checking the forums for anything interesting; adding games to shelves; recording thoughts I might have on the game or my progress in it; seeing what the community is up to and if there’s interesting reviews or discussions to read/join. For games with a big modding community, like Baldur’s Gate 2, I like that I can have a private status to track mods I’ve played and others I’m interested in.
• Do you face any barriers/annoyances completing tasks you want to?
  • When data isn’t available. It can be hard to remember to go back once Giant Bomb has approved my updates.
• When do you usually access grouvee and to do what tasks? How long do you spend on the website doing these tasks?
  • I usually check in in the evening, though that might change on weekends or days off if I’m able to spend some more time gaming. Amount varies depending on what I’m doing–quick site check is about five minutes, a review or other form of discussion can be 30 minutes or more. (Depends on whether my thoughts about the game are captured by me smashing my head on the keyboard and then typing “I HATE THIS SAVE SYSTEM!!!”)
• Do you like to look at statistics using information you’ve added? What kind?
  I like tracking the platform I used to play a game. I back up my collection at Keep Track of My Games, and I do like that they have pie charts that tell me which franchises/companies/genres I tend to fall into.
• The default shelves are Playing, Played, Backlog, & Wishlist. Personally, what games do you put on each shelf and why?
  I use all of them, though playing/played get the most use. Backlog is generally managed in Steam, as is Wishlist, so I don’t utilize those functions as much now. I call a game backlogged when I own it but haven’t played it yet, and wishlisted when I want it but don’t own it. Playing is for when something is actively being pursued or, like Skyrim, I haven’t touched it for a while but am not ready to admit it’s gathering dust.
  As for when they get to played–I’ll answer that a couple questions down when we talk about endless games.
• Do you place games on multiple default shelves? Why & how do you decide that?
  I don’t; for me, my shelves are independent of each other.
• Do you have your own status shelves? Why are they different to the default?
  I do have a couple of custom shelves for games I’m paused on–like I played a trial or a free weekend, and it was okay, but I wasn’t so drawn to it that I must buy and complete it right now–and games I’m not sure I want to wishlist outright, but am interested in keeping an eye on. And I have a shelf for games I’ve outright abandoned. RIP.
• What other kinds of lists do you make?
  None, really. On KTOMG I’ve started tagging my visual novels just because I’m curious to see how many I get to as I develop more interest in the genre, and I suppose I might bring that over here.
• How do you handle games without an end? Any suggestions?
  For me, a game is played when I’ve gotten through a reasonable amount of the content and gotten what I want out of it. I was never into raiding in WoW: more often than not, that took away from my enjoyment of the game rather than adding to it. So even though I wasn’t decked out in endgame purples and able to talk about how I beat Black Temple before Wrath came out, I still called Burning Crusade “played” when the next expansion launched. I played it, I saw most of the content, I got what I wanted from it.
  Likewise, even for linear games with multiple endings–if I played all the way through to an end, it goes on the played shelf. I may go back to play Silent Hill again sometime and try to see another ending, but I played it once, saw the bulk of the content, and reached my main goal of being able to see the story and understand references to the game. If I go back, that’s just a cherry on top.
• What do you usually post in statuses? Is there a difference in what you post in public VS private statuses?
  Yep. I don’t use private statuses very much; when I do, it’s for tracking things like mods, which others would have no interest in. Public statuses are for on the fly thoughts when I’m playing, which will hopefully entertain or interest others as well as serve as a record for me.
• Do you have accessibility concerns when using the website?
  I don’t, personally.
• Is there a current feature you’d like to use more? What stops you from using it?
  I’m not very clear on how to use tags, but would like to in order to track some subgenres.
• What additional features do you wish the website had?
  I do like some of the statistics you can get at KTOMG, and would love to see similar stuff implemented here.
• Anything else you’d like me to know?
  Hope this helps your research!

Aaaaand I wrote in the quote box by mistake. Go 20 characters! The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog and all that.

[BurningKirby]

• Why do you use grouvee? What benefit does grouvee provide to you?
  At first I joined in order to track games I played/backlogged/was playing, but as I used the site this expanded to now also use it as a social platform of sorts. I enjoy discussing games I am passionate about with people here.

• How often do you visit grouvee? How much time on average do you spend each visit?
  I pop in a few times a day, usually for 10ish minutes at a time.

• When gaming, what habits, concerns, etc. impact your gaming enjoyment?
  Definitely time constraints are the main thing. I want to strike a balance between spending time with those I care about and engaging with the media I also care about.

