The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) announced a relaunch with a new mission statement and changes to its member benefits, as well as the newest additions to the board of directors.
The new mission statement of the largest organization in the world serving people who make games proclaims the “IGDA supports and empowers game developers around the world in achieving fulfilling and sustainable careers.”
“The shape of game development has changed since the IGDA was founded 24 years ago. It’s the easiest it’s ever been to become a game developer, but conversely harder than ever to succeed as one,” said Jen MacLean, executive director, IGDA. “Consequently, we’re losing talent. This impacts both the short- and long-term successes of individuals and studios throughout our industry. We need to actively support our small and medium-sized studios and the people who work for them because they become the Blizzards, Valves and Bethesdas of the future.”
Effective starting March 22, IGDA members will have access to a host of new benefits including professional education partnerships, increased support for new and existing IGDA chapters and special interest groups, expanded research including a new developer survey and partnerships with organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League to support diverse communities of game developers and players. The IGDA will also be launching an Expert Resource Library later this year, populated with articles and videos from industry veterans to help game developers at all stages of their careers.
Joining the board of directors are Hans ten Cate, a 15-year industry veteran who has worked on titles including The Sims and Dante’s Inferno; Bernard Yee, executive producer and TPM at Oculus, with experience at studios including PopCap, Bungie, Harmonix, Atari, Disney Interactive and Sony Online Entertainment; and Christopher Hamilton, a producer at Rovio Entertainment with prior experience at NGOs in the US, Russia, and Europe.
As part of its ongoing efforts to recognize organizations making great contributions to the game development community, the IGDA is honoring Global Game Jam, the world’s largest game jam event taking place at physical locations, with its 2018 Positive Impact Award.
Since its inception in 2009, Global Game Jam has expanded from having 1,650 participants make 370 games at 53 sites in 23 countries to having more than 42,000 participants create over 8,600 games at 803 locations in 108 countries. The largest single Global Game Jam site in 2018’s event was in Cairo, Egypt, with more than 2,000 participants.
For more information, please visit the IGDA website.
