IGDA Newsletter - February 2002

===============================
IGDA Newsletter - February 2002
===============================


===============================
0.0 A word from the Chairperson


1 Community News
1.1 IGDA @ GDC
1.2 Nominees Named for Game Developers Choice Awards
1.3 IGDA Board Elections: Call for Nominees
1.4 IGDA Academic Summit finalized and officially announced
1.5 GDC Student Scholars named
1.6 Chapter updates and news
1.7 Milia summary & pictorial
1.8 New site content: Articles, Columns, Profiles and more...


2 General News
- Intellectual-Property Ecology
- ESA report cites China, Korea as biggest game pirates
- Violent game sales to minors a misdemeanor?
- Summit on mobile gaming set for April in London
- Wired on game degrees
- In depth demographics study of EverQuest
- GTA3, the game that just bashes...
- Gender in FPS games and other women stuff
- Biggest year ever for games industry!
- MMORPG makers sued over economy in their own game
- 2002 IGF Student Showcase Selections!
- Cheaters and Altruistic Punishment
- Virtual Criminals & Thugs
- History of Games
- Gamers Blame Social Problems
- Recent Educative News
- Scholarships Offered to Girls Interested in Gaming


3 Endeavors, Benefits & Services Update
3.1 Updated Member and Studio Benefits
3.2 Upcoming events


4 Logistical Bits
4.1 Thanks to our sponsors and partners!
4.2 IGDA registration
4.3 Contact information
========================================



===============================
0.0 A word from the Chairperson
===============================


Dear IGDA Members and friends,


March is nearly upon us. For me that means spring, but for the IGDA it means
the Game Developers Conference (GDC), annual elections, and the Game Developers
Choice Awards.


This year the IGDA has greatly expanded our activities at GDC, ranging from the
serious (Academic Summit) to the fun (our developer lounge). For a complete list
of IGDA activities, check out news blurb below. This year's Game Developers Choice
Awards will be held Thursday, March 21. Last year's ceremony was a blast, and
this year's should be even better. Join us as we recognize the best achievements
on the past year.


Our annual Board of Directors elections are happening after GDC. If you're interested
in contributing in a big way to the game development community, I encourage you
to run for a board seat. See below for details.


Finally, while we've been busy getting ready for all this, our members have been
busy locally. Many chapters have had meetings in the last month -- check out
http://www.igda.org/Chapters/chapters.htm for details and to see if there's a
chapter near you.


Matt Toschlog
Chairperson, IGDA




================
1 Community News
================


1.1 IGDA @ GDC
--------------
The IGDA is pleased to present a full roster of sessions addressing the most
relevant issues affecting the developer community today: areas of public debate
and concern; establishing local development communities to keep the association
close to where you live and work; facilitating peer-to-peer networking and knowledge
sharing. Furthermore, we are offering a means by which you can get involved -
many of the sessions are directly linked to committee work, outreach efforts
and other endeavors. Follow the links for further info:


IGDA Academic Summit
http://www.igda.org/summit/


IGDA Track listing (roundtable, panel and group gathering sessions):
http://www.igda.org/gdc_sessions.htm


IGDA Annual Meeting & Election Statements:
http://www.gdconf.com/events/#igda


Game Developers Choice Awards, presented by the IGDA:
http://www.igda.org/awards/



The IGDA will have a developer lounge in the upper lobby area of the San Jose
Convention Center throughout the show. And don't forget that all IGDA members
receive a $50 discount on the GDC registration fee, get to use an express registration
desk to avoid long waits, and get to use an express entry line into the Awards
ceremony. IGDA members get in before the rest of the crowd! Be sure to pick
up your IGDA membership ribbon at the booth to access the Awards via the members-only
entry (and to show your support of the Association :)




1.2 Nominees Named for Game Developers Choice Awards
----------------------------------------------------
"Every year, the Game Developers Choice Awards recognize the most innovative
individuals and games in the industry," stated Warren Spector, studio director
of ION Storm Austin and IGDA board member. "The nominees represent what game
developers consider to be the best in game development -- the work they most
admire and the efforts that are advancing the state of the art." Check out the
list of nominees at the Awards site.


http://www.igda.org/awards/awards_pr_7.htm




1.3 IGDA Board Election: Call for Nominees
-------------------------------------------
The IGDA will be conducting an election to fill two Board of Director seats in
the March timeframe. All members in good standing are eligible to nominate, or
be nominated, to run for the Board. This is a serious commitment and a chance
to truly make a difference. Full details, timeline and requirements are available
in the letter from the IGDA's executive director, Jennifer Pahlka.


