Emhance welcomes Dr. John Hopson as our new Vice President of Research.

For more than two decades, John has shaped the field of games user research. He has supported blockbuster franchises, helped studios embed data-driven cultures, and authored The Secret Science of Games. His arrival marks an important step for Emhance as we continue to advance emotional-intelligence playtesting powered by neuroscience and AI.

“At Emhance, we combine emotional intelligence, neuroscience, and AI to deliver clear, actionable insight. John’s commitment to turning player data into measurable outcomes aligns directly with how we help studios make better decisions.” − Katie Madding, CEO

A veteran research leader and thought partner

Dr. John Hopson has spent more than twenty years at the forefront of games research and analytics. After earning his Ph.D. in experimental psychology from Duke University, he helped popularise the discipline through his landmark article Behavioral Game Design.

He joined Microsoft Game Studios, guiding research programmes for franchises such as Halo and Age of Empires. At Bungie, he led user research across Halo and Destiny, integrating eye-tracking, telemetry, and structured feedback into practical improvements that strengthened engagement.

He later founded and led the first gameplay research team at Blizzard Entertainment, supporting titles including World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and Hearthstone. His work extended into analytics leadership at NCSoft and ArenaNet, contributing to Guild Wars 2. Most recently, he served as Senior Director of User Insights at FunPlus and led core analytics at Epic Games, consistently focusing on accelerating insight and connecting research to measurable outcomes.

Beyond studio leadership, John is the author of The Secret Science of Games, which examines the research and analytics behind major franchises. He has chaired the Games User Research and Analytics groups within the International Game Developers Association and regularly speaks at the Game Developers Conference, advocating for rigorous, player-focused research.

Unlocking the future of playtesting at Emhance

John’s arrival strengthens our commitment to speed, clarity, and practical impact. At Emhance, we connect emotional data with behavioural analytics to deliver prioritised recommendations teams can implement immediately.

His experience integrating research, analytics, and business intelligence supports our goal: helping studios understand how players feel, identify where engagement weakens, and act with confidence.

Join us

We are pleased to welcome Dr. John Hopson to Emhance. If you would like to learn more about our emotional-intelligence playtesting platform or collaborate with our research team, we invite you to contact us or request a demo.