In this GDC 2012 session, Richard Lemarchand (formerly of Naughty Dog) tries to dispel some of the confusion about how video games keep players engaged.

Lemarchand introduces the psychological concept of attention to the ongoing conversation about play and games.

By using practical examples from his involvement in the playtesting of the Uncharted games, he describes how metrics data and other methods can be used to get a handle on the elusive subjects of players' attention.

It was an insightful talk that's definitely still worth watching, so developers shouldn't miss the opportunity to do so now that it's freely available on the official GDC YouTube channel!

About the GDC Vault

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its accompanying YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.

Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC or VRDC already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.

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