EB Games Vanguard

Process | Transformational Metaphor | Final product | Functions |

Brief

In this project we choose a brand and designed a service that can solve it's exiting business problem. The brand we have chosen is EB Games, a chain video game company that have been suffering profit loss over the past few years. Most noticeably in the pre-owned game sector, which was their largest profit generator.

Process

After researching about EB Games, we found that their biggest business problem was the loss of profit, digital distribution platforms and E-commerce have decreased EB Games’ market-share of new game sales, and reduced the demand of physical media traditionally leveraged by EB games through used game purchases and trade-ins. We discovered that EB Games have a large stock of pre-owned games and consoles that were not being used to their full potential. Our idea was to utilizes the existing pre-owned stock and their many storefronts to their potential to produce more profit.

Idea

An multi-channel service that uses EB Games' existing stock to provide a subscription based game rental service.

Transformational metaphor

My Role

I wanted to bring interactions that are familiar with gamers into this service. However, I did not want the interaction to seem awkward to those that are not avid gamers. The result as a layout that is inspired by the cross shaped, four button setup of most game controllers. Each option is located on one side of the window in the webpage version, where users are click, or use the WASD/ directions buttons on their keyboard to navigate. In the mobile application, the menu also follows the same pattern.

Final Product

Subscribtion based game rental service

How does the servive work?

The service in available in multi-platforms, website, mobile, and gaming consoles. Users can create an account, with the option of different payment plans, which allows them to rent out games and consoles.

Functions

Sign-up | Browse + search | Rental process | Credits |

Joining the service

Individuals can sign up for the service, while minors require parental consent. Options are provided so users can choose that one that fits their budget.

Explore the possiblity

The explore page allow users to browse and find titles that could interest them. We used ambiguous categorization that are loosely based on user preferences to encourage exploration.

Looking for something specific

Search function changes keywords into individual tags for easy alteration. While the search function will search keywords in titles, tags allow it to search for games tagged under the keywords as well. Drop down menu allows user to filter result to have only console they own.

Game detail page allow user to see the availability for the closest store and other locations. Also showcases the rating of the title and if any of the user's friends are playing it.

Renting your first game and console

User can add a title to their queue, an icon will appear to indicate the title has been added. Then the user can decide to rent the titles are their queue, or remove them if they no longer wants it.

Pausing and restarting the service

At any point, the user can pause their service at their profile page.Their previous preferences will be saved, so when they choose restart the service it reduces the hassle of filling out the forms all over again.

For those underages

Underaged users requires parental consent while using the service. The mobile app will notify their guardian if the user has queued any games above their age range, or of extra surcharges of console rental. The guardian can revoke their children's line up.

EB Games credit

Members can also scan unwanted games with the mobile app to calculate how much credits they can gain, before going to on of the store. Surcharges of console rental can also be paid with EB Games credits.