Changes to membership fees/program, plans for 2005

(This announcement was first emailed to members on January 6th, 2005.)

Dear IGDA Members & Friends,

The IGDA is starting the New Year off with a bang.

For starters, to grow our community and increase accessibility for international members, we have significantly reduced our membership fees to the following (in US$):

$48: 1-year membership (previously $100)
$90: 2-year membership (previously $170)
$35: discounted 1-year membership for those from “developing countries”
$30: student membership (previously $35)
These new fees will apply to all new and renewing memberships. Please jump to the site for further details on membership fees and the new “developing countries” rate: http://www.igda.org/join/

Fees for Studio Affiliates have dropped as well. Details online: http://www.igda.org/studios/affiliation.php

As we mentioned in our previous letter, the IGDA is evolving and has ended its management agreement with CMP. In short, this means we’ll be directly running our day-to-day operations from here on out.

As part of our changing relationship with CMP, new members will no longer receive a free subscription to Game Developer magazine. Members who joined prior to 2005 will continue to receive their subscription for the duration of their current term (i.e., until their membership renews/expires). To learn more about how you may still qualify for a free or discounted subscription to this game industry magazine, visit: http://www.gdmag.com/subscribe/

Please note that IGDA members will still receive a $50 discount on registration for this year’s Game Developers Conference (GDC), which takes place March 7-11 at San Francisco’s Moscone West Convention Center. Full details online: http://www.gdconf.com/

To ensure that you continue to receive information about the products and services the CMP Game Group offers — including the Game Developers Conference, Game Developer magazine, Gamasutra.com, the Game Developers Choice Awards and the Independent Games Festival — visit: http://secure.halldata.com/CMPMediaWEB/IGDA.jsp

On the community front, we are redoubling efforts to support local chapters, which for many of you, serve as the face of the IGDA around the world. We’ve also just launched a beta of our members-only profile and directory system. This new system allows members to easily connect, share ideas and do business. All members are encouraged to set up their profile and provide feedback on the beta. See details online: http://www.igda.org/Forums/showthread.php?threadid=13717

The IGDA has also secured a new vendor to produce/supply our membership cards. This means a much quicker turn-around on cards for new and renewing members. And, we’ll be able to address the backlog of members who are, unfortunately, still waiting for their cards to arrive (sorry).

In terms of advocacy, quality of life issues are at the top of the list. Our Quality of Life Summit, scheduled as a part of the GDC in March, will be an important milestone in moving things forward. Of course, we continue to fight for developers’ creative freedoms by thwarting government intervention and educating the media. Advocacy efforts also continue through our outreach to students and the academic community, and our work on standardizing industry crediting practices, improving workforce diversity, and addressing business and legal issues relevant to developers.

We thank you for your continued support as the IGDA grows and evolves to serve you best. Do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or comments.

Best Regards and Happy New Year!

Jason Della Rocca
Executive Director

PS: If you have not done so already, please take note of our new address and contact details:

IGDA 870 Market Street, Suite 1181
San Francisco, CA
USA 94102-3002
Phone: +1-415-738_2137
Fax: +1-415-738_2178