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View Full Version : Making the Chicago Indie Game Developer Club better


GBGames
01-31-2006, 11:58 AM
At last night's meeting, I probably looked unprepared with my agenda, and I was. I apologize.

I think part of the problem was that I didn't make it clear why I would like to see CIGDC become a more formal group.

What would be our purpose? It doesn't have to be world-changing or incredibly impressive. It just has to say who we are and why we exist. My working About Us:

The Chicago Indie Game Developer Club is an organization of Chicagoland indie game developers who seek to strengthen and improve the independent game development community and the games that they create.

It's generally good to keep in touch with your industry; no one wants to become obsolete. This club is a way to make and keep industry contacts, learn about developments in the industry, and provide personal feedback to other developers.

I'd like to know what you feel you want to get out of the group and basically see if there is anything else people would like to define as the purpose.

Last night, someone saw a game demonstration and didn't know who we were. I think it would be great if we could give out a URL specific to the group in the future. Also, having a website dedicated to it would be good just so that we can list locations, directions, and times for meetings. I wrote down the indiegamer forum address as well as my blog since I try to announce the meetings there, but I think it would be easier if everyone in the group would be able to say, "Oh, just go to blahblahblah.com". Mike mentioned being able to use chicago.indiegamer.com or indiegamer.com/chicago. I think that would work out great.


I'll also throw out another suggestion which really depends on what the rest of you think. These days it is getting more and more obvious that games have entered politics. Politicians are still trying to pass laws that would unfairly impact games, and with unsupported logic to boot. Games are apparently seen as an easy target. I think it would be great to have an organization that could stand together and say "We don't want this law." Perhaps the IGDA should be fulfilling this purpose, but I don't think it would be too much of a problem if we also became more political. Thoughts?

NothingLikeit
02-03-2006, 07:49 PM
Hey GB,

I think it'd be great to have a more formal group. Maybe we could even have a site with our own forums, articles and white papers. That's probably getting too far ahead. But how many regular members do you have? Also, To be a bit biased, I think alternating locations (city and burbs as mentioned before) would probably yield more people. Then again I can't really say how many people you get since I haven't attended a meeting yet.

Alex Hanson-White
02-03-2006, 11:49 PM
What's this?
I'm new around this forum, but I'm interested in this club since I live in the chicago area. A website for it would be great.
If anyone can clue me in, that would be great.

impossible
02-13-2006, 02:02 PM
Hey Alex, I'm a huge fan of your pixel art and I was in the first 72 hour GDC. I had no idea you were in the Chicago area, you'd be welcome at the meetings. I'm not sure exactly when the next one will be, and I'm not sure if anyone knows exactly.

There is a Chicago area IGDA (http://www.igda.org/chicago/next.htm) meeting (not indie) this Wednesday and I think some of us will be there if you'd like to meetup. There is a good chance that the next meeting (March) will actually be in California :), many of the Chicago area indies are going to GDC. I'm thinking the next meeting in Chicago will probably be sometime in April.

GBGames
02-13-2006, 02:57 PM
April?! That's probably my fault. Would it be too late to try to get a meeting Tuesday, February 28th, 2006? This one would be in Chicago, at Dave & Busters unless someone has a better suggestion. Otherwise, maybe we can get a meeting early March, before GDC?

NothingLikeit
02-13-2006, 06:43 PM
As far as an april/march meeting is concerned... I'm down either way. I'd like to meet some of you indies in person... I always seem to meet interesting people at the IGDA meetings. But I don't know anyone there.

I'll be the guy in the suit and tie.