The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) is “a non-profit professional society that is committed to advancing the careers and enhancing the lives of game developers by connecting members with their peers, promoting professional development, and advocating on issues that affect the developer community.”
A local (Perth) chapter was started a few months ago and it looks to be a great way for games industry people to meet. The first meeting had quite a good turn-out and the organisers seem to be doing a great job of engaging the industry and getting sponsors involved. There were a number of prizes from sponsors including a new LCD monitor.
Here are the details for the upcoming meeting:
- Description: “This event will feature a wrap-up of the Tokyo Game Show 2006 as well as hand-ons new release Xbox 360 games on the big screen, courtesy of GameTraders.” (taken from the IGDA Perth Chapter website)
- Time/Date: 7:00pm, Monday 23 October 2006
- Location: The Velvet Lounge, Mt Lawley
- Cost: Free entry (pay for your own drinks)
Just a few final thoughts. There were booth babes at the last event to promote the upcoming GO3 Expo. To me it seemed very incongruous for them to be there (as I mention in my my writeup of the event). Negative reactions were vented by others on the PIGMI mailing list with a number of people saying that it would affect their attendance at future events.
I’m sure that the board is aware of the mixed reaction, and I would be surprised to see booth babes at this event. (So if you were opposed, don’t let that stop you!) Make up your own mind, by reading about the previous event. As well as my my writeup, be sure to read the official meeting report (with photos) of the last event. My strong recommendation is for anyone involved in the games industry to attend. We need to work together to get things off the ground!