[MUD-Dev] off-line pk

[Koster]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Richard Aihoshi aka Jonric
> Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2001 11:26 AM
> To: mud-dev at kanga.nu
> Subject: RE: [MUD-Dev] off-line pk
> 

> At 09:26 PM 05/06/01 -0700, Raph Koster wrote:
 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: David Loeser
>>> Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2001 10:25 PM
>>> To: mud-dev at kanga.nu
>>> Subject: RE: [MUD-Dev] off-line pk
 
>>>   I'm wondering when game developers are going to unite, form a
>>>   P.A.C. and be represented on Capital Hill (or at the U.N.)?
>>>   Seriously, with all of the acts of violence that are being
>>>   associated (or more like blamed on/) with computer
>>>   entertainment, will, IMHO, have huge repercussions on the
>>>   industry and in particular; online gaming.
 
>> It's called the IDSA and Doug Lowenstein is our figurehead. And
>> yes, he testifies to Congress (did so with the McCain hearings
>> not that long ago).

> Without discounting what it does in any way, the IDSA's
> fundamental purpose, as clearly stated on its website
> (www.idsa.com), is to represent the business interests of
> publishers.

Well, yes. Groups with money tend to get more lobbying power, and
publishers definitely have more money than developers.

> It's more accurate to say the International Game Developers
> Association (www.igda.org) is the organization that represents
> developers.  There is some overlap in areas of interest, but the
> IGDA is definitely much more focused on topics that are relevant
> to developers.  It also has a board of directors consisting of
> developers; while I didn't see a list, it seems pretty likely that
> the members' representatives to IDSA are corporate types.
> However, the IGDA doesn't yet have the funding or the visibility
> of the IDSA, the main reason probably being that not enough
> developers join.

I also don't think the IGDA does any lobbying; it's mostly a
professional organization for developers themselves, trying to do
things like get more women into the industry, improve ties with
academia, give awards for quality work, etc etc.

There's some degree of tension between the IGDA and the AIAS
(Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences), which is seen by some as
"owned by the publishers" and which also gives awards.

-Raph
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