An interesting rant I read about the state of labor in the video games industry.

EvanGreenwood

I don't see a lot of sources criticizing the IGDA, though I think everyone is aware of the relatively tough working conditions in the video game's industry.

https://www.jacobinmag.com/2013/11/video-game-industry/

Does anyone think that the IGDA should be more involved with improving working conditions in video games?

(Honestly I'm not sure what can be done, but the article makes the claim that IGDA is managed by people who wouldn't be interested in doing anything about it in any case).

dislekcia

I think the core argument here was summed up expertly by Darius Kazemi in his blog post about why he was resigning from the IGDA board (linked in that Jacobin article):

I believe that it is in the interest of game studios and publishers 3 for an association of workers like the IGDA to exist in an ineffective state in order to drain the energy of people who could otherwise do effective pro-developer activism and to provide a straw man that can be pointed to in order to show that organizing will get us nowhere.

It's odd that you feel like there's not a lot of criticism of the IGDA, I've heard tons (in fact, when I first read that, I thought of the exact article you linked). I've been watching the IGDA for years now, ever since the early days of Game.Dev - I was even a student member while I was at university... The only thing the IGDA has done that's been useful, was sending this guy over to GDC in 2011 on a student scholarship deal. While that's totally awesome (nobody should pass up an opportunity like that, ever) he subsequently left SA, so y'know, yay for the local community and all that.

EvanGreenwood

For whatever reason, I haven't encountered a lot of criticism of the IGDA. I remember around the time MakeGamesSA was being born, and the community meetups were starting, that there was some talk of being closely affiliated with the IGDA, or even opening a chapter instead of the form MakeGamesSA took.

I might be remembering the whole thing wrong (and other instances the IGDA has been spoken about). But I don't remember these particular arguments being leveled against the IGDA.

I have held a vague feeling that the IGDA is ineffective, but I didn't know how much of that was my own bias against authority. Maybe I'm just forgetting the instances of criticism.

In the writers workshop, that Andy Walsh gave, Andy talked rather positively of the IGDA. In particular he said its website had some good information about games writer's salaries (which myself and Google as a team couldn't find) and some information about writing for games.

I guess it's a case that there are some positive things the IGDA does do. But unless I'm missing a whole lot of the picture, I'm feeling like those positive things don't justify the association's existence (in it's current form anyway).

This whole thing seems like a rather important issue that I'm very late to the party in becoming aware of.

edg3

Funny that if the IGDA had a greater influence on how the industry works (for the better) it could lead to better labour states in the industry, but is it the sole responsibility of the IGDA? Surely there are more ways and organisations that should fight just as hard for a better state of labour.

Relevant article on Kotaku on issues that are also labour related in the games industry: http://kotaku.com/why-game-developers-keep-getting-laid-off-1583192249

The Kotaku article shares some similar thoughts:

Not everyone has a solution for the layoff problem, though some have suggested that game developers embrace unions, or the contract-only system for talent that's common in the film world. And it is a problem—at least if you're interested in big-budget console and PC games with high production values like Call of Duty and Deus Ex. If these layoff cycles continue happening, talented people will leave the world of video games for more stable careers, and though we might not notice the effects of this right away, many of the developers I've spoken to over the past few months and years believe that something's going to give.P

Now how much can developer burnout really affect gamers and the games they play? Logic suggests that happier, more stable developers would make better games, though quality is subjective and impossible to measure. Nobody likes seeing their favorite game studios shut down, and from a moral perspective, it'd be nice to know that the games we play are created by satisfied people who are treated well. Ultimately, as developers continue to burn out and leave big-budget gaming, we'll keep seeing smaller, more creative projects, which for many video game fans is a good thing.P

I feel the main problem is (like the article you shared states) that the IGDA isn't a union, it hasn't been running with an agenda to improve the labour conditions in the game industry. Today was the first day I ever had a notion that perhaps they should be doing more advocacy for improvements to the game industry.

The way IGDA sells itself is "Stay Current", "Stay Connected" and "Stay Informed". There is no call to action or goal stating they want to improve the game industry. It is all about networking, keeping up to date with trends and being a part of the IGDA. Their description of "serving people in the games industry" is probably what people feel means the IGDA should take a stronger stance on issues with the game industry.

The problem isn't what IGDA is or isn't doing, it is what we as people working in the industry are accepting from our employers, and the fact that we are willing to complain about it but not fight for it to change because we are "living the dream" (as it is described in the articles).

Ninja Edit: didn't see @tuism posted what I linked to till after posting here, but I still feel it is relevant.

EvanGreenwood

edg3 said:

IGDA isn't a union, it hasn't been running with an agenda to improve the labour conditions in the game industry.

IGDA Website About Us Page said:

The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) is the largest non-profit membership organization in the world serving all individuals who create games.

As an international organization, we are a global network of collaborative projects and communities comprised of individuals from all fields of game development - from programmers and producers to writers, artists, QA and localization. We bring together developers at key industry conferences, in over 90 Chapters and in Special Interest Groups (SIGs) to improve their lives and their craft. We advocate on behalf of our membership to ensure quality of life, perpetuation of our craft and preparing the next generation of developers. Whether you're a student with a goal to become a game developer or a seasoned veteran, regardless if you're based in the U.S. or any country/region in the world, whether you're an indie developer or in a AAA studio, whether your primary platform is a PC, console or a tabletop - we welcome you home to the IGDA!

Mission: To advance the careers and enhance the lives of game developers by connecting members with their peers, promoting professional development, and advocating on issues that affect the developer community.

This mission is carried out in the following key areas:

Advocacy: Make change in our industry by identifying and speaking out on key issues
Networking and Community: Connecting members with their peers, both geographically and funcationally
Professional Development: Promoting constant improvement of our craft
International Reach: Expanding the global community of game developers

That was pretty easily falsifiable, and pretty resoundingly invalidates the rest of your argument.

dislekcia

BlackShipsFilltheSky said:

That was pretty easily falsifiable, and pretty resoundingly invalidates the rest of your argument.

Nah, that doesn't mean that the IGDA is acting like a union in any way... That's actually what Kazemi was complaining about the most: the IGDA looks kinda like a union, but it's not really working that way. This should be obvious given that corporate members are allowed: How can workers be represented alongside their employers? That's not how collective bargaining works.

Kazemi was pretty damning of the IGDA's lack of advocacy on several issues in his post. I'm trying to remember what the last IGDA advocacy thing that I saw was... All I'm remembering right now is the whole quality of life thing after the EA_spouse bombshell.

*ahem*
From the IGDA FAQ:

Q: Is the IGDA a union or guild?

A: No. The IGDA is an independent non-profit membership association. The IGDA cannot “transform” into a guild or a union.