=========================== IGDA Newsletter - June 2008 =========================== ================= Table of Contents ================= 0: A Word From Jen MacLean 1: Game Developer Memorials Project 2: Leadership Forum: 07 DVD vids, 08 save-the-date 3: IGDA 2007 Annual Report 4: Event Action: Casual, Brighton, Go3, Sandbox, Intel 5: Columns Update 6: Chapter Meetings/Reports x: Logistical Bits & Unsubscribe Info ================= ========================== 0: A Word From Jen MacLean ========================== Dear Members and friends, Summer time is upon us! And while some lucky developers get the time to take vacation and enjoy the nice weather it just seems that workloads stay loaded as we all work towards a busy fall season. Is it just me, or are there an endless stream of interesting events and conferences to "distract" us (check out member discounts to some of them below)? With our generally insane schedules it is often hard to stop and consider our history - as an industry, as a profession, as an art form - or to even do things to help preserve what we are doing for the years to come. Indeed, it is rare that one gets to be at the birth of a new medium, and yet here we are, building and creating and forging ahead. Doing so with many of the founders of our industry (Ralph Baer's presence at GDC'08 was particularly inspiring). That said, despite being such a young industry, we have lost colleagues along the way. The IGDA's new Developer Memorials project hopes to play an important role in preserving our history. It is with great humility that the IGDA can help to facilitate this initiative (full details below). - Jen MacLean Chairperson, IGDA VP Business Development, 38 Studios **************************************************** ** Ad: Virtual Worlds Go Hollywood This September ** **************************************************** The Virtual Worlds Conference and Expo hits the LA Convention Center this September 3-4. This two day gathering will feature industry leaders sharing practical experience and offering insight into what is coming next. Entertainment luminaries will be there too, talking candidly about taking their content into virtual worlds and looking for developers to help make it happen. Come find out about the future of media and entertainment, explore business opportunities with top companies and network with colleagues. IGDA members save 15% by using this promo code: IGDA-VIP Registration information and conference details at: http://www.virtualworldsexpo.com/ **************************************************** =================================== 1: Game Developer Memorials Project =================================== The IGDA's Game Preservation SIG is launching the IGDA Memorials Project to remember the lives and work of members of the game industry. The Memorials Project contains biographies of professionals from around the world, and is welcome to anyone who worked on a game or with the Industry in the past. http://www.igda.org/wiki/Memorials/ In addition, because we believe the IGDA stands for more than just video games, there are Memorials for designers of paper-based games, as well as notable individuals from the toy industry, critical game studies, and computer science, whose work has greatly affected the ways in which we understand, play, and design our games. It is our firm intent that the IGDA Memorials Project will help demonstrate our seriousness as an industry and an art form that cares deeply about its individuals and their contribution to the medium. We recognize our community as being a continuous line of individuals stretching from the past and into the future rather than as being defined solely by the latest titles on the wall. We should remember these individuals as people whose creative passions helped shape the medium to become what it is today and whose legacy continues to direct where it will go in the future. The IGDA Memorials Project welcomes participation from members of the community to help celebrate the memories of our own. Most Memorials provide the option for members to post eulogies regarding their own personal experiences with and memories of a person they knew or whose work they cared deeply about. We are also interested in hearing about other developers whose Memorials are not already on the site. If you are interested in participating in the IGDA Memorials Project, please visit our Submission Guidelines page or contact memorials@igda.org. http://www.igda.org/wiki/Memorials/Submission_Guidelines ************************************************************************** ** Ad: Focal Press and Morgan Kaufmann: Exclusive sale for IGDA members ** ************************************************************************** Visit http://www.focalpress.com/igda.aspx to save 20% off best-sellers Game Design Workshop, 2nd Edition and Better Game Characters by Design. Plus, get a sneak peak and special savings on upcoming titles including Game Usability, Game Feel, and The Art of Game Design. View video tutorials, chapter samples, and podcasts at http://www.focalpress.com or sign up to have the latest tips and discounts delivered straight to your inbox. ******************************************************** ================================================== 2: Leadership Forum: 07 DVD vids, 08 save-the-date ================================================== The