• When do you search for a game on grouvee?
  I often use the search feature to find entries in various game franchises. I also will search for a game when I want to find out what others have said about the game in their reviews/statuses. And lastly of course I use it to find games I wish to add to my shelves. Oh! And sometimes I just want to see what the average rating of a game on this site is, out of curiosity. I usually check this for games I have played or already intend to play.

• What don’t you like about the search function? What information is hard to find?
  It’s less an issue with the search itself, but it can be daunting to scroll through all the reviews for a given game. Maybe some way to sort the reviews that show up or maybe even the ability to filter them by keywords would be useful.

• What tasks are most important to you to complete when you visit the website?
  Typically I want to check the recently posted reviews and statuses, so being able to jump on, see what people are up to, then get off is most important to me.

• Do you face any barriers/annoyances completing tasks you want to?
  I think the process of adding games to a shelf could be streamlined some. Currently it requires running a search for each game individually and then checking the box for the shelf you wish to add to. It would be nice to be able to search for games from the list screen to quickly add multiple games. I also find it a bit unwieldy to edit my shelves via the mobile site. It requires a lot of extra scrolling vs desktop. As a result I typically use the site via my desktop.

• When do you usually access grouvee and to do what tasks? How long do you spend on the website doing these tasks?
  I usually check soon after waking up as well as a couple times throughout the day when I’m not sure what else to do. If I get an email informing me someone responded to a status or comment I made, I will usually hop on to fully read the response and maybe type up another reply in turn.

• Do you like to look at statistics using information you’ve added? What kind?
  I love looking at statistics built off of my game library! Playtime in particular is one of my favorite things to track and I also use HowLongToBeat alongside Grouvee because I find it’s a bit more suited to tracking playtimes across multiple playthroughs and visualizing that data. It would also be very cool to see what genres I tend to play more of, etc.

• The default shelves are Playing, Played, Backlog, & Wishlist. Personally, what games do you put on each shelf and why?
  Playing shelf is for games I am currently working towards a goal on. If I’m replaying a game I do not add it to this shelf. I also do not add games that I have no intention of ever finishing/being done with. I use the Played shelf for any game I have played to the extent I care to play it. This includes 100%ed games, games where I merely completed the story, games I couldn’t bring myself to finish, as well as games that never “end.” My Backlog shelf is for games I intend to play through but am not currently working on. If I find I have stopped actively working on a game but I do intend to return to it, I move it from the Playing shelf to Backlog until I get back to it. Games I have yet to start are put here as well. Wishlist is for any game I do not own a copy of but hope to get my hands on.

• Do you place games on multiple default shelves? Why & how do you decide that?
  I do not. I try to keep games to a single default shelf at a time.

• Do you have your own status shelves? Why are they different to the default?
  I have some shelves dedicated to games I want to play, but can’t until I finish a previous entry in their respective franchise. Ex. I can’t play Final Fantasy XIII-2 until I’ve played Final Fantasy XIII, so I add XIII-2 to the custom shelf. This helps keep my backlog limited only to game I’m “allowed” to start.

• What other kinds of lists do you make?
  I have a shelf for each of the major game systems I’ve played games on that I used for ranking my favorites on that system. For example, Top 5 PC Games.

• How do you handle games without an end? Any suggestions?
  I usually will set my own goals in these types of games. This can be a platinum trophy, completing a major storyline within the game, etc. Once I’ve satisfied myself in reaching whatever goals I may have set, I consider the game “Played” even if I am continuing to play it. At that point I move it from Playing shelf to Played.

• What do you usually post in statuses? Is there a difference in what you post in public VS private statuses?
  I usually use statuses to share thoughts about a particular game I’m playing, whether they be positive or negative. Usually I hope to spark discussion with my posts. I honestly was not aware private statuses existed. I think if I used them though, I would do so just to keep track of thoughts.

• Do you have accessibility concerns when using the website?
  The mobile version of the site is tough to use on the shelves page. It requires a lot of scrolling and the images of game cover art are very small and hard to see.

• Is there a current feature you’d like to use more? What stops you from using it?
  I’d like to make use of the Tell Me What To Play feature on shelves more. I wish I could give it some information like what kind of game I’m in the mood for and have it return a game suiting my input.

• What additional features do you wish the website had?
  Can’t think of anything at the moment.

• Anything else you’d like me to know?
  I really appreciate this site, as it’s given me a nice place to discuss my favorite hobby with others.

[Prin]

• Why do you use grouvee? What benefit does grouvee provide to you?

  • I started using the site mostly as a way to organize and track the various games I’ve played over the years, and for the most part that still rings true. I didn’t expect the community to be the way it is (Mostly genial), and that has allowed me to broaden my scope and interact more when it comes to games and topics I find more interesting than others.

