What's the difference between ethical and unethical player testing, and what does ethical player testing require?

Those are the questions professor and researcher Mia Consalvo stepped up to answer at GDC 2017, where she delivered a fascinating talk about the need for (and demands of) ethical playtesting standards in game development.

In her talk Consalvo made the case for ethical playtesting and offered devs a practical guide to implementing ethical playtesting standards in their work. She also offered an interesting overview of the history of human subjects research and gave attendees an idea of where to go and research it further, with the ultimate goal of making the playtesting process more fruitful and enjoyable for both players and game makers.

It was a thoughtful, well-informed talk about an under-discussed topic, so don't miss your chance go back and watch Consalvo's talk for free via 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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