The International Game Developers Association

Luke DickenIGDA Scotland

What is the IGDA?

• “The IGDA is dedicated to improving developers' careers and lives through: Community, Professional Development, Advocacy”

- World-wide association of people involved in game development.

- Broken into Chapters, Special Interest Groups and Committees

• Analogous to UK’s The Independent Game Developer Association (TIGA) in some respects.

- But TIGA emphasises business, commerce and political lobbying, IGDA is about individuals, personal development and community

IGDA and the Global Game Jam

• GGJ is an IGDA initiative started in 2009

• World-wide success

- 1,500 games last year

- 247 locations this year, larger than ever before

- >10,000 jammers expected, 6* larger than 2009

• In Scotland, lucky to have great people who have organised Scottish Game Jam since 2009

- Despite no local IGDA chapter!

• One of the larger sites, 1 of ~20 with over 100 participants!

The IGDA is for Professionals

• Advocacy and best-practices for industry issues

- Terms of Amazon app store revenue sharing

- Inquiry into working conditions at Team Bondi

- Lobbying and raising awareness of SOPA / PIPA

• Special Interest Groups for specific areas

- Women in Games, AI, Business and Legal issues - and many more

• Support from other developers who have experienced similar situations and environments

The IGDA is for Hobbyists and Indies

• No requirement on size of company, released titles etc

• If you make games, you’re a game developer

• Benefits apply regardless of your status

The IGDA is for Students

• Resources to help students learn more about development

• Student SIG to tackle student issues

• Education SIG to look at what is being taught to students coming through at many institutions

• Scholarships for “best and brightest”

The IGDA is in Scotland

• Informally created in May 2011.

• Monthly meetups rotating Dundee, Glasgow, Edinburgh

• Currently going through process of formal founding of the chapter

• Expect more to come in 2012!

The IGDA iswaiting for you

• Range of membership options

- “Core”

- Unemployed discount

- Student

- Lifetime

• Benefits : Discount on conferences, airlines, Dell purchases, Scholarships

• Access to SIGs, IGDA GDC party

• Next Meeting

- Game Jam Play Party

- 8th February

- Venue TBA (Glasgow)

• Contact- Web : http://IGDAScotland.wordpress.com

- Twitter : @IGDAScotland

- Facebook : facebook.com/IGDAScotland

ENJOY THE GAME JAM!