• How often do you visit grouvee? How much time on average do you spend each visit?

  • Haha, during the week, in between working and doing other tasks, I tend to visit for a few minute stints roughly 10+ times a day, but honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if that is an underestimate.

• When gaming, what habits, concerns, etc. impact your gaming enjoyment?

  • The biggest concern as of late is what effect aging has on my ability, physically to play games. While I don’t suffer from a form of carpal tunnel, I tend to get hit with motion sickness more than I used to. I figure it is situational (how the camera works, FOV, HUD options, etc), and I have become pretty good at avoiding it, but sometimes, it will hit me out of nowhere with games that come off as surprising to have such an affect. I guess, it is what it is, but definitely something I am more cognizant of.

• When do you search for a game on grouvee?

  • Typically, I subscribe to numerous, niche gaming channels on YouTube that have brought to light many games that I wouldn’t have thought of otherwise, which has me search and backlog them for a later date. Other than that, my usage of the search feature is limited.

• For each scenario that applies, please tell me what information specifically you want to find for each reason.

• What don’t you like about the search function? What information is hard to find?

  • I generally don’t have many grievances with it in its current form. It does what I expect and that is all I can say on the topic in this context.

• What tasks are most important to you to complete when you visit the website?

  • See if there have been any posts that I find interesting, before I venture to the forum for a visit

• Do you face any barriers/annoyances completing tasks you want to?

  • Not really.

• When do you usually access grouvee and to do what tasks? How long do you spend on the website doing these tasks?

  • As stated previously, multiple times throughout the day, mostly during the week, with my visits spanning just a few minutes if that each time. My time spent consists mostly of seeing any new post updates, and choosing to interact or not. Nothing groundbreaking or risque.

• Do you like to look at statistics using information you’ve added? What kind?

  • Not via the site, but I do like to dabble here and there with data elsewhere.

• The default shelves are Playing, Played, Backlog, & Wishlist. Personally, what games do you put on each shelf and why?

  • I tend to put games that I’ve finished, or felt finished with on my Played, and games that I am currently involved in on my Playing, with Backlog being reserved for games that are released, I intend to get to eventually, and finally, the Wishlist, being reserved for games that I would like to try when they release.

• Do you place games on multiple default shelves? Why & how do you decide that?

  • The only instance of this is always temporary, when I replay a game.

• Do you have your own status shelves? Why are they different to the default?

  • I am but a simple person, so no.

• What other kinds of lists do you make?

  • Honestly, I have always relied on the default shelfs, so nothing custom as of yet and no plans to venture into it as well.

• How do you handle games without an end? Any suggestions?

  • I generally don’t overthink the concept, and play until I don’t want to anymore. For example, I am big into American Truck Simulator, and intend to keep playing that until they release all 50 states, or I lose all interest. I guess we will see what happens first, which is weirdly exciting to me. A suggestion I could provide is to have fun, and if you stop having fun, then maybe it’s time to move on.

• What do you usually post in statuses? Is there a difference in what you post in public VS private statuses?

  • I don’t typically post private statuses as I don’t use the site as a diary, but I will generally post news updates with certain games I find interesting or a bit provocative. I can see myself only posting anything private when I don’t want the community to feel like I am spamming their feed.

• Do you have accessibility concerns when using the website?

  • Not at the moment, no.

• Is there a current feature you’d like to use more? What stops you from using it?

  • This is a boring response, but I can’t think of a feature I would use more or less than I currently do.

• What additional features do you wish the website had?

  • I wish the filter options for the main page feed were more elaborate as sometimes, I see multiple posts concerning a certain game that I really have no interest in, so it’d be nice to be able to filter/ block any mentions regarding that game from my feed. It would also be nice to be able to filter posts that mention certain people or topics similar to the filter that Reddit uses currently. For instance, while I don’t mind involving myself in a political discussion, I don’t come to this site for that and so it would be nice to not so much ignore those posts when they do crop up, but moreso have a choice to see it or not at any given time.

• Anything else you’d like me to know?

  • Nope, have a great day.

