Homeschooling initiative for parents/gamedevs!

Dear gamedevs and parents,

As you are aware, COVID-19 has made lots of schools close their doors and parents are homeschooling their children.

Since this is all new to most of us, it creates lots of challenges for teachers, parents and most importantly - children!

But you, me, we all, can make a difference!

You may have been making games before, or maybe you are only starting. Regardless, let's unite together and make simple games (think of it as a edu-game-jam) from school tasks and this way help with the situation.

Interested? Sign up in following form and we will send more details about the initiative!

https://forms.gle/4B5q4H1mMZwRkAMH9

Behind this fantastic initiative is Samuli Holopainen and we at IGDA Finland wish to support it - join us!

A message from the Helsinki Hub

Heya!

Even if our latest Meetup was cancelled, we’re still here!

IGDA Finland, the volunteers, the coordinators, the board, all of us are still around to make sure that in the future we can all get together again. We will inform you as soon as we know how things are evolving and we can host events again.

Here’s a little video from this year’s events to both reminisce of the good ol’ days before COVID-19 and to know that more is on the horizon once this clears up!

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

IGDA Finland Meetups POSTPONED!

Dearest community,

With the spread of COVID-19, the IGDA recommends that you listen to the advice of local government and health organizations especially keeping your teams and their loved ones as safe as possible.

The Board of IGDA Finland has decided together with Hub-Leads that our meetups will be postponed until further notice. Safety and well-being of our community has always been IGDA's main priority.

We also want to highlight the IGDA Twitch channel (https://www.twitch.tv/igda ) which runs regularly webinars and hosts IGDA Chapter and SIG streams - enjoy them from the safety of your home!

Stay safe everyone <3