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!
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