Globalization and QoL in the Game Industry

Yes, I'm the meeting minutes recorder, so I've got a whole host of opinions on what went on at the meeting, but it first and foremost was a really great discussion on QoL in a very contextualized setting. Its one thing to talk about QoL in a broad context, and another to listen to people who live and work in the same area as you getting together to talk about it. I was really impressed by the level of thought and activism present at this IGDA meeting. For being someone removed from the hustle and bustle of the industry on the west coast, Albany area game developers have really taken this issue on.

I mentioned it at the meeting, but in my recent telephone and email exchanges with Indian game developers, QoL as a general industry level concern is not limited to the United States. I haven't had a chance to be in India and see crunch happen, but I'm sure I will during the next year when I visit Bangalore and Mumbai. Just in my initial conversations with developers in India, their level of concern about these issues, even as the industry is just beginning to form is very interesting. I'm curious what level of concern Chinese game developers have about QoL?

The next two years will likely have a significant impact on the structure of the game industry, and the lives of the people working in it. These particular questions are going to play out more and more directly in the lives of American programmers, and not necessarily in obvious ways. It's something that that INTERNATIONAL Game Developers Association needs to make sure they are paying attention to.

Albany IGDA Chapter: Meeting Report: Tuesday, June 20th, 2006

Globalization and Corporate Profiles of QoL