Casual Games SIG/Conference Calls/December 2006

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Table of contents

[edit] Role Call

[edit] Who's Here

Jason Akel, Robert Carrol, James Gwertzman, Dan Prigg (for Charles Merrin), Kane Minkus, Brian Robbins, James C Smith, Wade Tinney, Margaret Wallace

[edit] Who's Not

[edit] Next Call

  • Tuesday Jan 2nd 2pm ET / 11am PT

[edit] Quarterly

  • Winter issue - 12/5 kickoff
    • Wade to conduct meeting directly after this call?
    • No, the call will be scheduled per Wade's e-mail

[edit] Initiatives Overview

[edit] SIG Constitution

[edit] Data Royalty Reporting Standards Initiative

  • James G.
  • Reflexive is the first to actually distribute this to developers (started with November)
  • Real and PlayFirst should be soon
  • Upcoming action item: James to send industry release within month or two once actual deployment occurs.
  • This is version 1
    • Biggest issue is that different portals store names differently from each other
    • Means you have to map game names from distributors to internal names
    • Can we get an industry-wide ISBN or SKU type number?
    • Similar to/borrow from PAD file?
    • Would it allow for versioning?
    • Look into PAD file extensibility or write our own?

[edit] Network reach of aggregators

  • Jason

http://www.igda.org/wiki/index.php/Casual_Games_SIG/Distribution

    • WildTangent added themselves.
    • To be mentioned in Jason D's next IGDA newsletter

[edit] White Paper Update

  • Margaret, Brian, Kane
  • Margaret to send email with outline of where they see white paper going and will call meeting.
  • Call will be next Monday @ 2pm
  • Everyone is welcome, hoping for about 20 people
  • Deployment date to coincide with CGA Conference in Seattle in July 2007.
  • Margaret will solicit participation via mailing list and from past editors.
  • General survey has ~35 responses so far
  • Contributor survey has ~6 responses
  • It is the authority and definitive text
    • Only question is how often will it should/will get revved?

[edit] Advertising Standards

  • James G, Charles (continue, but probably post other things)
    • How can we create standards, and how can we encourage portals to adhere these standards
    • Not much progress?

[edit] Awards

  • Kane, Wade, Brian (Kane is lead)
  • Kane sent to group outline of ideas on award groupings, screen of nominations, and voting procedures
  • Discussion had with CGA. "Zeebies" awards. Concensus is that we should work with CGA, but have a developer awards section named different than "Zeebies". Comparison drawn in some ways to Academy Awards Technical Achievement awards.
  • Continued discussion to be had with CGA.
  • Need to make sure that we keep the entire Steering Committee informed when we make decisions
  • Also try to ensure that we give the full steering committee the chance to make comments / feedback

[edit] Evolve the existing mailing list

[edit] Developer Outreach

  • Margaret
  • Margaret to discuss with Jessica Tams coordinating for GDC Minna Mingle party. Idea would be to sponsor some contest, event, etc. with IGDA SIG name on it but not have to run the party.
  • E-mail sent with a few ideas to the mailing list
    • Blinking shot glass, etc
    • Can we include a card or URL, or something with it?
    • Everyone needs to send feedback on this
      • Looking for more ideas and/or feedback on the ones Margaret already sent out
  • Would T-Shirts or something provide more exposure bang for the buck?
    • Wade thinks we can get these for ~$4.50 each
    • Want to make sure that we are enhancing the event, not just piggy backing off of it

[edit] GDC Summit

  • via John Welch
  • John agreed to following:
    • Jason requested, "Printed version of the most recent quarterly with any updates we have at the time – would be based on the Winter issue which releases early February. If we have part 1 of our DRM whitepaper initiative, we’ll include this as well…not certain it will be ready but will give you status as we get closer. If desired, we can also include printings of other resources we’ve developed up to that point, e.g. the distributor network reach lists, reporting initiative and update, snapshot of the top ten charts."
    • Probably have the Winter issue
    • Also the DRM White paper that Jason will be working on

[edit] Creating a Budget

  • Jason
  • Group members will send Jason Akel funding needs for their initiatives for next year (project and required dollars).
  • Send your budget requests to Jason ASAP
    • White paper printing
    • CGA party

[edit] Casual SIG website

  • Jason to examine and update
  • Jason expects to get to this over this month
    • Need to make sure the new quarterly gets up there
    • Data Initiative links should be updated too
    • If anything else should be posted, send it to Jason this week

[edit] Contract Legal Paperwork

  • Rob
  • Let's throw this up as-is and allow people to make comments (on the wiki?)


[edit] New Business

  • Jason D. wants to know if there are any events or initiatives we'd like IGDA parent organization and management company to help achieve.
    • "One such dramatic change will be our ability to organize and run conferences and events. While we are still dreaming up a long-term strategy for a potential central IGDA event, we do want to enable SIGs to host their own dedicated/specialized events - on your own terms, by your own rules, that you control, that you own, etc. Of course, any such efforts would still have to be grounded in reality (ie, we don't have unlimited resources, we'd still have to factor feasibility (ie, would people show up, etc)) and so on. But, fundamentally, we now have the operational and logistical expertize to run a conference with ease... So, consider this email as an initial tease and gage of interest in conducting a SIG specific event for your SIG in the coming year...this could mean your own event, or it could mean a more robust partnership with the CGA folks (perhaps co-located dev focused thing). Whatever works and provides value"
  • Health insurance already on their list to explore
  • Are there events we would like to sponsor in any way shape or form?
    • Need to brainstorm the things that we might like to do
  • Can the IGDA provide insurance, legal funds, etc
  • Should the IGDA move more aggressively in that direction?
  • What are the concrete ways that the IGDA is improving the industry?
  • Career services?
  • All brainstorm ideas via SC mailing list
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