============================ IGDA Newsletter - March 2007 ============================ ================= Table of Contents ================= 0: A Word From Brian Reynolds 1: 2007 IGDA Board Candidates 2: IGDA 2006 Annual Report 3: Post GDC Wrap Up 4: Event Action: Leadership, Intel, Go3, Guildhall, WIGI, Vancouver, OGDC 5: Columns Update 6: Chapter Meetings/Reports x: Logistical Bits & Unsubscribe Info ================= ******************************************* ** Ad: The Autodesk Maya 8.5 Launch Tour ** ******************************************* Come see for yourself why the award-winning Maya is the 3D software of choice for film, video, and games. The Autodesk Maya 8.5 Launch tour is coming to a city near you, featuring demonstrations and guest speakers from the games and film industries. On-site drawings and other surprises will await you. Join Autodesk Maya 8.5 on the ultimate road trip. For more info: http://clk.atdmt.com/XDA/go/ame0060000013xda/direct/01/ ************************************************ ============================= 0: A Word From Brian Reynolds ============================= Greetings fellow developers! Well, GDC is over and it's back to the busy spring schedule for all of us, but it sure was a great convention. The Choice Awards ceremony – based both on my own experience there and all the feedback I've heard so far – was by all accounts the best ever: congratulations to all the nominees and recipients! We got some good questions at the Annual Meeting, there were great discussions at our roundtable sessions, and the IGDA booth in the North Hall always seemed to have a large group conversing. Those of you who were around Tuesday evening saw that we clearly underestimated just how popular the IGDA's members-only party was going to be this year, resulting in quite a crowd waiting just to get in the door, and making it harder for people to connect with the sponsors we had circulating with extra drink tickets. So, for next year we'll definitely do some re-calibrating to make something that will be fun and work smoothly on a larger scale: apologies and thanks to everyone who waited in the line. Now it's time for us all to plunge back into the pile of spring work – but remember to find the time to vote in the upcoming IGDA Board Elections: voting starts in early April (see below). Game on! - Brian Reynolds Chairperson, IGDA President, Big Huge Games ******************************************************** ** Ad: Member Offer - Videogame Marketing and PR Book ** ******************************************************** Score! All IGDA members are now entitled to a free eBook copy of the groundbreaking new book VIDEOGAME MARKETING AND PR: Vol. 1 - Playing to Win by Scott Steinberg, or a 10% discount on paperback or hardback editions. To claim your copy, which also includes a foreword by Electronic Arts, 3DO and Digital Chocolate founder Trip Hawkins, just email "freebook -at- sellmorevideogames -dot- com" with "IGDA Member" and your membership number in the subject line. More info: http://www.sellmorevideogames.com/ ************************************************ ============================= 1: 2007 IGDA Board Candidates ============================= We have nine brave people who have stepped forward as nominees for the four seats available on the IGDA's Board of Directors (listed in alphabetical order): - Bob Bates, Independent Game Developer - Chris Charla, Director of Business Development, Foundation 9 Entertainment - Dustin Clingman, President, Zeitgeist Games, Inc. - Jen MacLean - VP and GM, Games, Comcast Interactive Media - Jay Moore - Head of Special Ops, The Strategery Group - Eric Nofsinger - Chief Creative Officer / Studio Director, High Voltage Software - Brian Robbins - Executive Producer / Gaming Evangelist, Fuel Industries, Inc. - Coray Seifert - Associate Producer, THQ Inc. | Kaos Studios - Gustaf Stechmann - Creative Director, Bigpoint.com Voting ballots will be sent to all IGDA members of record on April 4th. Each candidate has provided a brief statement of candidacy, which can be viewed online: http://www.igda.org/board/elections.php ******************************************************************** ** Ad: Women in Games International Announces Savannah Conference ** ******************************************************************** WIGI has announced their next regional conference, "Advancing Your Career in Game Development", for Thursday, April 26, 2007 at Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia. Featured keynote speaker Jennifer MacLean (General Manager of Games at Comcast Interactive Media), will present her talk, "Everything I Need to Know, I Learned By Playing Games." This half-day conference focuses on the necessary skills for an entry level job in the game industry, and different approaches to getting hired by a game studio. Other speakers include Brenda Braithwaite, Don Daglow, Fiona Cherbak, Sheri Graner Ray, Mike McShaffry, Tess Snider and more. Registration includes access to GDX on Friday, April 27. Register online: http://www.scad.edu/events/gdx/2007/registration.cfm ******************************************************************** ========================== 2: IGDA 2006 Annual Report ========================== In addition to summary comments from Board chair Brian Reynolds, the Annual Report covers our financial results, highlights accomplishments from 2006 and thanks those who have made it all