[John]

• Why do you use grouvee? What benefit does grouvee provide to you?
  Initially and mainly tracking. I like the UX. Discussions with others has been fun too.
• How often do you visit grouvee? How much time on average do you spend each visit?
  I check in briefly pretty often to see what’s up, both in regards to new releases and discussions. Sometimes I stay a bit longer.
• When gaming, what habits, concerns, etc. impact your gaming enjoyment?
  Time constraints are heavy these days. I mainly just enjoy the thought of gaming, rather than doing it. Even if I find a window to play, it’s kinda hard to motivate myself to take on bigger projects, because of how troublesome it is to pick up something after you left it for a long while.
• When do you search for a game on grouvee?
  Usually to add it to one of my lists.
• For each scenario that applies, please tell me what information specifically you want to find for each reason.
  –
• What don’t you like about the search function? What information is hard to find?
  It would be cool if it understood what I meant despite the occasional typo. Other than that, works fine.
• What tasks are most important to you to complete when you visit the website?
  To track my games, if that’s what I’m currently visiting for. Other than that, just here for fun.
• Do you face any barriers/annoyances completing tasks you want to?
  Not really.
• When do you usually access grouvee and to do what tasks? How long do you spend on the website doing these tasks?
  When I find out about a game, or have purchased a game and want to add it to my lists. Other than that, sporadically.
• Do you like to look at statistics using information you’ve added? What kind?
  Not really. Would be cool with some kind of statistics overview.
• The default shelves are Playing, Played, Backlog, & Wishlist. Personally, what games do you put on each shelf and why?
  Playing: Currently playing, or active unfinished playthrough (that may or may not be paused).
  Played: Really depends on the game. Endless games, if I’ve played them enough to form a solid opinion, and not currently playing. Games with an ending, a finished or abandoned playthrough.
  Backlog: Games that have caught my interest. Doesn’t have to mean that I intend to play through them all in the end.
  Wishlist: I want to own this game / or / prioritized within the backlog, i.e. I really want to try this game.
• Do you place games on multiple default shelves? Why & how do you decide that?
  If they meet the criteria for multiple shelves, then yes.
• Do you have your own status shelves? Why are they different to the default?
  I have a few different shelves for when the level of completion of games is of interest, for games that used to be in the backlog but were later culled, and for games that are alternative versions of a game where a different version has been favored.
• What other kinds of lists do you make?
  I track my collections by platforms. I also categorize games by type, style, vibes, etc.
• How do you handle games without an end? Any suggestions?
  There comes a time when you feel ready to move on.
• What do you usually post in statuses? Is there a difference in what you post in public VS private statuses?
  Public statuses: Random thoughts I feel like sharing.
  Private statuses: Just personal notes about the games, usually on the technical side of things.
• Do you have accessibility concerns when using the website?
  Dark mode is king, wish the forums (and everywhere else on the internet) had it.
• Is there a current feature you’d like to use more? What stops you from using it?
  –
• What additional features do you wish the website had?
  Half-star ratings (but keep 1⭐ lowest, not half! that would only make it a 10-step rating system in disguise).
• Anything else you’d like me to know?
  I know it’s you Peter, no need to pretend to be a anonymous student just to collect feedback on the site (jk jk).

[WerqKween]

* Why do you use Grouvee? What benefit does Grouvee provide to you?