http://www.igda.org/About/Directors/elections.htm




1.4 IGDA Academic Summit finalized and officially announced
-----------------------------------------------------------
The line-up for the IGDA's upcoming Academic Summit have been finalized and officially
announced. Featuring a roster of leading developers and pioneering academics
this two-day discussion of research relations and curriculum development will
be very productive. All those interested in bridging the gap between the academic
and development worlds are encouraged to attend!


http://www.igda.org/About/Press/press_012902.htm




1.5 GDC Student Scholars named
------------------------------
The IGDA's 25 GDC Student Scholarships have been awarded to students representing
a diverse range of disciplines and cultures, including recipients from Australia,
Europe, North America and South America. Members of the IGDA's Education Committee
judged the scholarship applications.


Check the news release for the list of students/schools.


http://www.igda.org/About/Press/press_021402.htm




1.6 Chapter updates and news
----------------------------
Many IGDA chapters have had meetings in the past month, with several providing
great summary reports:


Bay Area talks physics:
http://www.igda.org/Chapters/bayarea/bayarea_summary_Jan02.htm


Israel meets at Majorem:
http://www.igda.org/Chapters/israel/report2.htm


Miami/South Florida talks phenomena:
http://www.igda.org/Chapters/miami/miami_summary_Jan02.htm


Montreal in the theatre again:
http://www.igda.org/Chapters/montreal/montreal_summary_Jan02.htm


New Jersey starts a new project:
http://www.igda.org/Chapters/newjersey_north/nj_summary_jan02.htm


Paris discusses game design:
http://www.igda.org/Chapters/paris/chapter_report_jan02.htm


San Diego hosts the Fat Man:
http://www.igda.org/Chapters/sandiego/sandiego_summary_Jan02.htm



Many chapters (such as LA, Montreal, DC, Chicago, Brazil, and others) will hold
meetings in late February or March. Check the Chapter Calendar for dates and
details:


http://www.igda.org/Chapters/chapters_calendar.htm




1.7 Milia summary & pictorial
-----------------------------
The IGDA dropped into Cannes for Milia in early Feb. Check out the summary of
the visit, the event's relevance for game developers and the amazing vegetable
pong!


http://www.igda.org/Endeavors/Events/events_milia_2002.htm




1.8 New site content: Articles, Columns, Profiles and more...
-------------------------------------------------------------
The monthly "Famous Last Words" column has been updated with a brief discussion
on developer insurance:
http://www.igda.org/Services/Legal/lastwords/lastwords.htm



The "Words of Wisdom" section has been updated with advice on becoming a junior
game designer:
http://www.igda.org/Endeavors/Outreach/Students-Newbies/students-newbies_wisdom.htm



Scott Miller of 3D Realms kindly allowed us to post the Ten Developer
Commandments:
http://www.igda.org/Endeavors/Articles/smiller_10.htm



Two new members have been profiled:


Louis Castle of Westwood Studios
http://www.igda.org/Community/Profiles/profile_lcastle.htm


Ellen Guon Beeman of Beemania
http://www.igda.org/Community/Profiles/profile_ebeeman.htm




========================================
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========================================
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========================================



==============
2 General News
==============


Intellectual-Property Ecology
http://www.igda.org/About/Press/news_item.php?nid=312



ESA report cites China, Korea as biggest game pirates
http://www.igda.org/About/Press/news_item.php?nid=311



Violent game sales to minors a misdemeanor?
http://www.igda.org/About/Press/news_item.php?nid=310



Summit on mobile gaming set for April in London
http://www.igda.org/About/Press/news_item.php?nid=308



Wired on game degrees
http://www.igda.org/About/Press/news_item.php?nid=307



In depth demographics study of EverQuest
http://www.igda.org/About/Press/news_item.php?nid=306



GTA3, the game that just bashes...
http://www.igda.org/About/Press/news_item.php?nid=305



Gender in FPS games and other women stuff
http://www.igda.org/About/Press/news_item.php?nid=301



Biggest year ever for games industry!
http://www.igda.org/About/Press/news_item.php?nid=300



MMORPG makers sued over economy in their own game
http://www.igda.org/About/Press/news_item.php?nid=299



2002 IGF Student Showcase Selections!
http://www.igda.org/About/Press/news_item.php?nid=296



Cheaters and Altruistic Punishment
http://www.igda.org/About/Press/news_item.php?nid=291