possible. (FYI, the Board decided to keep saving trees and present the report in web-format only again.) http://www.igda.org/about/annual_report_06.php ******************************************************** ** Ad: Video Game Voters Network - We Need Your Help! ** ******************************************************** Take action to stop legislative threats against the US video game industry by joining the Video Game Voters Network (VGVN), a coalition of voting-aged Americans who play computer and video games and who want to defend their choice of entertainment from unnecessary government regulation. We need your help to make our message heard loud and clear! Please take a minute to join this important grassroots movement to protect our computer and video games today. http://www.videogamevoters.org/ http://www.myspace.com/vgvn ************************************************************************* =================== 3: Post GDC Wrap Up =================== A few follow up links and info coming out of GDC... - 2007 member t-shirt design now available via IGDA store: http://www.igda.org/gear - Game Developers Choice Awards recipients: http://www.gamechoiceawards.com/pr/pr_2007_0308.htm - IGF and Choice Awards ceremony video streamed via GameSpot: http://www.gamechoiceawards.com/video/ - IGDA Members-Only Party recap and photos: http://www.igda.org/events/rsvp_gdcparty_07.php - IGDA annual "MVP" volunteer award recipients - Bateman, Ranki, Zimmerman: http://www.igda.org/community/volunteer_mvp.php - Casual Games SIG quarterly newsletter - GDC edition: http://www.igda.org/casual/quarterly/2_2/ - Writers SIG quarterly newsletter - GDC edition: http://gwsig.quantumcontent.com/?p=19 - Jason's GDC summary and photos blog post: http://www.realitypanic.com/archives/291 ========================================================================= 4: Event Action: Leadership, Intel, Go3, Guildhall, WIGI, Vancouver, OGDC ========================================================================= Member discounts at upcoming events and related event action include: - IGDA Leadership Forum - Call for Participation: http://www.igda.org/leadership/?p=8 - 2007 Intel Game Demo Contest running until August 15 - 10% member discount at GO3 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Perth, Australia (March 30 - April 1) - 10% member discount for Guildhall Series: Mastering the Craft of Online Gaming Infrastructure in San Francisco (April 19) - Women in Games International Conference in Savannah (April 26) - member discounts for Vancouver International Game Summit and Northwest Games Festival (May 3-5) - $50 member discount at Online Game Developers Conference in Seattle (May 10-11) Full discount details and links available online: http://www.igda.org/events/ ================= 5: Columns Update ================= Monthly columns have been updated: Famous Last Words ----------------- "Hold Onto Your [Music] Rights" - Structuring a deal for audio content http://www.igda.org/columns/lastwords/lastwords_Feb07.php Culture Clash ------------- "Love the Skin You're In - Interactivity is evil, and evil is awesome" - A new twist on the games are evil debate http://www.igda.org/columns/clash/clash_Feb07.php The Games Game -------------- "Data in the Haystack" - How to collect industry sales data and other stats http://www.igda.org/columns/gamesgame/gamesgame_Feb07.php =========================== 6: Chapter Meetings/Reports =========================== Complete list of chapter reports and upcoming meetings: http://www.igda.org/chapters/updates.php San Diego Thursday, March 29 > WHAT MAKES A NEXT-GEN GAME? Press Panel http://www.igda-sandiego.org/ New Jersey North Saturday, March 24 > GDC Speakers Discuss Company of Heroes plus GDC Recap and Swag Giveaway http://www.igda.org/Forums/showthread.php?threadid=26602 Hamburg Thursday, March 22 > IGDA Chapter Meeting http://www.igda.org/hamburg Quebec City Wednesday, March 21 > Student's Portfolio Reading http://www.igdaquebec.org/calendrier.html Seattle Report, March 15 > Automated C++ Unit Testing http://www.igda.org/seattle/reports/03_2007r.htm Seattle Report, February 22 > Anaglphs in Games / Automated Game Testing http://www.igda.org/seattle/reports/02_2007r.htm Montreal Report, February 20 > The Undiscovered Country: Clint Hocking on Exploration http://www.igda.org/montreal/archives/2007/02/the_undiscovere.html Michigan South Report, February 20 > Autodesk brings the heat; also, gets the party started http://www.igda.org/smichigan/archives/2007/03/autodesk_brings.html ================== x: Logistical Bits ================== Unsubscribe/Subscribe to Newsletter ----------------------------------- You can unsubscribe or update your newsletter subscription details via your MyProfile page: http://www.igda.org/membership/myprofile.php If you need help, contact us. Thanks to our Partners ---------------------- The IGDA extends its sincerest thanks to all our Partners! Especially those who just joined us, or recently renewed their commitment to support the game development community: - Alchemic Dream - Algoma University College - Corbel Systems International - Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA) - Intel Corporation - Kingwood College - NBCC Miramich Campus - One Planet - SN Systems - TechExcel - University of Derby - Vivox Without their support the IGDA simply would not survive - let alone thrive. 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