The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) made two significant announcements today. After more than six years on the board, IGDA Co-Chair Bob Bates said he's stepping down from the position in order to pursue his "dream project." The project is apparently something that Bates has considered for the last decade.
Taking over Bates' responsibilities will be Co-Chair Tobi Saulnier, who's been in that role since the start of August. He's also currently leading the Board as it makes plans for the upcoming IGDA Leadership Forum in November.
“Bob has been a fantastic mentor during my time with the IGDA,” said Joshua Caulfield, executive director of the IGDA. “It’s not often you can work with the guy who literally 'wrote the book' on how the industry works. The good news is that I had the opportunity to know a great game developer and human being, and better yet, I still have his phone number."
“There are only a few times in life when the opportunity arises to work on one’s dream project,” said Bates. “Such an opportunity is before me now, and pursuing it will mean I cannot give the IGDA the level of attention I feel is required of a board member or Chair. It has been an honor to serve the organization, but I know that with Executive Director Joshua Caulfield and Co-Chair Tobi Saulnier at the helm, and with the help of our countless volunteers, the IGDA will continue to deliver on our mission of improving the lives and careers of professional game developers everywhere. I have been planning on pursuing this project for some time now, but wanted to ensure that the right team was in place to take the association to the next level. With Tobi and Joshua working together with the rest of the board and volunteer leadership, I feel comfortable with the timing of my decision.”
"Bob was a great leader for this organization, and we'll be sorry to see him take a seat on the sidelines," added Saulnier. "At the same time, we all know what it's like to have a chance to go for it!"
In related IGDA news, the association also announced the resignation of Tim Langdell from the Board. Langdell's resignation is effective immediately. He joined the Board in March of this year. With his seat vacated, the spot will be up for election in early 2010. Langdell is the founder of Edge Games and has been filing lawsuits against anyone he believed infringed on the "Edge" trademark, including game developers - the very people who he was supposed to support as a member of the IGDA. We're not going to dive into the endless controversy here (do a quick Google search and you'll find plenty), but the IGDA was going to hold a special meeting in October to discuss Langdell's membership - that meeting has now been cancelled.