first IGDA Leadership Forum was a smashing success with top rated sessions by Don Daglow, Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk (BioWare), Tim Schafer (Double-Fine), Mike Capps (Epic Games) and Clinton Keith (ex High Moon Studios). And, we welcomed 300+ delegates from over 15 countries, including the UK, Finland, India and Australia. All 21 conference sessions were recorded and are now available for purchase on DVD. The 4-disc set of hi-res video is priced at $99 (plus shipping). If you would like to purchase a copy, please email us via sales@igda.org and we'll forward you the order form. The 2008 IGDA Leadership Forum is set for the 13-14 of November in San Francisco. As space is limited, we are encouraging developers to "save the date" and keep their eyes open for program and registration details to come later in June. Details are at: http://www.igda.org/leadership/ ========================== 3: IGDA 2007 Annual Report ========================== In addition to summary comments from 2007 Board chair Mitzi McGilvray, the Annual Report covers our financial results, highlights accomplishments from 2007 and thanks those who have made it all possible. (FYI, the Board decided to keep saving trees and present the report in web-format only again.) http://www.igda.org/about/annual_report_07.php ====================================================== 4: Event Action: Casual, Brighton, Go3, Sandbox, Intel ====================================================== Member discounts at upcoming events and related event action include: - Casual Games SIG action at Casual Connect in Seattle, WA (23-25 July) - 10% member discount for Develop in Brighton, UK (29-31 July) - 5% member discount for GO3 Electronic & Entertainment Expo in Perth, Australia (1-3 August) - $50 member discount for Sandbox Game Symposium in Los Angeles, CA (9-10 August) - $700 member discount for Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco, CA (19-21 August) Full discount details and links available online: http://www.igda.org/events/ ================= 5: Columns Update ================= Monthly columns have been updated: Famous Last Words ----------------- "Submarine Patents" - Protecting yourself against abusive patents. http://www.igda.org/columns/lastwords/lastwords_Jun08.php Culture Clash ------------- "Rated M for Make up Your Own Damn Mind - Deciding what kids can play" - Exploring what the ratings don't rate... http://www.igda.org/columns/clash/clash_Jun08.php The Games Game -------------- "Agent Action" - Looking to agents for start-up help. http://www.igda.org/columns/gamesgame/gamesgame_Jun08.php =========================== 6: Chapter Meetings/Reports =========================== Complete list of chapter reports and upcoming meetings: http://www.igda.org/chapters/updates.php Silicon Valley Wednesday, June 25 > Meeting and Pizza Social http://www.siliconvalleyigda.org/ Montreal Report, June 19 > Fun in the Sun http://www.igda.org/montreal/archives/2008/06/fun_in_the_sun.html North East UK Report, June 14 > Focus on Game Art - Meeting Report http://www.igda.org/neuk/Events/Meeting001Report.html New Jersey North Report, June 14 > June Meeting: Game Dev Ludathlon http://blender.rutgers.edu/~njigda/meetings/2008/200806.php Finland Report, June 10 > New Finnish start-up Everyplay believes in playful interaction http://igda.fi/?p=176 Philadelphia Report, June 3 > Philly Pub Night Was A Blast http://www.igda.org/philly/archives/2008/06/philly_igda_pub.html Caracas Report, May 29 > First Event - Report http://www.igda.org/caracas/CaracasChapter_files/First_event_%20english_%2005292008.pdf Montreal Report, May 21 > Environment/level pipeline autopsy for Halo3 http://www.igda.org/montreal/archives/2008/05/halo_3_environm.html New Jersey North Report, May 20 > May Social Meeting Report http://blender.rutgers.edu/~njigda/meetings/2008/200805.php ================== x: Logistical Bits ================== Unsubscribe/Subscribe to Newsletter ----------------------------------- To unsubscribe simply send an email with the subject "unsubscribe" to igda@igda.org. Or, you can update your newsletter subscription details via your MyProfile page: http://www.igda.org/membership/myprofile.php Thanks to our Partners ---------------------- The IGDA extends its sincerest thanks to all our Partners! Especially those who just joined us, or recently renewed their commitment to support the game development community: - Ayalogic - Course Technology PTR - DePaul Game Dev - GameRecruiter - Havok - Intel Corporation - Kingwood College - Reachin Technologies - Softimage - University Campus Suffolk Without their support the IGDA simply would not survive - let alone thrive. Further details and a complete list of Partners are available online: http://www.igda.org/partners Contact Information ------------------- Please contact us if you have questions, comments or input: http://www.igda.org/contact.php 19 Mantua Road Mount Royal, New Jersey USA 08061 RSS Feeds for IGDA News and Chapter Updates ------------------------------------------- The IGDA web site has RSS feeds for IGDA news (eg, org announcements, committee work, etc) and chapter updates (eg, upcoming meetings, event reports). Those using RSS readers can point to: IGDA News: http://www.igda.org/igda_news_rss.php IGDA Chapter Updates: http://www.igda.org/igda_chapters_rss.php ------- - end - ------m