IGDA Elections – John Hight
February 15th, 2010 by Macguffin in UncategorizedIf you’re coming to this post without having seen the lead-in, you can find that post here. It links to all the other assessments I’ve posted. You can also find my disclaimer there – I’m on the Boston IGDA chapter’s board and support the candidacy of Darius Kazemi.
UPDATE – Mr. Hight answered my questions below.
Mr. Hight’s entry here will be short, because there isn’t much to go on. His statement reads like a lightweight biography and has no posted Q&A, so there is almost nothing to go on for specifics. I finished the entry knowing that he has a great deal of experience with game creation, but knowing nothing about the specific issues he thinks developers or the IGDA face. Most of the candidate statement can be summed up by one of the closing lines, “If elected I would lend my voice and my experience to shaping our industry and helping my fellow developers succeed.” Sure, but how and to what effect?
Questions for Mr. Hight:
Why run now?
I’ve been interested in running in the past but never had the time to commit. I’m finishing a long-term project, God of War 3, and I will have more time to contribute.
When can we expect your Q&A to be posted to the IGDA site?
I will submit my answers tomorrow. I assume IGDA will post them shortly thereafter. These last 2 weeks have been pretty hectic for me as we final a big project.
Can you please list out specifics for what you think the IGDA is doing well right now, what it is doing poorly, and what you’d like to help change?
Right: Raising Quality of Life Issues, Lobbying for Anti-Censorship, Sponsoring information exchange via seminars/meetings/white papers.
Needs work: Speaking with a unified voice, Gaining publisher acceptance for issues, e.g. QOL and Credits, Establishing criteria in education/training for various game development professions.
What can I do in these areas?
– Unified voice: I would work collaboratively with my fellow directors for consistent and focused efforts.
– Publisher relations: I’ve held high-level positions on the publishing side and I can help facilitate discussions/negotiations.
– Educational outreach: The future of our industry depends on having well-trained talent. My experience on the job and in the classroom can help guide IGDA efforts. I am personally very interested in this activity.
What do you think the IGDA’s role in the industry-wide Quality of Life discussions should be?
IGDA should continue to champion in this. Real progress can be made when the concerns for both employer and employee are addressed. I worked prolonged crunch on five projects myself. I know firsthand how painful it is to maintain relationships and families when this takes place. I also know that the consequences of missing a release window can be devastating for companies and ultimately their staff. I am hopeful that an open dialog with clear goals for success can help create a balanced work life for developers and more reliable forecasting for publishers.
What are you bringing to the table here that makes you a better candidate than the other nominees?
I’ve programmed games, designed games, and even made art for games. My experience includes starting new teams, inheriting existing teams, working as a publisher, working as a small developer, and working as a large developer. I play a lot of games from major retail releases to small indie efforts. I have respect for developers, passion for product, and 20 years of experience. This industry has been great to me and I would like to give back. I am confident that my knowledge and drive will be useful to the IGDA.
Do you think the IGDA’s dependence on studio sponsorships for money is a bad thing? If yes, what will you do to begin changing this? If no, why not?
It’s a good thing – as long as it doesn’t skew the focus away from addressing the issues of developers. We can’t take on the big issues without the financial support of both studios and developers.
Tags: igda
February 17th, 2010 at 12:06 am
1) Why run now?
I’ve been interested in running in the past but never had the time to commit. I’m finishing a long-term project, God of War 3, and I will have more time to contribute.
2) When can we expect your Q&A to be posted to the IGDA site?
I will submit my answers tomorrow. I assume IGDA will post them shortly thereafter. These last 2 weeks have been pretty hectic for me as we final a big project.
3) Can you please list out specifics for what you think the IGDA is doing well right now, what it is doing poorly, and what you’d like to help change?
Right: Raising Quality of Life Issues, Lobbying for Anti-Censorship, Sponsoring information exchange via seminars/meetings/white papers.
Needs work: Speaking with a unified voice, Gaining publisher acceptance for issues, e.g. QOL and Credits, Establishing criteria in education/training for various game development professions.
What can I do in these areas?
- Unified voice: I would work collaboratively with my fellow directors for consistent and focused efforts.
- Publisher relations: I’ve held high-level positions on the publishing side and I can help facilitate discussions/negotiations.
- Educational outreach: The future of our industry depends on having well-trained talent. My experience on the job and in the classroom can help guide IGDA efforts. I am personally very interested in this activity.
4) What do you think the IGDA’s role in the industry-wide Quality of Life discussions should be?
IGDA should continue to champion in this. Real progress can be made when the concerns for both employer and employee are addressed. I worked prolonged crunch on five projects myself. I know firsthand how painful it is to maintain relationships and families when this takes place. I also know that the consequences of missing a release window can be devastating for companies and ultimately their staff. I am hopeful that an open dialog with clear goals for success can help create a balanced work life for developers and more reliable forecasting for publishers.
5) What are you bringing to the table here that makes you a better candidate than the other nominees?
I’ve programmed games, designed games, and even made art for games. My experience includes starting new teams, inheriting existing teams, working as a publisher, working as a small developer, and working as a large developer. I play a lot of games from major retail releases to small indie efforts. I have respect for developers, passion for product, and 20 years of experience. This industry has been great to me and I would like to give back. I am confident that my knowledge and drive will be useful to the IGDA.
6) Do you think the IGDA’s dependence on studio sponsorships for money is a bad thing? If yes, what will you do to begin changing this? If no, why not?
It’s a good thing – as long as it doesn’t skew the focus away from addressing the issues of developers. We can’t take on the big issues without the financial support of both studios and developers.