[IGDA_indies] organizational politics

[Thomas H. Buscaglia]

Certainly the GDC is not focused on Indies or start up developers but 
rather on the larger well funded shops with lots of employees and lots of 
$$ to spend on full conference passes. I have had start up indie targeted 
presentations rejected by the GDC because start ups and indies do not buy 
conference passes and are not GDC's target audience.  AFter all the GDC is 
a business venture...

IMHO the IGDA has sort of been following that model and it was probably a 
very good thing in order to establish itself as an institution.  The 
question of whether serving the interests of the large corporate publisher 
owned and big budget independent studios should be the mission of the IGDA 
(or the same focus as the means to self perpetuation) or whether the IGDA 
has higher goals is certainly worth discussing.  Here or anywhere else 
members meet.

I think the answer to that question was convincingly answered 
recently.  The Quality of Life white paper proves that the IGDA is not the 
captive of the publicly traded behemoths of the industry...and can 
effectively have a higher purpose.

However, more and more consolidation, greater reliance on third party IP 
and the other recent high barriers to entry in our industry will, without a 
vibrant and healthy "indie" sector, eventually turn the game industry into 
a soulless hell.  Innovation and creativity are what indies do best!  And I 
think supporting indies is consistent with the IGDA's higher purposes and 
mission.  Of course, how that gets done is another discussion 
altogether...and that discuss belongs right here!

Tom B

>Tom Spilman
> >
> > No problem.  It probably belongs on a more general IGDA
> > list or on the
> > boards, but this is an issue that needs discussion.
>
>I think the slant implicitly worth taking is "how do Indies feel about
>the IGDA?"  What do they want from it?  How would you actually build
>local Indie communities under IGDA auspices?  or without the IGDA?  Is
>organizing Indies the same as organizing people in the mainstream game
>industry?  (I don't think so, we have rather different needs and
>interests.)
>
>
>Cheers,                     www.indiegamedesign.com
>Brandon Van Every           Seattle, WA
>
>"The pioneer is the one with the arrows in his back."
>                           - anonymous entrepreneur
>
>_______________________________________________
>indies mailing list
>indies at igda.org
>http://four.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/indies


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