Game Development Crisis Conference & Webinar Series

IGDA and Take This are partnering to host an online webinar series and conference focused around equipping game developers and studio leadership with the knowledge and tools they need to sustain successful development in times of crisis. It will include talks and panels dedicated to skills and tools for working from home, studio leadership in times of change, and mental health considerations and resources for game developers. 

Webinars will focus on self-care considerations and personal management. The conference will focus on technical tools for continuing development under stress and change, leadership and management of teams during crises, and ongoing coping tools for long-term isolation.

The Game Development Crisis Conference and webinars will be hosted on Twitch and be free for all to watch. All talks will be later available on YouTube. 

Date:

Webinars launch: April 2nd, 2020 and are hosted every Thursday until May 14th

Conference: May 14th, 2020

Location: https://www.twitch.tv/igda 

Language: English 

Schedule

Self-Care 101

April 2nd, 2020

13:00-14:00 EDT (UTC -04:00) / 20:00-21:00 EEDT (UTC +03:00)

Participants:

Dr. B, Clinical Director, Take This

Renee Gittins, Executive Director, IGDA

Kelsey Wesley, Diversity, Inclusion & Learning Lead, Bungie

Pat Kemp, Game Designer, Spry Fox

Moderator: Eve Crevoshay, Executive Director, Take This

IGDA Mission

Support and empower game developers around the world in achieving fulfilling and sustainable careers.

Take This Mission 

Decrease the stigma, and increase the support for, mental health in the game enthusiast community and inside the game industry.

Core Goals for GDCC

The core goals for GDCC 2020 are:

1. Host discussions and programs that improve game developers’ tools and lives in times of crisis 

2. Connect game developers from around the world with networks, knowledge, and resources to overcome the difficulties created by COVID-19

3. Encourage management styles that best support teams during crises and give studios the best chance for continued success

4. Support leaders in a time of uncertainty

Donations

All donations received during the event’s stream will be given to Take This to support gamers and game developers in this time of mental crisis. 

Sponsorships 

IGDA and Take This are offering sponsorship packages for the Game Development During Crisis Conference to support the event and our own missions to help game developers. If you are interesting in sponsoring this event or one of the webinars, please contact IGDA HQ. This is a great opportunity to connect with decision makers and others within in the industry, all while supporting game developers and our industry during this crisis. 

PC Connects Digital - IGDA Finland Members get 20% off!

PG Connects Digital: The Global Games Industry Conference ONLINE! PGC Digital (April 6-10th) aims to distil the spirit of the PG Connects conferences you've come to know (and hopefully love) over the last 7 years into digital form. In practise this means we'll deliver 100+ informative speakers across 8 tracks covering everything from game design and trends to monetisation and growth (talks will be available to watch/interact live or to watch recording at a later date). There's a 24-7 digital meeting system too which syncs in with Zoom (or you can specify your own meeting tool) for audio/video calls so you can network and do business with c.750 delegates from 400+ companies. Plus we'll even have a digital version of all of your favourite fringe events (Big Indie Pitch, SpeedMatch and Investor Connector!) and a few more interesting extras too - in fact we'll have everything barring a party (stay tuned, we're working on that!)

IGDA Finland members get 20% OFF using code FIGDA20!

The world may be in lockdown, but people aren't stopping playing games (quite the opposite) and the games business shouldn't stop either - so join us online to keep connecting! www.pgconnects.com/digital

Time Running Out for White Nights A'dam

The next White Nights Conference is just around the corner and will take place in Amsterdam for the first time on January 23-24, 2020.

The main reason to attend the event is an opportunity to meet decision-makers face-to-face. More than 1,500 game industry professionals - developers, publishers, investors, representatives of platforms and services - will get together in a brand new location.

White Nights has a developer program that gives teams an opportunity to demo their games to leading publishers, investors, future partners, industry visionaries and media. Participating teams will get a free mini-booth (up to 3 sq.m. with furniture and electricity), one free Indie Dev Pass and 15% off additional tickets if needed. To participate in the program teams must submit this form by January 2, 2020.

The conference program is available on the conference website.

IGDA Finland members get 10% off tickets using promo code IGDAFinland10 when signing up.

Save 15% on Tickets to DevGamm Minsk

DevGAMM Minsk will take place from November 21-22 and features 80 sessions from top speakers, 100 games and 2000 industry professionals.

The speakers' line-up includes Jay Britton, who voiced Frostpunk, Elite Dangerous, Divinity: Original Sin 2; Adrian Vershinin, the scriptwriter of Battlefield, Star Wars: Battlefront, Crysis 3; Cvetan Rusimov, the creator of Imperia Online, among others!

Also, expect the sessions from the representatives of Google, 1C Entertainment, Voodoo, Playgendary, tinyBuild, Wargaming, Sperasoft, Unity, Gameloft, Plarium, MRGV, and other companies.

Tickets are on sale now: https://devgamm.com/minsk2019/buy-tickets/

IGDA Finland members get 15% off the ticket price using promo code IGDA_Finland15 when ordering.

Belarus has a 30-day visa free travel program for citizens of many countries, but only when arriving by plane to Minsk National Airport (MSQ). Participants will need to provide proof of health insurance at passport control. For more information visit: https://www.belarus.by/en/travel/travel-visas/visa-free-travel-program-belarus

IGDA Finland & Press Start!

Press Start is the official kickoff to the Slush Week for game developers on Nov 19th - 1,000 developers, studio founders and investors gather at the Helsinki Cable Factory to compare notes and celebrate games. No service providers, no middleware - just games. The event is free with or without a Slush Pass and attendance is by application only.

Joining us on stage and in mentoring sessions are names like Supercell Game Designer Camilla Avellar, Small Giant Games Co-founder & CTO Markus Halttunen, former Epic Games UX Director Celia Hodent, Jam City VP of Consumer Insights Lisa Spano, and Riot Games Senior Producer Maxwell Zierath.

The Slush Matchmaking Tool is in use for scheduling meetings and investor matchmaking. Studios will also have a chance to apply for our hour-long demo showcase with their unreleased projects. The evening itself concludes with an afterparty!

Apply at slush.org/press-start