IGDA Finland Summer Meetups part 2

Are you still wondering what to do this Summer? The IGDA Finland hubs are holding events all around Finland; from mini golfing to grilling and summer parties.

Kajaani

When: Tuesday, 25th of June at 18:00
What: Join us at Rantapuisto (or in case of bad weather, Rock House Kulma) for a get-together where we'll catch up with fellow community members and unwind after a long day. We'll bring our summer pal BBQ, you bring the snack to sizzle!
Where: Rantapuisto
More info: Event Page

Kymenlaakso (Kotka)

When: Thursday, 27th of June at 18:00
What: BBQ meetup at beautiful Jokipuisto in Kotka. Sausages and condiments are sponsored by the Finnish Game Jam and some non-alcoholic drinks are also provided! Feel free to also bring your own grillables as well! The afterparty is hosted by Kuura!
Where: Jokipuisto
More info: Event Page

Porvoo

When: Thursday, 18th of July at 18:00
What: Minigolf and Grilling! The event will be held as a private event in the Porvoo Minigolfkeskus. At the venue there will be minigolf, billiard, darts and a grill!
Access to minigolf, billiard and darts will be free of charge and for grilling there will be some sausages available, but please bring your own if you desire! The afterparty will be held at the Porvoo Game Club / IGDA Porvoo Club house!
Where: Porvoo Minigolfkeskus
More info: Event Page

Oulu

When: Friday, 19th of July
What: Teekkaritalo Summer Party
Where: Teekkaritalo
More info: Coming up on IGDA Finland Discord with the role “?Oulu”:
Discord

Lahti

When: Friday, 19th of July at 17:30
What: IGDA Lahti grill party, IGDA Lahti will provide grilled sausages to the event. You are also welcome to bring your own foods to grill.
Where: Pikku-Vesijärvi
More info: Link to event sign up

Helsinki

When: Tuesday, 13th of August at 17:00
What: Rovio Summer Party
Where: Maxine
More info: Coming soon

IGDA Finland has now a Linktree, find all our hubs in one place and special events like Leadership Day 2024!

IGDA Finland Summer Meetups Around Finland ☀️

Many hubs will be having events during the summer, if you’re itching to meet new people or just curious to see what other hubs have to offer, now is a great time to do so!

Turku Hub

When: Tuesday, June 4 at 18.00
What: Fakefish is turning 10 years old this year and Turku gamedev community is organizing a “surprise” party (to which it is not much of a surprise now, is it? But FF team promised to be totally surprised as they arrive) with appreciation and celebration of their incredible journey!
Where: Aura riverside Saaristobaarin Kesäterassi (in case of rain the party will be moved to Saaristobaari at Aurakatu 14)
More info: Link

Kymenlaakso Hub in Kouvola

When: Thursday, June 6th at 18.00
What: Picnic
Where: Urheilupuisto in Kouvola
More info: Link

On the 27.6 Kotka will have a BBQ at 18:00 in Jokipuisto with afterparty at Kuura.

Lahti Hub

When: Friday, June 7th at 17.30
What: Picnic with a twist: Liha/Vihispiirakka Grill Party
Where: Pikku Vesijärvi
More info: Link

Oulu hub

When: Friday, 19.07.2024
What: Summer party
Where: Teekkaritalo
More info: Coming up on IGDA Finland Discord with the role “?Oulu”:
Discord

Kajaani Hub

Will be having events, which are most likely going to be a lot of outdoor activities.
Join their Discord Channel to know when the next upcoming event is:
Kajaani Discord

IGDA Finland Grant is coming!

IGDA Finland’s first and foremost goal is to support the developers within the Finnish game industry. It’s kind of in our name (International Game Developers Association), after all. The second is to help foster a community where these devs can thrive.

We do this in many different ways

• 📆Monthly Meetups across Finland

• 🤝Collaborating with other orgs within the industry

• 🧠Help share knowledge and experience among the community

And now with the IGDA Finland Grant!

The idea is to go to the source and help indie devs working on their first games.

That’s right, we want to help you to finish that game of yours!

Full details will come out on www.igda.fi/grant in the beginning of March!

Here is a list of IGDA Finland social media channels!

IGDA Finland is active on many platforms to help you get information about game industry events. On LinkedIn and Facebook, we have both a company page (with IGDA events only) and a group (with all game industry events).

Choose your favorite way to follow us!
Discord: https://discord.com/invite/FRpyTyKUZq
LinkedIn (company page): https://www.linkedin.com/company/igda-finland
LinkedIn (group): https://www.facebook.com/groups/igda.finland
Facebook (company page): https://www.facebook.com/igdafinland
Facebook (group): https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1791406/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/igdafinland

Design: Alise Hirvonen
Text: Vesna Grau

IGDA Finland Board of Directors 2023-2024

A new year and a new IGDA Finland Board of Directors!

