Is this chapter alive?
Looking for any info regarding whether this IGDA chapter is going to come back - please post some info!
Outstanding!
I was really freaked out when I moved to Seattle - no active IGDA, no siggraph chapter - pretty inexplicable considering how many companies are in the area. I look forward to hearing about the next meetup!
So - any news on the Seattle Chapter Meet-up / Resurrection?
Kreisher - I tried to pm you but it says your profile is unavailable - you may want to look into that.
What's going on with this chapter? I see there was a meetup, but no one knows how to join the mailing list for these events.
Do you need assistance in coordinating events?
AHOY! ANYONE HOME!?
Kreisher - your contact / profile is broken.
Will there be an August meet-up? I haven't gotten any confirmation from the sign up list either - is this broken as well?
PLEASE POST MORE INFO REGARDING THE MEET-UP
Originally posted by sculptedpixel
Kreisher - I tried to pm you but it says your profile is unavailable - you may want to look into that.
That's because free-users like you (and me) don't have profile permissions. We probably can't PM people either.
But I too would be interested in August or September IGDA meetings. When is the next one scheduled?
(I assume after PAX)
I'd be interested in attending meetings, as well. But, at the moment, I'm looking or some people who are interested in creating a 1st/3rd person shooter. I can help out with the design, writing, and ideas. In fact, I already have a great idea.
Any news on the next meeting?
No news. There's never news. Kreisher will announce a meetup the day after it happens; only those on the uber-seekrit mailing list will hear about it.
Jasonrobar68 , Kreisher - you need to make some meetings happen, or hand the reins over to folks who will. This is absurd. There's obviously an audience, tons of devs in the area, tons of tech in the area - but for some reason, IGDA's got nothing.
At the very least, respond as to WHY we can't get meetings, a chapter, a charter, local company sponsorship, etc. - if you're not having any luck getting stuff together, if life keeps getting in the way (it happens - we know - but jeeeze - I've been looking for a meetup since APRIL and it's SEPTEMBER) - post about it so we can start moving in the right direction.
I agree; I wish the ball would get rolling too.
In the mean time these groups have been getting together:
* Digital Game Designer/Developer Meetup Add a group message
A social and learning group in the Seattle area.
http://digitalgamedesign.groups.live.com/
* Seattle Area Photoshop Users:
http://photoshop.meetup.com/248/
* NW3D is a group for 3D artists, animators, programmers and designers in the Seattle area:
http://groups.google.com/group/nw3d?hl=en
Hey Jesster - thanks for the links. I'll certainly check those out!
There are also a few other groups that are active:
* East Side Game Developer Industry Night
* West Side Seattle Area Game Developers
They both meet for drinks.
Great stuff - Thanks Write-Away.
So it appears there are options even if the people running this IGDA chapter never resurface...
It'd be a shame for IGDA to lose out on potential members and industry support, but if the peeps ruining the show here don't care enough to post or get meetups happening, I guess it's the IGDA's loss.
I'm glad I'm not the only person wondering about this. You'd think that a major game dev hub like Seattle would have an active IGDA chapter.
Has Sputnik been officially declared dead yet? It's been two years...
No, it hasn't been declared dead yet. I'm still awaiting a reply from Mr. Kreisher regarding what the exact status is and why there seems to be an impenetrable barrier to discussing the issues we're facing as a would-be chapter.
If I don't hear something back soon I'm going to take our case to the IGDA leadership to see if we can find out from them the status of this chapter and what is necessary to move things forward as a would-be group.
At the very least, I'd suggest anyone interested keep their eyes open on this forum for an ad-hoc meet-up & meet-and-greet session - if we can't get answers, we can at least get to know each other and drink a toast to this chapter's death & imminent rebirth, regardless of whether the chapter 'leadership' cares to participate.
I'll be looking into the groups Jesster posted (thanks btw), but I wish the ball would get rolling here too. What is it going to take?
Meanwhile, there is a grassroots movement to form an independent coalition of game designers. Any response from IDGA?
Thanks.
Did the September 20th event actually happen? I was recovering from surgery and didn't make it to find out.
Why doesn't someone else take the lead to work with the IGDA and restart the chapter instead of waiting?
Originally posted by Wahoostargazer
Why doesn't someone else take the lead to work with the IGDA and restart the chapter instead of waiting?
So many jokes come to mind... but I'll reign in my normally smart [censored] manner. In all seriousness, I'm betting that most of the interested folks in this thread aren't yet "in the industry" and will show up to learn from others, but don't have the contacts or organizational inclination to pick up the baton.
All that said, I'll tickle some folks in the gamedevz community on campus (usually meets every Thursday in whatever building MSFT moved them into after evacuating the Millennium campus; I've been AWOL from the group lately) and see if anybody's interested in staging a coup of Sputnik. (Srsly? Sputnik? There'd better be a good story there...)