• I started using Grouvee to catalog my game collection a few years ago when I started gaming again after a long hiatus. I quickly began using it to find new titles, and then became involved in the social media aspects. Now I assist with metadata cleanup once in a while and the Backlog Attack badge system.
  * How often do you visit Grouvee? How much time on average do you spend each visit?
• A few times a day. Just a couple minutes as a distraction, unless I see something that catches my eye, or to respond to a thread, etc., then I’m here longer. It’s hard to determine an average.
  * When gaming, what habits, concerns, etc. impact your gaming enjoyment?
• Time constraints and game quality. I also tend to go hot and cold for things, so I’ll go all in on a title, sometimes burn out, and go back to it way later, which means I have to do some reviewing/catch back up.
  * When do you search for a game on Grouvee?
• Whenever I want to add a title to my collection; see something interesting to add to my wishlist or investigate; to merge or clean up metadata.
  * For each scenario that applies, please tell me what information specifically you want to find for each reason.
  • I got a game – add it to my collection
  • I found a game I want – add it to my wishlist
  • I found a game I want to investigate – add it to a “look into” list
  • The site has two duplicate game entries – find the titles to merge them
  • A game entry is missing information/an image/etc. – look up the title to add the info
  • I want more information about a game – look to see if it’s part of a series, a remake, etc.
    * What don’t you like about the search function? What information is hard to find?
  • Nothing I can think of. Sometimes the auto-complete to pull up titles is a little wonky. Filtering/facets may be helpful (e.g. I’ve done a search for Final Fantasy, and now I want to limit by PlayStation 3 titles, etc.)
    * What tasks are most important to you to complete when you visit the website?
• Respond to comments/posts, add to or organize lists/shelves, clean up game pages the community has marked as having issues or missing data, adding missing games to the database.
• Do you face any barriers/annoyances completing tasks you want to?
  • No
    * When do you usually access Grouvee and to do what tasks? How long do you spend on the website doing these tasks?
  • It changes a lot. Throughout the day, on phone or PC.
    * Do you like to look at statistics using information you’ve added? What kind?
  • No, not that I can think of.
    * The default shelves are Playing, Played, Backlog, & Wishlist. Personally, what games do you put on each shelf and why?
• Playing – a game I’ve started and intend on finishing or continuing to play.
• Played – a game I’ve completed in any manner.
• Backlog – games I own that I haven’t played.
• Wishlist – games I’d like to own and play someday.
  * Do you place games on multiple default shelves? Why & how do you decide that?
  • No, unless I’m beginning a new playthrough (Playing shelf) of a game I’ve already completed (Played shelf).
    * Do you have your own status shelves? Why are they different to the default?
  • Yes:
  • Owned – games I physically (or digitally) own, as opposed to games I may have rented or borrowed previously.
  • Dropped – games I started but purposefully stopped playing because I didn’t like it.
  • Low priority wishlist – games I’m interested in owning, but after all the games on my other wish list.
  • Played Demo – No – games for which I tested out a demo but didn’t like it, so I’ve removed it from any wishlists and indicated here I’m not interested in it.
    * What other kinds of lists do you make?
  • Ranking lists
    * How do you handle games without an end? Any suggestions?
  • I keep them in my Playing shelf if I’m still playing them, otherwise I move them to Played.
    * What do you usually post in statuses? Is there a difference in what you post in public VS private statuses?
• I very rarely use private statuses. They’re usually just drafts, or a place marker to remind me of something. I use statuses attached to titles to discuss something about the game: my progress, a question, observation, etc. Otherwise I use statuses to discuss anything, like a Facebook post.
  * Do you have accessibility concerns when using the website?
• No. I use dark mode because I prefer it, but that’s it.
• Is there a current feature you’d like to use more? What stops you from using it?
  • Not that I can think of.
    * What additional features do you wish the website had?
  • The biggest one is updating the list of genres for classifying games in the catalog. It’s hard to figure out what an “adventure” game is, but “Metroidvania” or “Point and Click” tells you more exactly what to expect.
    * Anything else you’d like me to know?
  • No

[Ivonnempg88]

[quote=“peter, post:1, topic:13524”]

• Why do you use grouvee? What benefit does grouvee provide to you?
  I use it to keep track of the games I own, the ones I’ve played, and games that I find interesting and would like to play someday. Also, I use it frequently to tell me what to play, because most of the time I get overwhelmed with so many options and can’t decide on my own.

• How often do you visit grouvee? How much time on average do you spend each visit?
  It depends on the season. I work for 10 months of the year, and I don’t play as often. This time I may use it every couple of of days a week and would spend from 5 to 10 minutes. During my time of work I may visits once or twice daily and spend about 5 to 10 minutes on each visit.

• When gaming, what habits, concerns, etc. impact your gaming enjoyment?
  Mostly work and adult responsibilities. You know that meme where you didn’t have money to buy games and now you do but don’t have time… yeah, that’s me. Sometimes I can’t find something to play that interests me, which is crazy because I have plenty of options! But nothing catches my attention. Another reason is the weather, believe it or not. I live in the tropics (the Caribbean), and it gets hot in here! My gaming consoles are in the living room and there is no air conditioner there, so if it gets too hot, I mostly don’t play. Or I may play the Switch in my room with air conditioner.

• When do you search for a game on grouvee?
  Usually it’s because I bought a game of got free games on PS Plus, or I saw a game that I would like to play someday and added it to my wish list. Sometimes I write reviews of the games I finish playing.

• For each scenario that applies, please tell me what information specifically you want to find for each reason.

• What don’t you like about the search function? What information is hard to find?
  Usually the problem is that it is not in the database. It has happened to me a lot lately. For example, I got a bunch of free games on the Switch during Christmas, and none of them were in the database. Also, when games are announced, if they are not big games, they are not in the database. It is actually frustrating. I would have to add it myself, and most of the time it doesn’t get approved. The consoles are out of date, so I can’t add the correct platform.

• What tasks are most important to you to complete when you visit the website?
  Tracking the status of games. Mostly, what I am currently playing (because I start games a lot and don’t finish them, then forget).

• Do you face any barriers/annoyances completing tasks you want to?
  Yes, when the game is not in the database. Sometimes I see a game that I would like to play, try to add it to my wishlist, then notice that it is nowhere to be found. The problem with this is that I will not get to play the game because I don’t have it in any list, I will just forget about it.

