Casual Games SIG/Conference Calls/December 2007

International Game Developers Association

Table of contents 1 Role Call 1.1 Who's Here 1.2 Who's Not 2 Next Call 3 Initiatives Overview 3.1 Quarterly 3.2 Data Royalty Reporting Standards Initiative 3.3 Webinar/Roundtable Broadcasts 3.4 White Paper 3.5 SIG communication 3.6 Developer / Publisher Acknowledgement 3.7 Advertising Standards 3.8 DRM Standardization 3.9 Surveys 3.10 Business Model Education 3.11 Developer Showcase 3.12 Upcoming Events 3.12.1 Casual Connect Amsterdam 3.12.2 GDC 4 Other Business

[edit] Role Call

[edit] Who's Here

Brian Robbins, James C Smith, Wade Tinney, Cherie Lutz, Jason Akel, Charles Merrin, Jared Nieuwenhuis, Dave Rohrl, Margaret Wallace

[edit] Who's Not

Rex Sikora

[edit] Next Call

• Special date because of New Years and CES
• Tuesday, 15 January 2008 at 2pm ET / 11am PT
• Will use Cherie's conference line

[edit] Initiatives Overview

[edit] Quarterly

• Wade
  • Create new graphic which his web guy will get it live ASAP
  • Creating one quarterly for Casual Connect and GDC

• Next quarterly
  • Deadline is 20 January 2008 for new content / text
  • Update from James on Sales Report
  • Algorithmic content by Arthur Humphry (Plant Tycoon)
  • Evolving download strategies on other platforms (DS, Wii, etc.) by TBD
    • EA? Ross Erickson? Konami?
  • Casual Sessions at Upcoming Shorts by Brian?
  • Post mortem on TITLE TBD
    • Desktop Tower Defense? Build a lot?
    • consider something less traditional within casual games
  • Emerging Tech Roundup?
    • some of the new venture funded games / platforms

[edit] Data Royalty Reporting Standards Initiative

• Rex?, Cherie second
  • Cherie will ping James G for his status, and copy Rex

[edit] Webinar/Roundtable Broadcasts

• Jason lead, but handing it over to TBD
  

• need to finalize topic and find speaker
• Need to find a new owner
• Jason to forward results for Charles to incorporation into Survey
• Jason to forward login information on GoToWebinar to Brian

[edit] White Paper

• Dave R lead

• Has ~15 volunteers
• All subsections except 10 are covered
• Need an expert on Consoles. Any ideas?
• Dave: Pull together a section editors conference call before the holidays
• Dave: Will publish a new schedule before the holidays
• new sections
  • Indian market for casusal games, Russian / Eastern Europe market for casual games, use of casual games in the serious games field

[edit] SIG communication

• Cherie lead, Brian second

We need to improve our communications with our members and the IGDA in general. This will take many forms, including mail list, PR, at show elements (t-shirts, ribbons), etc. Messaging will need to be refined for consistency and format. Brian to create schedule/topics for mailing list outreach.

• Cherie has made little progress due to heavy travel
• Creating a blurb about SIG on her web site
• Need to finalize PR at upcoming shows
  • needs to meet with Jessica to determine
  • Can we have tabletops or badges or ribbons at upcoming conferences?
  • In-bag toss-ins or tabletop flyers
• Get several people on Jared's upcoming call
  • General response to date is positive
  • confirm approval of quarterly inserts

[edit] Developer / Publisher Acknowledgement

• Jared lead

• Trying to connect with John (Chairman of the credits standards)
• Checking into GDC session on similar topic
• Brian to introduce John / Jared
• Per James, need to clarify exactly what this initiative is
  • About getting the developer and individuals acknowledged for each game
  • Should we focus more tightly on getting portals to acknowledge developers / publishers
  • Should clarify differences between ours and other efforts

[edit] Advertising Standards

• Charles

In-game and HTML advertising is becoming more important to casual games. There are currently a number of standards / initiatives underway, including CAST, Google, and real. It is important to try to guide them all towards as much standardization as possible. And in the short run, to facilitate communication to the group about what is happening.

We should discuss transitioning this to someone else as Charles is no longer "connected."

• Close this topic down as it is unrealistic for the SIG to really influence
• Charles will be reassigned pending outcome of the survey

[edit] DRM Standardization

• Rex lead, James C. Smith second

• No update as Rex is not on call
• James to connect with Rex before next call

[edit] Surveys

• Charles leads

Survey SIG members to see what they want from the SIG and from the SC. Survey actual end users to gather information to help everyone in the SIG. Unlike Real, MSFT, and other larger companies, the smaller developers don't have the means or the reach to do this for themselves.

• Initial survey will be short & sweet, and if the response is solid, will be the first of an on-going series

Action Items:

• Charles: Will send out an initial overview of survey targeted at IGDA members to see what they want from us
• Everyone: please provide feedback to Charles on specific questions

[edit] Business Model Education

• No current owner

It is important for the entire industry to understand what models are being used, and what they mean to the developers. For example, what are the implications of clients, subscription models, advertising, etc. IT was agreed that this probably wasn't a separate initiative, but will be woven into many of the other initiatives, such as the webinars, quarterly, and white paper.

• No update

[edit] Developer Showcase

• No current owner

This would be an independent destination (probably a website) where all developers can have a profile and information about their games. It will likely be most valuable for smaller, independent developers. The initial goal is to determine what format the showcase will take, then to determine how to implement it.

• No update

[edit] Upcoming Events

[edit] Casual Connect Amsterdam

• Who is attending: Margaret, Jared, Brian
• Who is not: Everyone else

• Jared to try to schedule a working session for white paper
  • Coordinate with Dave R.
• Jared to work with Jessica to reserve time for our efforts
• Can we have a forum to collect information from members at the show?

[edit] GDC

Dave R is running casual games summit (with Kenny and others). We are getting good reception from organizers on csual content as the show is thinner than past years.

• Want to get as much casual content out to community as possible
• Dave to put together a one-page teaser document for Amsterdam and GDC
  • Is there anything else that we want handed out?
  • Is there anything we would like Dave to push at conference management
• Dave will get dates on when materials (e.g., quarterly) need to be delivered?

• Need to schedule gathering for casual games SIG (informal, at booth)
  • Can Charles help organize?
  • Who has handled this in the past?
  • Charles to work with Brian

[edit] Other Business

• Who will be our Fearless Leader?
  
  • Silence...
    
  • Brian is our interim fearless leader until Seattle Casual Connect (July)

• Need to examine each initiative on a case-by-case basis
  • Perhaps we should reduce the number of initiatives and increase the number of people on each
  • Too many initiatives have little to no progress

• Everyone: sign up for Skype and consider using it