IGF 2023 is correct heading in the right direction, and it has a brand new captain on the helm. Shawn Pierre has joined the Independent Games Festival as our new Chairperson.

Shawn Pierre is an Assistant Arts Professor on the NYU Game Center and an impartial sport developer. Through his work as a developer, he has explored creating new methods to play—together with installations, bodily interactions, voice-controlled experiences, interactive podcasts, and extra. As a member and undertaking director of Philly Game Mechanics, Shawn additionally works to construct a group the place native builders meet new folks and share their inventive work. He has additionally served on the Audio jury for the IGF Awards.

Shawn is taking on for Kelly Wallick, who stepped down from the place after IGF 2022. We chatted with him over the cellphone about his plans for the Independent Games Festival in 2023 and past, why he loves Trombone Champ, and the recommendation he’d give somebody considering of getting into the IGF Awards for the primary time.

Speaking of the IGF Awards, submissions for IGF 2023 open this Friday, Sept. 30! We’ll be posting particulars on tips on how to submit within the coming days. Be positive to observe our weblog and subscribe to our e-newsletter for the newest updates.

Below is an edited, condensed model of the interview with new IGF Chair Shawn Pierre.

Beth Elderkin, GDC: What was your response to discovering out that you’d be the following IGF chair?

Shawn Pierre, IGF Chairperson: I assumed it was fairly cool! It’s thrilling to have the ability to discover further methods to contribute to the general impartial sport group, as a result of there are such a lot of other ways to contribute—whether or not it is by way of instructing, whether or not it is by way of internet hosting issues domestically or on a bigger scale, whether or not it is making video games after which sharing that details about the video games that you just labored on. There’s so much that you are able to do, plenty of other ways you possibly can contribute to the sport group.

I simply need to thank Kelly for all of the work she did because the IGF Chairperson. During her time as chair, she pushed the IGF ahead creating an atmosphere that showcases the power of the indie sport group on a worldwide scale—together with throughout a pandemic! I hope to proceed all the good work she began as I start my work because the chairperson.

GDC: What are you hoping to convey to the position?

Shawn: I imply, the straightforward reply is only a completely different perspective—not essentially a mirrored image on something up to now. Kelly did an excellent job, and I need to proceed the whole lot that she did. I really need to try the whole lot she began, the whole lot she did, and discover a approach to proceed that. But additionally usher in my very own take and spin and character into the equation.

Everyone who has an opportunity to contribute to one thing like this has lived a special life expertise. So they’re in a position to incorporate one thing completely different and usher in one thing that another person simply hasn’t skilled. It’ll be a studying expertise for me, and it will hopefully be a constructive studying expertise for me and everybody.

GDC: What do you like about indie video games?

Shawn: One factor that impartial groups appear to do greater than the AAA style is that they’re in a position to take extra dangers. They’re in a position to take extra dangers and pursue one thing that may be a bit nearer to the guts. Of course, I’m not saying that the makers of Assassin’s Creed and GTA usually are not doing issues they’re enthusiastic about. A whole lot of them are. But there are plenty of occasions the place there are issues they must not do as a way to make it possible for the sport sells correctly and the corporate stays afloat.

While impartial builders do have the identical issues they must be involved about, generally they’re in a position to take extra dangers they usually’re in a position to attempt to do issues that may put a much bigger firm in a worse place.

I imply, there’s that trombone sport that got here out not too way back, Trombone Champ, that I’ve simply been seeing on Twitter. I can not think about an enormous AAA firm placing that out or considering, “Hey, let’s simply go forward and simply do that!” I’m positive in the event that they wished to it will be nice, nevertheless it’s most likely not one thing that is on their radar.

I used to be simply enjoying it earlier than this name. I used to be excellent—[laughs] nah, I used to be horrible.

GDC: We have seen plenty of development in indie video games currently. At this newest GDC, Inscryption gained the IGF and GDCA grand prizes. The indie sport area is beginning to merge and mix with the bigger gaming group. Where do you see the way forward for indie video games going?

Shawn: That is an effective query. Indie video games are already rising on a worldwide scale. We’re seeing builders from around the globe showcase much more than we have seen up to now, which is nice as a result of we’re all related to one another… I believe I see much more of that taking place, when it comes to being much more related to folks all around the world and studying extra concerning the kinds of video games that individuals are making all around the world, and seeing how these video games higher mirror their tradition.

Games are additionally changing into much more private, I’d say. There are video games up to now which have been pretty private, however I believe individuals are feeling far more snug doing that too, which is admittedly nice.

GDC: We’re preparing for the submissions course of to open on Friday, Sept. 30. What are you excited to see with IGF 2023?

Shawn: IGF has all the time been—whether or not I used to be on the surface seeing what was nominated, or whether or not it was in the course of the judging course of and going by way of a ton of various video games—it is all the time been an excellent place to see the long run. What is going on, what new takes, new spins, new views are coming into the sphere.

I’m excited to see the long run. I’m excited to participate, really, sooner or later too. And to hopefully encourage folks anyplace and in every single place to turn out to be a part of that future too.

GDC: Speaking of the long run, I’m positive we’ve got some builders on the market who’re enthusiastic about submitting their video games to IGF 2023, perhaps even for the primary time. What recommendation would you could have for them?

Shawn: Make an enormous guidelines of issues that you just assume you will have to do, after which put together so as to add a bunch of issues that you just did not know that you just wanted to do.

Read over your submissions a number of occasions earlier than you submit. Make positive you could have sufficient codes for folks to play. You don’t desire the judges to be searching for codes, you don’t need judges to need to play your sport after which not be capable to entry it.

Make positive which you can current your sport in a manner that showcases why you’re feeling it is particular, why you’re feeling it deserves to be a finalist. Every sport has a special manner of doing that, so you are going to want to consider what works to your sport. Just as a result of a sport that gained two years in the past is likely to be much like yours doesn’t suggest that it’s essential to observe precisely what they did. Everyone’s processes are a bit completely different, and folks’s emotions change from yr to yr.

Do your finest to showcase what you’re feeling is particular, what you’re feeling is essential about your work. That’s not even only for IGF, however simply on the whole while you’re exhibiting your sport to folks and the general public.

And if the sport does not make it, that is not a mirrored image of you being a nasty developer. It’s not a mirrored image of you having a nasty sport. There are a whole bunch of video games submitted yearly. There are so many, so many, so many good video games, and there is a restricted variety of spots. Consider submitting once more subsequent yr, and use all the data you discovered to assist your future submissions.

You can observe Shawn on Twitter @ShawnPierre. Don’t neglect to submit your sport to the IGF Awards beginning Sept. 30—and you’ll want to keep watch over IGF 2023 on the Game Developers Conference, taking place in San Francisco subsequent March!

GDC returns to San Francisco in March 2023, and registration opens quickly! For extra info, you’ll want to go to our web site.

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