• When do you usually access grouvee and to do what tasks? How long do you spend on the website doing these tasks?
  I use it on computer. I log in when I buy games or get them for free and when I start/ finish playing a game so that I can mark it as completed, with the dates a played it, and write a review or my thoughts on it.

• Do you like to look at statistics using information you’ve added? What kind?
  Statistics would be fun. Like how much time I spend playing each game. Or how many games I have finished from my backlog.

• Do you place games on multiple default shelves? Why & how do you decide that?
  Yes, I place them on different default shelves…sometimes. Usually is when it’s a series of games, so When I finish the first game of the series I mark it as played. Then I want to play the second game of the series but I don’t own it. In this case I place it on wishlist, but also on the playing shelve, because it is a continuation of the first game and I would like to get to it as soon as possible.

• Do you have your own status shelves? Why are they different to the default?
  I have a shelf for game that are broken and I couldn’t finish. I also have a shelf for games that I Grouvee has told me to play and I am on my way to download them or buy them if I have to.

• What other kinds of lists do you make?
  I think I already answered that.

• How do you handle games without an end? Any suggestions?
  Uff, that’s a hard one. I set an amount of time to play it. For example, I am playing Battlefield 2042. I do have my goals with the game, but I set myself a limit per day. For example 5 matches max, or an hour a day, it depends on how much time I have available. Then I move on to other games.

• What do you usually post in statuses? Is there a difference in what you post in public VS private statuses?
  I don’t have private status. I post what I am playing currently if I have something funny or annoying to say about the game. And then I post a review when I am done.

• Do you have accessibility concerns when using the website?
  No.

• Is there a current feature you’d like to use more? What stops you from using it?
  Nothing.

• What additional features do you wish the website had?
  Can’t think of anything right now. Oh. well, maybe to have a more up to date database, if it is possible to get the information from somewhere else.

• Anything else you’d like me to know?
  Thanks for asking the questions.

Blockquote

[Ivonnempg88]

Wow, I almost couldn’t post this because it said that the post was empty… wow! Then it said it needed to have at least 20 characters… I almost cried. But, here it is!

[John]

I just discovered dark mode for forums; I am happy!

[GigaDeathNullGolem]

• Why do you use grouvee? What benefit does grouvee provide to you?
  Media Consumption/Logging. I’ve played maybe over 1k PC games alone. Additionally i’ve played lots of games for older consoles that I no longer physically own. Grouvee tackles the problem of 'have i played that before? what was it about?" and with less time or effort than other services, and features a functional database that doesnt have a North American-Exclusive dataset. In addition, Grouvee has forums and lists as well as other users in the community who act as Discovery Nodes The ability to use game pages as notes or have a place to write about them in a nice, easy to find place also makes it a nicer solution than say, writing on a GameFaqs thread. By going through the process of writing review I establish a neural link to the experience and am more likely to remember specifics of that experience. Community is also friendly and helpful, and the least toxic community i’ve seen in online spaces (due to it’s small size)

  • How often do you visit grouvee? How much time on average do you spend each visit?
    Usually it’s 5-10 mins.

• When gaming, what habits, concerns, etc. impact your gaming enjoyment?
  Time Constraints. Getting older in some ways = less time for hobbies. games that are designed to be a time sink either in their difficulty or just give you ‘something to do’

• When do you search for a game on grouvee?
  Mainly, when I start and end playthroughs, I might then post screen and a review. I used to use the site for Discovery and Pick what I want to play next b ut LaunchBox usually sets a precendent for that now. Feels like I less often go to grouvee to talk about a game in the middle of the playthrough unless I really like the game or found a funny screenshot that i think needs to be uploaded to a games page. I usually dont play games at release or launch (you’ll probably never catch me shooting the shit about Helldivers, Diablo or whatever just dropped) I try to catch up on forum every other month or so. I also sometimes use grouvee to make sure my launchbox config matches, or retrive info for the fields.

  • What don’t you like about the search function? What information is hard to find?
    First of all i don’t dislike search. Search is ok. What could be improved? The slight time delay/responsiveness, possibly by using a different code langauge

• What tasks are most important to you to complete when you visit the website?
  update status for specific game page update shelf, leave review, update playthrough info, etc.

  • Do you face any barriers/annoyances completing tasks you want to?
    No.

  • When do you usually access grouvee and to do what tasks? How long do you spend on the website doing these tasks?
    After completing a game.

  • Do you like to look at statistics using information you’ve added? What kind?
    Yes to some extent. the statistical data i’m most interested in is what shelf a game is on, what date i completed a game, and whether or not i made a review or status posts about it.

