Chuck Hoover 2010 Board Statement

Contact Chuck Hoover
Producer, Schell Games

Candidate Position Statement:

“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” -Plato

I started my career in architecture and design, but deep down I had a curiosity about and respect for the power of games. This curiosity caused me to seek out a path to game development, and that path was earning my Masters degree at Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center and entering the industry as a producer.
 
The IGDA is in a great position to become something more meaningful to its members. From quality of life advocacy, student scholarships, to a wide variety of active SIG’s, the IGDA does a lot that we take for granted. However, I feel we can do a much better job of engaging our members to increase awareness of what the IGDA does and to be more active in our community. The IGDA needs to be more than something we belong to; it needs to be something we are proud of.

The recent health care program and the planned formalization of local chapters are significant steps to that goal.  What if we took even more meaningful steps?
•    Developer credits should be tied to our IGDA accounts to make them a more persistent and important part of our careers.
•    Creating more knowledge sharing events, following the example of the IGDA Leadership Forum.
•    The IGDA could issue ‘IGDA Approved’ certifications to studios that meet its quality of life standards.

There is a lot we can learn from other professional organizations, all in the aim of attracting more members, making them feel proud as members, and keeping them engaged in the IGDA’s future.  
I hope you will consider me for the IGDA board of directors. Thanks!

Candidate Volunteer Credits:

Committee member for the IGDA Leadership forum
5 year member of the IGDA
Active participant, IGDA Pittsburgh Chapter

Candidate Bio:

Chuck Hoover is a Producer and Project Manager at Schell Games. He has managed Schell Games relationships with clients ranging from Disney to Microsoft. He was lead studio producer on the Pixie Hollow Online MMO and the award winning interactive theme park attraction, Toy Story Mania.

Chuck holds a degree in Architecture from Virginia Tech and his Masters Degree at Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center. Prior to Schell Games, Chuck was a producer for EA on the Sims2 Pets. He also co-founded Airship Studios, developer of the online game Skyrates (winner of Wizards of the Coast Gleemax award).

Board Interview Q and A:

Q1. What do you see as the biggest challenge facing game developers today?  What should the IGDA's role be in addressing that challenge?

There are a multitude of challenges facing our industry today, from the lack of stability at major studios, quality of life concerns, digital piracy, and the rapidly changing economic landscape.  Many of these challenges can be traced back to a single truth, the relative infancy of our industry, we haven't been around very long and we are still learning... a lot. The newness of what we do for a living is a trait that many of us covet about game development, but it's also one of our greatest weaknesses.

 

Through meaningful support of its members and local chapters, the IGDA is poised to be a rally point for us, the point where we can come together to face the challenge of moving our industry out of its formative years and forward to a more established and stable future.

 
Q2.  How do you expect to contribute to the IGDA Board?  What qualifications or skills do you possess that will enhance your contributions?

I represent one of the many professionals who entered the industry through a game development program (CMU's Entertainment Technology Center). I feel this differentiator from past board members will allow me to provide a perspective that's closer to that of many newer IGDA members.

My previous career path in Architecture and Design was an excellent opportunity to observe and learn from a very successful and long standing professional organization, the American Institute of Architects.

Experiencing how another profession has developed their organization into something their members are proud of, coupled with a common background with the newest generation of game developers will greatly enhance my contributions to the IGDA.

 
Q3. How much time do you expect to volunteer to the IGDA?  How will you manage this commitment?

I am committed to spending whatever time is necessary to help improve the IGDA. I understand that this is not a trivial commitment, but it is an important one, and one that I am dedicated to. 

 

As a career producer; my trade is balancing tasks and priorities for multiple developers across a variety of complex projects.  My experience as a producer has amplified my ability to balance my own obligations and I am confident that, given the opportunity, I will be able to effectively manage my commitment to the board of the IGDA.

Q4. As an IGDA board member, you're often asked to get things done on a short timeframe and tight budget.  What do you think a reasonable expectation of a board member's contribution is?  How will you accomplish your goals as a board member?

Members will join the board with their own expectations of what the IGDA should be, how they can contribute to drive it in that direction, and the scope and scale of that change. That variety in personal expectations is wonderful, as long as they leave the IGDA as better origination then when they joined the board.

 

We have a very vocal community and one that, if we can resonate with the right way, will provide us with guidance of what they want their organization to be. My highest priority is approaching our membership to ensure their goals align with the board's priorities.

Once we have those goals as an organization, accomplishing them will become a matter of dogged determination toward reaching them and the commitment to seeing them through.