It would be nice of the "previous administration" would comment on the thread and either gracefully bow out or at least comment on how much [futile?] resistance there will be to a "takeover".
There has been a great deal of criticism on these forums as of late. For those that are new to the IGDA in Seattle, I'd like to point out that we've had more activities, newsletters and meetings in the past year (since I came on) then the any time in the past 5+ years.
As you pointed out "ReedMe", most of those on this forum aren't in the industry and / or aren't registered IGDA members. If you're frustrated because you can't find a job in the industry - I'm sorry - but taking it out on the IGDA won't get you anywhere. Finding jobs for folks is NOT THE JOB OF THE IGDA. Yes, having more meetings might provide another venue to meet recruiters, but that's not the IGDA's sole concern.
If you have suggestions for the local chapter, I recommend you have a little more respect in the way you bring up the topic. Keep in mind, those of us working to make thing happen aren't being paid and are already Very busy.
For those actually willing to work to help move things forward, we are trying to schedule a meet up later this month and could use some volunteers. If you'd like to participate, you can email me via the contact info at the bottom of the monthly announcement email. You can also post a followup email. I don't check these boards regularly but I'll try to check them at least once more this week.
Originally posted by Kreisher
If you have suggestions for the local chapter, I recommend you have a little more respect in the way you bring up the topic. Keep in mind, those of us working to make thing happen aren't being paid and are already Very busy.
For those actually willing to work to help move things forward, we are trying to schedule a meet up later this month and could use some volunteers. If you'd like to participate, you can email me via the contact info at the bottom of the monthly announcement email. You can also post a followup email. I don't check these boards regularly but I'll try to check them at least once more this week.
Sorry if anybody's toes feel stomped on. Even a once-a-month update to the Sputnik website (calendar last updated in 2007?) might be enough communication to make the chapter look alive... Everybody involved in the effort to reboot the chapter are blissfully unaware of all those wondrous, unadvertised activities that we've missed out on... We've all got day jobs and families, and we're more than happy to let somebody else organize -- if it's going to be more than just happy hour at somebody's favorite bar.
Sorry for the late notices:
What:
Inaugural Meeting - Drink and be Social
When:
Tuesday, October 13, 2009 6:00 PM
Who
129 Yes / 5 Maybe
There's still room for 66 more.
Where
Triple Door Musicquarium
216 Union St
Seattle WA 98101
206.838.4333
Update your RSVP
Meetup Description
I’d like to invite everyone to the inaugural Seattle Social Games meet up. Come chat with fellow social gaming professionals over free drinks! With speeches from featured guests such as:
Garrett Link - General Manager, Social Games at RealNetworks
David Nixon - Executive Producer, Online & Multiplayer Games at Oberon Media, Inc
John Vechey - EVP Worldwide Online Intiatives and Co Founder of Popcap
Doors open at 6:pm. Speakers start at 6:30 Drinking and networking til 8:00
FYI: Seattle IGDA is back! Our first meetup was last night - a post with pics & more chapter info is upcoming. TL:DR -
It's ALIVE!
I got so pissed at being spammed by the number of non IGDA Seattle stuff coming out of the IGDA chapter email list and that fact that I believed it was having a negative impact on our mail list that I unsubscribed in a silent protest that did nothing but put me out of the loop.
As a member of the IGDA Board I guess I should have more patience with the process. Hey Skylar, add me back on the email list would ya?
I am glad there was a meeting and sorry I missed it. I had expected that a notice would also go out to those on the Seattle chapter Board list (which I am still active on) but it did not.
That said, if any IGDA member is interested in being involved in the chapter leadership, please contact me directly (tom@igda.org). It has been bumpy since the Sputnik chapter was closed about two years ago due to it becoming what was amounted to a student chapter. There had been regular meetings at DIGIPEN but none of the local developers were attending due to the location and the focus of the programs being targeted toward issues of student interest.
Seattle has a very mature developer community. In most locations you have a meeting so that developers can get together. Here, if you want to meet up with a developer you can just go to the local grocery store and there will probably be about 20 of them there buying food...so as far as our audience goes, the term jaded does come to mind.
The East and West side industry nights serve a decent social function, though the East side nights have been discontinued in part because the guy running it felt that they were just getting too depressing with all the laid off developers coming in looking for work...so there is definitely a void to be filled. What we can fill it with is something that needs to be discussed.
We also need to proceed with the chapter formalization process that will include elections of the chapter leaders. Skylar has been doing a great job, but there is only so much one person can get done.
Those are my thoughts on this stuff...
GL & HF!
Tom B
We plan to start having regular meetings in August. We will also try and get something together for July. Everyone should be getting an email next week outlining the upcoming events!
Skylar