The Stronger Together In Games Campaign is a collaborative effort involving the International Game Developers Association (IGDA), the IGDA Foundation, Women in Games International, Global Game Jam, Take This, and Game to Grow.
These six organisations will work collectively to encourage diversity and inclusivity in the gaming industry, cultivate encouraging settings for professional advancement and skill enhancement, as well as promote mental health within the gaming community and among creators.
From November 28th through the end of 2023, the campaign aims to raise $100,000 and an additional $50,000 in corporate matching funds to contribute to the endeavours of these organisations in aiding both game industry professionals and players. This comes at a time when the industry is witnessing extensive layoffs and a persistent mental health crisis.
Supporting communities
Dr. Jakin Vela, executive director of IGDA says, “The past year has been a challenging time for the games industry. As non-profit organisations that support game creators and players worldwide, we’re seeing skyrocketing demand for our programs and services.
“The funds we raise will support our continued efforts in creating and sharing resources, facilitating networking opportunities and mentorship, and coordinating impactful programming aimed to diversify the industry, and more,” Vela added.
Commitments have already been received from collaborators such as Amazon Games, Google for Games, SEGA of America, StridePR, Foundation Law, Clever Endeavor, Codename Entertainment, Modulate, and Midwest Games. Also, the collective will conduct a 24-hour charity stream on December 8th to garner additional funds for the campaign.
Isa Muhammad is a writer and video game journalist covering many aspects of entertainment media including the film industry. He's steadily writing his way to the sharp end of journalism and enjoys staying informed. If he's not reading, playing video games or catching up on his favourite TV series, then he's probably writing about them.