[games_access] GDC 2008 Update + Non-Profit Status

[d. michelle hinn]

Hi everyone,

I'll try to keep this brief (but you know I get carried away at times) ;)

Just to keep everyone in the loop about GDC 2008 since so few of us 
are able to attend this year, we have quite a few exciting 
developments!

First, a few thank you's are in order!

* Thanks to Mark from AbleGamers, we have a sponsor for our fliers 
through his employer Parature who is sponsoring his trip costs as 
well!

* Thanks to the hard work of Thomas and Reid, we'll have a limited 
edition (ie, number) of DVDs with tons of accessible games, demos, 
and more to give out to influential developers who we will walk 
amongst the week of Feb 18th!

* Thanks to Eelke's generosity, we were able to squeeze in one more 
person with a pass -- so this year we will have both Mark Bartlet and 
Stephanie Walker, both of AbleGamers, with us and I look forward to 
their amazing energy, passion about games, and excitement about being 
able to attend GDC for the first time! The weird timing of GDC this 
year prevented many of you from attending but I think this will be a 
great year, although we will miss those of you who were unable to 
attend this year!

(I know many more thank you's will be in order as we get closer to 
GDC and after!)

Second, we have some exciting guests for Accessibility Arcade!

* Natural Point/SmartNav will be donating their LATEST controller 
prototype (along with a representative to explain what's going on) 
plus some video and/or a prototype of their full body motion sensor 
work (which includes remapping to partial body motion that translates 
to full body movement in the player's avatar).

* Emotiv will be presenting their highly publicized brain-based 
controller along with a representative from their company. Ed Fries 
(my boss's boss from the old Microsoft days) is one of their advisors 
and I was able to get in touch with their CTO who is working all the 
details out.

* I'm in talks with Belkin to also present some of their new 
controllers, including a one-handed controller they showed at E4All

What does all the above really mean? We now have some major companies 
(with booths who will let us leave our fliers at!) who will help us 
promote accessibility, are PROUD to show that their products can help 
gamers with disabilities (in addition to bringing games to so many 
more people, with and without disabilities), and may soon be 
financially assisting us as we continue to raise matching funds for 
our grant. AND...we'll be getting a MUCH bigger presentation room. :)

Speaking of the grant...

* The SIG is now officially a US Non-Profit through the newly 
established IGDA Foundation. I didn't want to say much until I had 
more details but we are now able to accept donations and provide tax 
deduction receipts to donors -- I'll post more specific details soon 
but I didn't want to sit on that any longer!

* Ben and I are working hard to get more matching funds to help fund 
delegates to more conferences, equipment purchases, flashy brochures, 
a donor package explaining who we are and what we do, and more. The 
press release for "phase one" of this will come out right before GDC 
so my BIG job at GDC is acquiring as many additional funds as 
possible.

And finally, a word about the IGDA Diversity Committee:

* (ok more than "a" word) I've been gathering together the leaders of 
all the diversity SIGs in the IGDA (we are in the "diversity" 
committee, btw) in the hopes that we can sponsor a "diversity day" at 
next year's GDC and to raise awareness that gamers are no longer 
"just" 26 year old white males with no disabilities and neither are 
all game developers. We all know this is not true and it's time that 
we start to band together and learn from one another's groups in the 
hopes that ALL of our groups can continue to grow. There is a meeting 
planned for Tuesday afternoon for all (not just SIG leaders) those 
interested in working to make diversity a MAJOR issue within the 
IGDA!!!

Ok. That's it. I know. That was long. But I used bullet points for a change. ;)

Michelle