So over the last few weeks I’ve been pondering about a new game dev site. I help do some IGDA stuff in Sydney and I love how active our community is but there is more I’d like to see. There are some big events that require serious time, effort and money, and attendance/involvement isn’t as high as I’d like. When I talk to people they like what’s going on so the problem, as I see it, is ease of communication and access.
IGDA has been a great branding for the facebook group and has really helped the Sydney community grow but its also limiting in some ways. People often don’t know what IGDA even stands for, let alone how they are active in Australia, or what the difference between them and the GDAA. Their membership is expensive, all the funds flow back to the USA and I believe we’d be breaking rules to apply for community funding grants under their name.
In my mind I see a community and networking site. Limited to within Australia only, a free and transplant organization that lets people know about existing events as well as growing new ones. A place for people to find collaborators on ideas, find out whats being developed in the local community and for students to show who they are before they graduate. More than that though, a site which features local composers, artists, writers and researchers working in the mighty field which is game making in Australia, more than that in your local city. Something with its own brand that doesn’t compete with things like GDAA and Tsumea but rather fills the community space that those sites leave.
I’m writing up a full proposal as well as creating a demo site to take around to people in the coming weeks. I’m excited now I just need to think of a name…
