Board "Memo": Policy & Advocacy Update - March '09

Dear Members,

One of the most important initiatives of the IGDA is "Policy & Advocacy." Simply put, the IGDA should serve as the collective voice of game developers on important issues that impact our industry. In practice, however, representing a diverse community with varying views on contentious issues like quality of life is easier said than done. We may wish to believe that all our members share one opinion on policy issues such as credit standards or anti-censorship activities, but the truth is more complex.

The IGDA has created a framework for addressing these complicated issues on both a proactive and reactive basis. First, the IGDA tries to educate both developers and studios about the issue at hand. Second, the IGDA is a neutral forum for the developer community to discuss the topic. And finally, if an individual or organization engages in deceptive, dishonest, or illegal practices relevant to the games industry, the IGDA must act as an advocate for developers by helping to bring those practices to light, educating people about the problem, and providing possible solutions.

This Policy & Advocacy structure is designed to enable individuals to make the best decisions possible for their careers and their lives; the IGDA as an organization cannot, and should not, ever replace an individual's right and responsibility to make career choices as they see fit. At the same time, however, we need to address issues and take action on behalf of developers who may be unable or unwilling to do so.

There has been considerable discussion recently about the "Studio Heads on the Hotseat" panel at the IGDA Leadership Forum, with contentious comments about crunch time and hours worked by employees made by panel participants, as well as developers reviewing the footage and posting on the IGDA forums. As documented at www.igda.org/qol/, the IGDA believes unequivocally that enabling your employees to create for themselves a high quality of life is a good business practice, and there are direct, negative consequences to ignoring your employees' quality of life. But work/life balance also goes far beyond the number of hours worked. Quality of life also varies significantly according to the individual; some people are willing to trade working more (or fewer) hours for adjusted compensation. Other employees place a greater emphasis on issues like flexible work schedules or telecommuting. Fundamentally, developers and employers must engage in an open, honest, constructive dialogue about expectations, obligations, and compensation so that every developer can make an informed, individual decision about the workplace most suited to deliver the quality of life they require.

Our Policy & Advocacy role requires a tricky balancing act, and sometimes we fall down on the job. As a volunteer organization, we are at the mercy of the time, interest, and enthusiasm of our members. While we have an extensive collection of research, recommendations, and resources on issues like Quality of Life, Credit Standards, and Censorship at www.igda.org/advocacy, we need to do a better job in educating, connecting, and advocating for game developers. We need to make sure that these issues continue to receive the attention that they deserve; reactive measures only address half the problem.

We have a number of initiatives underway in 2009 to improve our Policy & Advocacy activities. First, our new web portal, launching later this Spring, will improve the visibility of the extensive research and recommendations our Advocacy groups have provided. The new web portal will also enable easier discussions amongst the game developer community. We've also identified Policy & Advocacy as one of our most important initiatives in 2009; in practical terms, we've asked Board members and key volunteers to make Policy & Advocacy a key focus of their efforts for the organization this year. We expect this dedication will allow us to refresh our educational materials, encourage and facilitate discussions at events like GDC and the Leadership Forum as well as through virtual communication, and to respond quickly and clearly when the IGDA, as an organization, needs to advocate for the game developer community.

Fundamentally, the IGDA exists to advance the careers and enhance the lives of game developers. As we look to better serve our members, and game developers everywhere, we need your feedback and participation. Our efforts to fairly and actively represent the global game development community may not always be perfect, and we may not always like what we hear from our members, but we appreciate the dialogue and ongoing support of our shared passion for creating amazing interactive entertainment experiences, and we welcome your suggestions for and participation in our Policy & Advocacy activities.

Sincere regards,

Jen MacLean
IGDA Chair Emeritus
jen -at- igda.org