The mission of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) is to support and empower game developers around the world in their pursuit of fulfilling and sustainable careers. Part of the core set of tools that the IGDA uses to achieve this mission and to empower game developers is knowledge and information. The Developer Satisfaction Survey (DSS) conducted in partnership with Western University is a valuable source of information about the well-being and opinions of developers and of the game industry as a whole.

This report contains the results and findings of the sixth DSS, conducted in the first quarter of 2019. It dives deeper into the industry insights from the responses and compares them to the data over the prior three surveys. This report is focused on comparing the data across surveys to identify industry trends and future directions.

We see that, while many parts of the industry remain consistent, there are positive trends, including better public perceptions of the industry, significantly less mandatory crunch, and expected growth of studios.

Diversity and inclusion also continues to grow in its recognized importance. More game developers acknowledge the importance of localization and diversity of game content, and have concerns about diversity, sexism, and racism in both the industry and among gamers.

However, we see that it is the diverse members of our industry who bear these concerns most, and who report challenges related to them. This is our call to action to push forward initiatives and changes to create a better industry for all game developers around the world. Together, we can create a welcoming and supportive environment in which game developers will be able to thrive in both their careers and their lives.

All are welcome and encouraged to share this report and these findings with others to encourage change and long-term solutions that will improve our industry and its accessibility for all developers.

If you would like to assist with translating this report into other languages or helping us reach a wider audience for our next survey in the first quarter of 2021, please reach out to us at staff@igda.org.

Renee Gittins, Executive Director, IGDA

Read/Download Whitepaper:  2019 Developer Satisfaction Survey Industry Trends Report (PDF)