AIAS Partnership FAQ
The IGDA recently announced a new partnership with the Academic of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS). This FAQ outlines some of the details regarding this partnership.
Q: Big picture, what is the partnership with the AIAS all about?
A: As an organization focused on advancing the careers and lives of games developers, the IGDA leverages every opportunity to bring recognition to the hard work and achievements of our members. Working with the AIAS on their respected Interactive Achievement Awards is an excellent opportunity for the IGDA to further its mission. By partnering with the AIAS, qualified IGDA members will be able to participate in the AIAS voting process, expanding the pool of voters and enabling an ever broader say on who receives our collective recognition.
Q: Which IGDA members are eligible to vote?
A: All IGDA members in good standing that are actively involved in the game production/creation process (e.g., programmers, artists, designers, producers, musicians, testers, writers, etc), and who meet the qualifications of the AIAS are eligible to vote.
Q: What are the AIAS' voting qualifications?
A: Two years working in the game industry and two game credits.
Q: What is the process to become qualified to vote?
A: All IGDA members in good standing, who are actively involved in the game production/creation process, will be sent an informational email by the IGDA. This email will point members to an application form whereby members declare their qualifications (see previous question). Once the application has been validated by the AIAS, then the IGDA member will be rolled into the standard awards voting process (i.e., will receive voting notices, and reminders, etc, directly from the AIAS).
Q: What about the privacy and security of the IGDA's member data?
A: The AIAS will treat IGDA member data with the utmost of care and confidentiality. Further, the AIAS will not use IGDA member data for any other purpose than as outlined here. Additionally, award voting is secret, conducted online, and is supervised and certified by eBallot.
Q: Are there any costs or fees to vote?
A: No. Other than the fee of maintaining an IGDA membership, there are no additional costs or fees associated with voting in the awards.
Q: Which award categories will IGDA members be able to vote for?
A: Qualifying IGDA members will be able to vote in the “craft” category of awards (e.g., Story Development, Sound Design, Art Direction, etc).
Q: Can IGDA members nominate games for consideration?
A: Yes, but only for craft award categories. Nominations by non-AIAS member companies will be allowed for all craft categories, and at the reduced charge of $500.
Q: What are the various nomination and voting deadlines?
A: Award dates and deadlines will be announced by the AIAS shortly.
Q: Will the AIAS adhere to the IGDA's “Credit Standards”?
A: The IGDA's Credit Standards were developed more so for the context of a specific game, so are not necessarily applicable in the context of awards. That said, the AIAS already gives full named credits for all Craft and Genre award categories.
Q: Is the IGDA involved in other ways with the AIAS?
A: Yes. As part of the partnership, the IGDA gets a seat on various internal AIAS award committees (e.g., Rules Committee, Special Selection Committee, etc). Further, the IGDA and AIAS will explore other ways to advance our missions by working more closely together.
Q: Where can I get more info about the AIAS' awards, rules, etc?
A: Check the AIAS web site for more details: http://interactive.org/awards.php
Q: What about the Game Developers Choice Awards?
A: The Choice Awards will continue as normal.
The Choice Awards were always owned/produced by Think Services (previously CMP).
The IGDA partnered with GDC on the Choice Awards from 2001 to 2007, mainly handling the voting process. For the 2008 Choice Awards, GDC completely took over the operation of the Choice Awards. It was an amicable end to the partnership, and the move represented the evolving nature of GDC, the Choice Awards, etc. The IGDA continues to work closely with Think Services on other aspects of GDC. For more details on the Choice Awards check: http://gamechoiceawards.com/