Nonprofit group GameDev World has announced a fundraising effort for marginalized developers who have been affected by the cancellation of the Game Developers Conference in March.
For many small studios and individual developers, GDC is an investment and although the event organizer has promised full refunds, other costs associated with the event – like visas, travel, and accommodation – are either nonrefundable or only partially refundable, in some cases.
Spearheaded by Rami Ismail, the week-long fundraiser between March 27th and April 3rd aims to help alleviate some of the financial burden on these developers.
“With the news of GDC’s official cancellation, many marginalized developers are facing the reality that they’ve invested what sometimes comes down to years of savings into an event that will no longer happen,” wrote GameDev World. “Even though GDC has committed to refunding the tickets of attendees that haven’t cancelled, many developers around the world do not have a way to refund their visas, lodging, and travel costs. Many worry that they did not just lose the opportunity of attending this years’ conference, but also the possibility to re-route the funds spent to other opportunities throughout the year.”
GDC organizer has said that it “fully intends” to hold an event later in the summer. However, considering the company has yet to take partners on board and is planning to stream a small portion of the cancelled event online next week, it’s unclear what the summer event will be like, if it goes ahead.
Information on how to help or apply for funds can be found on GameDev World’s website.
