ETC Playtest Day
This semester's Playtest Day is on April 1st.
Every academic semester, the Entertainment Technology Center holds a Playtest Day when graduate student teams make their project work available for playtesting by guests. The term playtest indicates the use of an experience or game by a guest to see whether it is performing as expected. Guests have in the past tested from three to six projects over the course of two hours, along with an optional tour of the ETC. Some projects have experiences requiring two or more guests at once, while others are meant to be used alone.
The following guidelines are shared with guests before they start testing projects:
Listen to what the team needs. Different teams will need your help in different ways. For example, some teams might want you to talk about their art, while others might want to hear your thought process as you play through their game or work through their experience.
Mess around. Playtesting means finding out what's fun, pleasurable, exciting, or strange about an experience. Don't hesitate to mess around, try things, and experiment.
Tell the truth about your experience. There are no right answers in playtesting. The most helpful thing you can do is tell the truth about what you think and feel. If you can be precise, that's great. If not, take whatever time you need to figure out how to express yourself.
Bad news is good news. If you've found something that was confusing, difficult, or frustrating, that's good news for the team you're helping. Finding it now means they can fix the problem, so don't hesitate to bring it up.
Describe, don't solve. Playtesting is about you and your experience - not about solving the problems you discover. Some teams may want you to offer suggestions, but some won't. Follow the team's lead!
Don't hesitate to ask questions. If there's anything you aren't sure about, you can always ask questions. Teams may or may not be able to answer you, but there's never any harm in asking.
Have fun. Don't forget that half of playtesting is play! Enjoy the projects and have a wonderful time!
QUESTIONS? CHECK OUT THE FAQ
NOTE:
ETC project teams often take pictures or video to document the playtest experiences. We require the filling out of an audio-visual permission form so that the ETC students can document their projects with descriptive 3 minute videos. Examples of these permission forms can be found below. You can also see examples of such projects on the ETC website for each of the prior semesters' projects.
Example Permission Form (Minors)
NOTE: This is a sample permission form. Details may vary for a form used during your playtest session. The intent is so that ETC students can document their projects with descriptive 3 minute videos and illustrative pictures.
I want my child to participate in a tour of the Carnegie Mellon University ("Carnegie Mellon") Entertainment Technology Center ("ETC") on the above date. I understand that in addition to touring ETC facilities, my child may playtest video games or other entertainment technologies while at the ETC.
I give Carnegie Mellon permission to take (or have taken on its behalf) photos and/or videos of my child during the tour and/or while my child is playtesting video games or other entertainment technologies. I give Carnegie Mellon permission to use the resulting photos and/or videos and my child's name for educational and promotional purposes in any medium, including the Internet.
I hereby, on behalf of myself, my child, and those acting on our behalf, irrevocably and unconditionally release, waive, and promise not to sue Carnegie Mellon or the owners/lessors of the ETC premises or anyone acting on their behalf, from and for any and all liability for injuries, damages, claims, demands, actions and causes of action, arising from or connected with my child's participation in the tour and related activities.
The laws of Pennsylvania shall apply to this document. If any of its provisions are declared illegal, unenforceable, or ineffective, they shall be deemed severable, and all other provisions shall remain valid and binding.
I sign this document with the intent to be legally bound by it. I am an adult, 18 years or older, competent to sign this document. I am signing this document voluntarily. I have read it and I understand its contents.
Example Permission Form (Adults)
NOTE: This is a sample permission form. Details may vary for a form used during your playtest session. The intent is so that ETC students can document their projects with descriptive 3 minute videos and illustrative pictures.
I want to participate in a tour of the Carnegie Mellon University ("Carnegie Mellon") Entertainment Technology Center ("ETC") on the above date. I understand that in addition to touring ETC facilities, I may playtest video games or other entertainment technologies while at the ETC.
I give Carnegie Mellon permission to take (or have taken on its behalf) photos and/or videos of me during the tour and/or while I am playtesting video games or other entertainment technologies. I give Carnegie Mellon permission to use the resulting photos and/or videos and my name for educational and promotional purposes in any medium, including the Internet.
I hereby, on behalf of myself, irrevocably and unconditionally release, waive, and promise not to sue Carnegie Mellon or the owners/lessors of the ETC premises or anyone acting on their behalf, from and for any and all liability for injuries, damages, claims, demands, actions and causes of action, arising from or connected with my participation in the tour and related activities.
The laws of Pennsylvania shall apply to this document. If any of its provisions are declared illegal, unenforceable, or ineffective, they shall be deemed severable, and all other provisions shall remain valid and binding.
I sign this document with the intent to be legally bound by it. I am an adult, 18 years of age or older, competent to sign this document. I am signing this document voluntarily. I have read it and I understand its contents.