• The default shelves are Playing, Played, Backlog, & Wishlist. Personally, what games do you put on each shelf and why?
  Default shelves work well for me as intended. I mark a game played if i’ve essentially seen a credits roll. If it’s endless or something i’m inconsistent. These days, I usually don’t send it to Played but send it to a custom shelf called Abandoned (League of Legends, Hearthstone, Pac-Man, etc) However, If I have indeed spent a lot of time in something or I sent it to the played shelf long ago, i’m more inclined to have marked it as ‘played.’ I Also have a skipped custom shelf, if there are releases that are obsolete to other versions or if a certain entry in a series strikes me as inferior to another (Resident Evil, Metal Gear Solid 3). I send the games stuck on Playing to Backlog shelf maybe once a year in bulk. My playing list is never really so big that it’s a problem. While not all defaults, these are the shelves I routinely send games to.

  • Do you place games on multiple default shelves? Why & how do you decide that?
    Not really. I might put something like a Counter-Strike back on my playing shelf, if i had not played it for many years and marked it Played instead of Abandoned.

  • Do you have your own status shelves? Why are they different to the default?
    In addition, I also have a Favorites shelf, a few genre-specific shelves, and some unusually-specific criteria shelves (Completed all Achievements, VR Games, Untranslated ROMs, Games To Buy, Etc) Most of these custom shelves don’t have a lot of games and as I play them they get removed from those shelves over time.

  • What other kinds of lists do you make?
    I use Serialized, My Anime List, Good Reads, Letterboxd for media. While I don’t use them the same way, I technically also have created lists on Samsung Food, and Vivino. I track anything else in spreadsheets.

  • How do you handle games without an end? Any suggestions?
    Played and no credits roll during a playthrough? ->Abandoned.
    Even If I basically played the game and finished with the game I’ll tell it 20-40 hours and mark “Main+Extras”
    If I did not really finish the game i’ll mark it as 1-2 hours played and mark Main only.
    i’m not 100% consistent but try to be going forward. The Current format of “My Playthrough Dates” and this process works perfect for me.

• What do you usually post in statuses? Is there a difference in what you post in public VS private statuses?
  Usually its a screenshot of something i’m currently playing, a snarky jab at a crappy game that just came out and is showing up on the site (MommyDommy HoneyPot Simulator 9000)) , or yeah i’ll ask an occasional question if I think the community has the answer.
  I do private posts that say things like ‘do not play the sega saturn version, play the PSX compilation see "name of compilation’ or i’ll mention mods that i’ve played, so i can track that information. Sometimes these are public and i’ll do a ‘mod review’ if I think its helpful to someone or they might want to see it

• Do you have accessibility concerns when using the website?
  It’s not a big deal but I do think that the default popular games shelf format looks better than the default bottom 250 and top 100 shelves since it shows you what default shelves you’ve sent the games to.

• Is there a current feature you’d like to use more? What stops you from using it?
  the newfeed and the forum. I dont because of time constraints.

• What additional features do you wish the website had?
  Achievement integration for steam and retroachievements where they show up on a game page could be cool.

• Anything else you’d like me to know?
  I think the site works well as it is both in its design and features. I’m sure there is room for improvement to UI/UX. Any and all changes to Grouvee I hope retain it’s simplicity and ease of use and speed.

[Vakil]

