- Wizardry I, Apple II, 1981
- In this early game, the interface occupies most of the screen
In the early days of videogames, providing an image of the game environment was costly and difficult. So, it was not unusual that a large portion of the screen was devoted to the interface.
- Resident Evil 3, Playstation, 1999
- And in this late 90s title, there is simply none
That changed though - sprites become larger, then came 3D environments, and finally, many designers opted for a no-interface approach. There were several reasons for that, none of which being valid.
"Maximizing the proportion of the screen devoted to the game environment was seen as a good thing, and a logical evolution from the past." Yes, but does it make the game more playable? In that screen from resident evil, we see the background well but it has no gameplay value. What is the gain?
- Populous, PC, 1989
- The real-time part of the screen is confined to the diamond-shaped figure. Gamers are not bothered by the interface.
"The interface may hide some important gameplay element." In 3D games, the interface is sometimes integrated in the environment, so it appears to be on top of the screen, versus below or next to a separate game window. In that case, it could be on top of something important. But who’s to blame? the interface, or poor camera placement?
"More interface means less immersion." Showing an interface breaks the illusion of the game by reminding players that they are in a simulated world. But all pixels are not equal on a monitor. Viewers focus their attention on what’s in the middle of the screen, while what’s on the edge can only be seen if the viewer actively looks at it. This is why isometric interfaces (populous, powermonger, rings of power...) which, by today’s criteria, display a very little amount of information, have worked well.
- Astronoid, 2005, PC
- The choice of fonts is unfortunate.
- Wipeout Pure, 2005, PSP
- In contrast to Astronoid, the fonts used in this interface create a distinctive "wipeout" feel
All in all, there’s no reason to display on a reasonably small amount of the screen, towards the corners, essential information for your players. Then, it is your duty to make it look "game" enough. Sure thing, anything written in a very common font such as Arial will distract your player from the game and remind them school, the office or what not.