No matter how you say it, most people play video games to beat them.

But what happens if you play, make and study games that aren't meant to be won or lost -- that are meant to simply be played, perhaps forever, to foster a specific experience or emotion?

At GDC 2015 Richard Lemarchand, former Naughty Dog lead game designer and associate professor in the USC Games program, hopped onstage to deliver a talk that investigates the game design potential of "open play" - play that does not necessarily result in an outcome of victory or defeat. 

It was a thoughtful, intriguing talk that's absolutely worth your time to watch. If you'd like to do so, good news: you can now watch it absolutely free over on the official GDC Vault YouTube channel.

About the GDC Vault

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its new 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, GDC Europe, and GDC Next 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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