IGDA Relaunches with New Member Benefits

Three New Elected Board Members Announced

BOSTON – March 22, 2018 – The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) today 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.

Assets

Christopher Hamilton                      Hans Ten Cate                           Bernard Yee

About the International Game Developers Association (IGDA)

Now in its 24th year, the International Game Developers Association is the largest non-profit membership organization serving individuals who create games. The association exists to support and empower game developers around the world in achieving fulfilling and sustainable careers by connecting members with their peers, promoting professional development, and advocating on issues that affect the developer community.

For more information, visit the official website or follow the IGDA on Twitter and Facebook.

Media Contacts

Lena LeRay / Robert Brown

Stride PR for IGDA

lena@stridepr.com / robert@stridepr.com