This debate can't go on
I'm getting sick of this debate now.
Every line of recent debates over the IGDA's future has been stunted by little more than “la-la-la I'm not listeningâ€, “there is nothing wrongâ€, and “personal attack! personal attack!†from those that don't want to lose the status quo.
Last night I have been reading that those who have been advocating change and improvement have just been accused of acting unprofessionally, speaking for a 'non-existent' majority and not adding anything beneficial to the debate. This has not been the case at all and I find it offensive considering the source.
Many of us have stated why we will not join, why others we know won't join and what can be done to make the IGDA worth joining. If more people were happy or even interested they would have joined the debate themselves. Hell, even the board haven't taken a stance in the future of the IGDA.
Some of you may have a more academic view of this and are quite happy for this debate to rage on for ages while nothing is done to help game developers.
The board may look on and hope it all blows over so they can go back to pretending they are important and relevant to the people that make up the industry.
Many people are now just going to ignore the IGDA, just as they themselves are ignored by the organisation, until the next IGDA debarcle that makes everyone in this industry look bad.
You may have your leaders of industry.
You may have your academia.
You may have your IGDA.
But please stop pretending that you speak for professional game developers.
This isn't a debate any more. Adapt to serve those you are meant to represent or you will find you represent no one.
I mostly stopped debating the generalities of the IGDA awhile back. I think the IGDA may sloooooowly improve over the next year. I won't be joining until it does.
Meanwhile, I concentrate my efforts on the Game Design SIG and the Indie SIG. They don't require membership to join, and I have some control over what goes on there. At least in those venues, whatever gets done or fails to get done is pretty much up to the volunteers and myself.