[games_access] GDC 2008 Update + Non-Profit Status

[Thomas Westin]

and as always, thanks to you Michelle
-especially for the bullet points :)

great line up of companies

nice to hear about the IGDA foundation and non-profit organization,  
makes our group more formally accepted which is great

I'll look into the DVD upload account tonight and write some manifest  
file about the content

/Thomas


On 31 jan 2008, at 03.43, d. michelle hinn wrote:

> 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
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