Conference recorded as part of the 5th conference of the National Video Game Conservatory (CNJV) on December 2, 2023 at the Forum des images in Paris
Vinciane Zabban, lecturer at Sorbonne Paris Nord University, explores the notion of cheating in video games. She discusses how cheaters seek not to destroy the game but to engage with its rules, often by asserting their presence against programming or against other players.
Vinciane Zabban describes cheating as an action that breaks the rules while pretending to respect them, raising the question of its social rather than simply technical nature. She also discusses the idea that cheating can reveal the limitations of games and tensions between players and developers, emphasizing that what often begins as an exploit can be integrated as an official feature of the game, thus enriching gaming culture.
This presentation highlights historical examples and contemporary analyzes on the impact of cheating, offering a reflection on how it modifies interactions in the digital space of video games.