• Why do you use grouvee? What benefit does grouvee provide to you?
  I like having a way to track things. I do the same for books and movies/television shows. I just enjoy seeing data about stuff I do. I also find that having my progress on entertainment I engage with helps me stay focused on finishing this book/game/movie before starting a new one. As someone whose focus tends to wander, I like having a reminder to keep myself on track.
  I also only record the ‘first’ playthrough for a game on Grouvee. When I start playing a real playthrough (not a demo or testing a game’s control scheme) of a game, I mark it as “playing”. When I beat the game, reach an arbitrary point in a game with no determinant end (e.g. sports games), or play enough of a game without actually beating it and I’m sure I don’t intend to return to it in the future, I mark it as ‘played.’
• How often do you visit grouvee? How much time on average do you spend each visit?
  At least once a day. I tend to spend no more than a few minutes per visit. Occasionally, I may find myself engaging with someone’s post which might keep me here longer but most of the time, I just briefly browse and move on. I usually write reviews for games I’ve marked as ‘played’ and I write/edit those offsite then cut and paste them into the site.
• When gaming, what habits, concerns, etc. impact your gaming enjoyment?
  When reading, gaming, or watching a show, I usually engage with it in short bursts than walk away from it. I rarely read more than 10 pages before putting the book down. I might finish one tv show in a sitting but I rarely binge multiple episodes in one sitting. With gaming, I usually sit down and play for 15-20 minutes or so at a time. I might only walk away for 10 minutes before coming back but I find that I need that brain break. I used to have very little time to game but I recently got divorced and I’ve found I have more time to game if I want to. But I also have to deal with a new financial situation and I’ve stopped buying new games and try to focus on my pretty huge backlog of purchased games.
• When do you search for a game on grouvee?
  When I start playing and want to record my playthrough. In a very few circumstances, I’ve used it to find a game I played years ago and want to record it as played or wishlist a game I know I’ll want to play when it comes out. I generally don’t use Grouvee as my wishlist. Since I primarily purchase my games from Steam, I have my main wishlist there although I do have wishlists with GOG and Nintendo, as well.
• What don’t you like about the search function? What information is hard to find?
  I play quite a few very small indie games and those games are often not included in the database. This is less of a search problem.
• What tasks are most important to you to complete when you visit the website?
  I want to record actions I’ve taken with games; e.g. start playing, decide I want to come back it to it later, or mark it as played. I do like the community here, though. This website is my only social media and it can be a friendly place to discuss a shared hobby.
• Do you face any barriers/annoyances completing tasks you want to?
  As I mentioned already, the biggest barrier I find is when a small indie game I want to play isn’t in the database. I’ve added probably close to a dozen or so games and most haven’t yet been accepted. I get why; obviously it requires a lot of work on the site’s staff but it would be nice if there was a way to expedite some of these additions.
• When do you usually access grouvee and to do what tasks? How long do you spend on the website doing these tasks?
  Usually on my phone or laptop. I usually log in at a break during the day. I rarely spend more than a few minutes here. If I respond to another user’s post, I might stick around for a bit longer as I type out my message.
• Do you like to look at statistics using information you’ve added? What kind?
  Oh yeah. I love it. How many games I’ve played. How long do I typically spend on a playthrough, especially as compared to others. How I’ve rated games I’ve played. How many games am I currently playing (which in some cases means a game I haven’t launched in 2 years but I haven’t finished it and haven’t decided I want to actively stop playing it).
• The default shelves are Playing, Played, Backlog, & Wishlist. Personally, what games do you put on each shelf and why?
  Playing → games I’ve started playing and have not previously completed a playthrough and intend to finish even if I don’t launch it/play it for an extended period of time
  Played → games where I’ve either beaten the main game or played enough of it to know I’m done. This usually means I’ve gotten to main boss/last level and maybe I can’t beat it but I’ve also used it for games where my save got corrupted or I got to the penultimate level. Basically, either a game I’ve beaten or a game I didn’t beat but got pretty far into and don’t intend to return to.
  Backlog → Games I’ve started and didn’t finish but maybe in the future I want to start a new playthrough. Or I might come back to the same playthrough in the future but have no intention to keep playing now. Usually, the difference between ‘playing’ but haven’t touched in a long time and ‘backlog’ is my intention to play and have I uninstalled the game from whatever platform.
  Wishlist → Games I don’t own and I’m interested in. I don’t use this very often and tend to only use it if I accidentally discover the game on Grouvee first.
• Do you place games on multiple default shelves? Why & how do you decide that?
  Not on default shelves. I have multiple shelves I’ve created and I use those a lot but all games go on one default shelf only.
• Do you have your own status shelves? Why are they different to the default?
  I use personal shelves for platforms (e.g., I played this game on my Steam Deck) or for specific genres I enjoy (e.g. pixel puzzle mystery games or turn-based sports games).
• What other kinds of lists do you make?
• How do you handle games without an end? Any suggestions?
  I have a lot of these games because I play a lot of sports games and they don’t really have ‘final bosses’ in the same way. In those cases, I usually have some arbitrary cut off I decide on like ‘play one season’ or ‘play until I win the championship’. There are some games on my backlog, like Kenshi, that have no ending. I’ll probably come up with an arbitrary point in those games, as well.
• What do you usually post in statuses? Is there a difference in what you post in public VS private statuses?
  Never used a private status that I can think of. I usually post a review when I finish a game and move it ‘played.’ I will use statuses if a thought occurs to me that I think is shareworthy during a playthrough. For instance, do I notice something about a specific character or level or do I find something especially frustrating.
• Do you have accessibility concerns when using the website?
  Nope.
• Is there a current feature you’d like to use more? What stops you from using it?
  Just the add game feature. I wouldn’t mind if the site allowed users to become database editors.
• What additional features do you wish the website had?
  More broad database editing as above
• Anything else you’d like me to know?
  I’m having a good day today and I hope you are, too!!