Virtual Criminals & Thugs
http://www.igda.org/About/Press/news_item.php?nid=289



History of Games
http://www.igda.org/About/Press/news_item.php?nid=288



Gamers Blame Social Problems
http://www.igda.org/About/Press/news_item.php?nid=287



Recent Educative News
http://www.igda.org/About/Press/news_item.php?nid=286



Scholarships Offered to Girls Interested in Gaming
http://www.igda.org/About/Press/news_item.php?nid=284




=======================================
3 Endeavors, Benefits & Services Update
=======================================


3.1 Updated Member and Studio Benefits
--------------------------------------


- 20% discount on E3 conference & workshops:
This discount applies to conference registration fees (Super Pass,
Conference Package, Workshop Package) purchased during the pre-registration period
(ends April).


http://www.igda.org/Membership/Benefits/benefits.htm#event_discounts



- 30% discount on Focal Press books:
This discount applies to all Focal Press publications ordered via their website
including "Real-time 3D Character Animation with Visual C++".
http://www.igda.org/Membership/Benefits/benefits.htm#publication_discounts



- BIG discount on Mobile Entertainment Summit:
http://www.igda.org/Services/Calendar/calendar.htm



- 10% discount QA Testing by 20/20 Labs:
IGDA Studio Affiliates receive a 10% discount on testing services provided by
20/20 Labs.
http://www.igda.org/Membership/Studios/studios_sap.htm




3.2 Upcoming Events
-------------------


Interactive TV Games Summit
http://www.accessconferences.com/TV118
27 February - 1 March, London, UK



D.I.C.E. Summit
http://www.dicesummit.com/
28 February - 1 March, Las Vegas, NV



Deploying Advanced Mobile Entertainment Services
http://www.metelecoms.com/entertainment2.htm
4-6 March, London, UK
(15% member discount)



South by South West Conference
http://www.sxsw.com/
9 - 18 March, Austin, TX


International Conference on Educational Multimedia
http://www.rima2002.org/
18-21 March, Quebec City, Canada



IGDA Academic Summit
http://www.igda.org/summit/
19-20 March, San Jose, CA
($50 member discount)



Game Developers Conference
http://www.gdconf.com/
19-23 March, San Jose, CA
($50 member discount)



digifest
http://www.dxnet.net/digifest/main.html
20 - 24 March, Toronto, Canada



AAAI Spring Symposium
25-27 March, Palo Alto, CA
http://www.aaai.org/Symposia/Spring/2002/



Playing with the Future: Development and Directions in Gaming
http://www.cric.ac.uk/cric/gamerz/Default.htm
5-7 April, Manchester, England



Mobile Entertainment Summit
http://www.ibctelecoms.com/mobents/?src=mobentigda
9-10 April, London, UK
(BIG member discounts available)



Interactive Games Licensing
http://www.igl2002.com/
22-23 April, London, UK



Pricing, Partnership & Payment for Entertainment Content
http://www.accessconferences.com/TV125/
24-26 April, London, UK
(20% member discount)




=================
4 Logistical Bits
=================


4.1 Thanks to our Sponsors and Partners!
----------------------------------------
The IGDA extends its sincerest thanks to all our sponsors and partners!


Without their support, and the continued backing from the developer community,
the IGDA simply would not survive - let alone thrive.


Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP
Alias|Wavefront
Analog Devices
Gamasutra.com
Gama Network
GameDev.Net
Game Developer magazine
Game Developers Conference
Jostick101.org
NXN Software
The Art Institute of Los Angeles


Get more info online:
http://www.igda.org/About/Sponsors/sponsors.htm
http://www.igda.org/About/Alliances/alliances.htm




4.2 IGDA Registration
---------------------
Your support is critical to the success of the IGDA, and our industry. Our membership
is made up of programmers, designers, artists, producers and many other development
professionals who see the importance of working together to advance games and
game development as a craft. There are dozens of reasons to join the IGDA, ranging
from personal career advancement to more lofty industry-wide goals.


What are you waiting for? Join today!
http://www.igda.org/Membership/membership.htm


...or refer a friend and you will win cool prizes:
http://www.igda.org/Membership/Referrals/referrals.htm



4.3 Contact Information
-----------------------
Contact our membership coordinator if you have questions, comments or input.


Liz Wakefield
IGDA membership coordinator
liz@igda.org
Last updated: 09/24/2009 - 3:37 PM