================================ IGDA Newsletter - September 2003 ================================ ============================= 0: A Word From Kathy Schoback 1: IGDA News - 2nd Release of Contract Walk-Through now Available -"Key Points" in Game Censorship/Regulation Debate - GDC Europe/ECTS Summary Report and Pictorial - Ongoing Volunteer/Contribution Opportunities - Columns Update 2: Chapter Updates... 3: From the Wires - Trivial Pursuit: We Can Be Heroes - Games Close In on Citizen Kane - Off to college to major in ... video games? - Games suffer from 'geek stereotype' - The shifting culture of video games - Computer games: Facts and fiction - Can Grand Theft Auto Inspire Professors? - Games cited in recent deaths - FTC Workshop on Self-Regulation - From 'Army of one' to Army of fun - Not Just Rappers and Athletes: Minorities in Videogames - God in the console - The Grey Market - Codes of dishonor? 4: Logistical Bits ============================= ============================= 0: A Word From Kathy Schoback ============================= Dear Members and friends, Thanks to all the forum visitors who responded to our last poll! According to you, the following attributes are currently most closely associated with the IGDA: 1) Community 2) (tie) Advocacy, Information 3) Craft Over the next few months, the board will begin focusing activities against these areas. Stay tuned for updates... On an unrelated note - Happy Holidays! Yes, it's Christmastime in game development crunch land. I wish you much sleep in your own beds, plentiful Red Bull, kind producers, and good mojo with Sony. With great appreciation - Kathy Schoback Chairperson, IGDA Director of Product Operations, Eidos ============ 1: IGDA News ============ 2nd Release of Contract Walk-Through now Available -------------------------------------------------- The Contract Walk-Through is meant to educate all developers on game contract issues, so they will be better able to understand and discuss such matters with their lawyers and publishers. Game industry lawyers have compiled essays on important contract issues and each essay includes annotations from industry experts. Sample topics in this second release include breach, brands, termination clauses, moral rights, warranties, etc. All IGDA members and registered can down load the Contract Walk-Through at no charge: http://www.igda.org/biz/contract_walkthrough.php "Key Points" in Game Censorship/Regulation Debate ------------------------------------------------- To accompany the Soapbox article on regulation and censorship in the October issue of Game Developer magazine, ten "key points" have been devised to remind game developers of the importance and impact of their creative endeavors. Some of the points may seem overly obvious to most developers, but chances are that those not part of the industry are much less informed on the facts... http://www.igda.org/violence/points.php GDC Europe/ECTS Summary Report and Pictorial -------------------------------------------- The IGDA crew was in London to participate in GDC Europe, ECTS and various other "London Games Week" activity. Check out Jason's summary report and pics from the trip. Those interested in the academic side of things can also download all of the materials from the Academic Day held during GDC Europe. http://www.igda.org/blogs/realitypanic/archives/000041.html http://www.igda.org/academia/events.php Ongoing Volunteer/Contribution Opportunities -------------------------------------------- Various committees are still looking for volunteers and contributors. Check out the volunteers page for details on the following opps: - Online Games White Paper - Funding and Assistance Resource Listings - Quality of Life White Paper - AI Interface Standards Committee contributions http://www.igda.org/community/volunteers.php Columns Update -------------- Our monthly columns have been updated for September: - The Ivory Tower: The Arrival of Computer Game Studies http://www.igda.org/columns/ivorytower/ - Famous Last Words: Breach of Contract 101 - or - When is a breach more than a breach? http://www.igda.org/columns/lastwords/ - Culture Clash: First Comes Love, then Comes Marriage http://www.igda.org/columns/clash/ - The Games Game: To Start a Side Project http://www.igda.org/columns/gamesgame/ ================== 2: Chapter Updates ================== Tokyo Meeting, September > Tokyo Game Show Gathering http://www.igda.jp/e/ Houston Meeting, September > The Best of SIGGRAPH Electronic Theatre http://www.igda.org/houston Orange County Meeting, September > Chapter Meeting - See the latest 3DSMax from Discreet http://www.igda.org/oc Bratislava Meeting, September > Date & place of first meeting known! http://igda.org/bratislava/ Montreal Meeting, September > Ernest Adams Talks Twinkies http://www.igda.org/montreal/index_e.htm#next Denmark Meeting, September > Bar meeting http://www.igda.org/denmark Phoenix Report, September > Meeting Report for 2003 September http://igda-phx.org/resources.php?id=7 Toronto Report, September > Ernest Adams: Of Game Design and Twinkies http://www.igda.org/toronto/toronto_summary_sept18.htm Colorado Report, September > September Meeting Report: Pitch Your Game Idea! http://www.coloradogamedev.org/20030908.html Mexico City Report, September > Minuta 3ra Reunión http://www.igda.org/mexico/minuta3.php Portland Report, August > August PAGDIG Report - Bravetree & Garage Games http://www.pagdig.com/meeting03.htm Southern Michigan Report, August > Why The Game Industry Kicked Me Out: Recent & Future Trends in Game Development http://www.igda.org/smichigan/Aug03/report.htm Seattle Report, August > Universal Game Design Theory: A Single Theory to Describe all Games http://www.igda.org/seattle/reports/08_2003r.htm North Carolina Triangle Report, August > Focus on Behavioral Programming http://www.igda.org/nctriangle/meeting_aug03.html Toronto Report, August > Open Discussion - Art and Level Design Content Creation http://www.igda.org/toronto/toronto_summary_aug7.htm ================= 3: From the Wires ================= Trivial Pursuit: We Can Be Heroes http://www.popmatters.com/columns/harvey/030724.shtml Games Close In on Citizen Kane http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,59964,00.html Off to college to major in... video games? http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0829/p01s04-ussc.html Games suffer from 'geek stereotype' http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3197911.stm The shifting culture of video games http://edition.cnn.com/2003/TECH/fun.games/08/17/videogame.culture.ap/index.html Computer games: Facts and fiction http://news.com.com/2010-1071-5065675.html Can Grand Theft Auto Inspire Professors? http://chronicle.com/free/v49/i49/49a03101.htm Games cited in recent deaths http://www.gamespot.com/all/news/news_6074253.html FTC Workshop on Self-Regulation http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/workshops/violence/index.html From 'Army of one' to Army of fun http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/index.ssf?/base/news-0/106291458914820.xml Not Just Rappers and Athletes: Minorities in Videogames http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20030827/adams_01.shtml God in the console http://www.msnbc.com/news/954674.asp The Grey Market http://www.macleans.ca/topstories/business/article.jsp?content=20030818_63980_63980 Codes of dishonor? http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20030825-9999_mz1b25codes.html ================== 4: Logistical Bits ================== Thanks to our Partners! ----------------------- The IGDA extends its sincerest thanks to all our Partners! Without their support the IGDA simply would not survive - let alone thrive. Academy of Art College Art Institute of California - San Diego Art Institute of California - San Francisco Butterfly.net Charles River Media Criterion Software Digital Media Center at Seneca College Digital Media Collaboratory at UofT at Austin Discreet Havok Institute for Information Industry, Taiwan Kaydara Mary-Margaret.com Massive Incorporated Metrowerks Microsoft Research NDL NXN Software Quazal Real Networks SN Systems Sun Microsystems University of Abertay Dundee Universirty of Derby Virtools VxO Networks Xbox Advanced Technology Group Further details and a complete list of Partners are available online: http://www.igda.org/partners Newsletter Subscription ----------------------- You can update your subscription details via your MyProfile page: http://www.igda.org/membership/myprofile.php If you get need help, simply contact us at info@igda.org. IGDA Registration ----------------- Your support is critical to the success of the IGDA, and our industry. 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/join Contact Information ------------------- Do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions, comments or input. http://www.igda.org/contact.php