IGDA Holds Game Developer Summit to Tackle Violence Issues In Interactive EntertainmentDevelopers Help Plot Direction for Dedicated Violence CommitteePRNewswire The International Game Developers Association (IGDA), an independent non-profit professional organization for developers of entertainment software, recently held a summit to discuss violence in video games and the marketing of such content to children. The primary goal of the summit was to elicit feedback from a handful of game developers in order to help set the direction of a dedicated committee to address developers' roles in the creation and marketing of this content. "We believe in age appropriate marketing and we support the ratings system and open lines of communication," said Justin Chin, president, Infinite Machine. "However, we are not here to debate whether violent games result in violent behavior. The Committee came together to work on building awareness and creating an overall understanding of the issues." Some of the goals of the Violence Committee are to build greater awareness of the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) ratings system amongst game developers, explore ways to best coordinate efforts with the Interactive Digital Software Association (IDSA) and work to provide recommendations on the ESRB ratings. The Violence Committee will primarily be made up of representatives from the game development community including 3DO, Electronic Arts, Infinite Machine, LucasArts, Konami and Ronin, as well as those from other relevant disciplines such as renowned media studies professor, Dr. Henry Jenkins of MIT. "It is critical that developers take artistic responsibility for the content they create," said Richard Hilleman, vice president in charge of production, Electronic Arts. "The IGDA's Violence Committee will work to help developers understand what they can do to address this issue conscientiously." Those interested in learning more about the Violence Committee are encouraged to visit the dedicated web page at the IGDA site: http://www.igda.org/Committees/violence.htm. The full scope of the committee's work will be set forth in this charter, due in February. About IGDA The International Game Developers Association, formerly the Computer Game Developers Association (CGDA), is a non-profit association established by game developers to foster the creation of a worldwide game development community. The IGDA's mission is to build a community of game developers which leverages the expertise of its members for the betterment of the industry and the development of the art form. For more information on IGDA, please visit www.igda.org or e-mail info@igda.org. About CMP Game Media Group In addition to the management of the IGDA, the CMP Game Media Group includes Gamasutra.com, Game Developer magazine, the Game Developers Conference, the Independent Games Festival, and CMP Game Media Research reports. For more information on the CMP Game Media Group please visit http://www.cmpgame.com/. About CMP Media CMP Media Inc. (http://www.cmpnet.com/) is a leading high-tech media company providing essential information and marketing services to the entire technology spectrum-the builders, sellers and users of technology worldwide. Capitalizing on its editorial strength, CMP is uniquely positioned to offer marketers comprehensive, integrated media solutions tailored to meet their individual needs. Its diverse products and services include newspapers, magazines, Internet products, research, direct marketing services, education and training, trade shows and conferences, custom publishing, testing and consulting. SOURCE: CMP Game Media Group Contact: Christine Card Grondorf, 562-856-8299, or Website: http://www.igda.org/ Website: http://www.cmpnet.com/ Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/132280.html or fax, |