We’ve got a lot of exciting things coming up this year, here’s a few highlights:
- The start of a new hub!
- IGDA Finland Scholarship
- More communication and autonomy for all of our hubs

What exactly is the role of the board in a non-profit organization?
The main tasks are
- Maintain a national network of IGDA hubs
- National communication channels
- Handle the budget and legal side of things
- In general, support the whole org in any and every way possible

A big thank you goes to Joni Finne and Nova Salmivaara for their incredible work in the Board for past years!

Graphics made by: Martijn Everling

IGDA Finland Leadership Day 2023 - Get your tickets now!

We invite you to join us on our fifth Leadership Day on the 11th of September at BioRex Helsinki!

Leadership Day by IGDA Finland is an international event about how we build companies, teams and working cultures to build better games. Games companies, their inner workings and cultures are some of the least documented aspects of game development. Yet we and our work are all defined by these choices every single day. Join us in learning and challenging the cutting edge of leadership in games from some of the brightest minds in the industry!

GET A TICKET

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Speakers

Saara Bergström
Next Games / Netflix

Mika Tammenkoski
Metacore

Jaakko Kylmäoja
Fingersoft

Jinesha Gandhi
Redhill Games

Wanda O Rly
Psyon Games

Aki Kanerva
Virtual Air Guitar

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Sponsors

For more info visit our event page

IGDA Helsinki is back!

It's been a long couple of years of not seeing people
But that has come to an end, IGDA Helsinki is BACK! 🎉🎉

We aim to start our monthly Meetups again and we're starting with a proper banger.

Evenings meetup is all about rekindling all those old friendships and connections. No seminars, no demos, nothing but just good ol' times and meeting your mates!

This is possible because we are a community and as a testament to that, we have three sponsors who were more than happy to help make this Meetup happen. An enormously heartfelt thank you to Remedy, Ubisoft RedLynx and Supercell! ❤️

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Where: Maxine, 6th floor in Kamppi

When: 22.03.2022

Doors open at 17:00

A brief welcome toast at 18:15

See you there!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!!

IGDA Finland wishes to all our members, affiliates, partners and industry friends HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

A very special greeting goes to our incredible volunteers across Finland that are behind the success of our IGDA chapter – keep rocking everyone and may 2020 be even more successful for Finnish games industry <3

CALL FOR FINNISH STUDIOS

IGDA Finland made partnership with F2P Campus in Spain, offering ALL INCLUSIVE (sponsored trip, participation and stay in Spain) for 3 months of development and coaching experience for Finnish gamedev teams. Boost your current project-development and business strategies while enjoying sunny Spain!

Deadline for application is 31st of May - so be fast!

More information can be found HERE.

IGDA Finland Appoints New Chairperson and Board!

On behalf of IGDA Finland, I am proud to accept the position of Chairperson and delighted to announce the new elected Members of the Board of IGDA Finland - big congrats to Vesa Raudasoja, Oskari Tamminen, Tuomas Roininen and Joni Finne!

A big THANK YOU goes to Juha Vainio, Jussi Loukiainen and Daniel Fischer for incredible work in the Board for past two years!

New adventures await, and we are preparing incredible events across Finland for our beloved community of game developers, cheers!

Yours,

Natasha Trygg

23rd of November - Premiere of the movie THE NAME OF THE GAME in theaters across Finland!

The Name of the Game is a feature-length documentary about the team up between the legendary arcade game designer, Eugene Jarvis, and the Finnish game developer, Housemarque. The end result of the collaboration was the critically acclaimed PS4/PC title Nex Machina. The film gives the audience an unprecedented access to the unpredictable and plain crazy world of making a video game - uncensored.

The film hits theaters on November 23rd, and we urge everybody to go and see the film on the premiere weekend!

IGDA Finland is recruiting coordinators

IGDA Finland is entirely run by volunteer staff, which means all of our activities – most importantly gatherings and presentations – are brought to life by the talent and passion of a group of individuals willing to invest their time and effort for the good of the industry. There are no paychecks but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t pay well: you get to meet awesome people, gain industry contacts and valuable experience. (Occasionally there will be fun and games too!) Right now we have a few open positions so if this sounds like something you’re interested in, don’t hesitate to email us!

Lead Coordinator

• The Lead Coordinator of IGDA Finland Helsinki is an active and motivated leader. You get energy from the success of others. To succeed as a Lead Coordinator, you have already proved your leading skills, either in the industry or in other circumstances. Previous experience working with volunteer teams is a big plus. This role will get guidance from the IGDA Finland Board on a monthly basis.
• Responsibility: Main responsibility of monthly gatherings in Helsinki including event production and sponsor communication, managing coordinators in Helsinki
• Needed time: 5h-10h / week
• Needed xp: team lead 2-5 years, knowledge of industry
• Contact: Minna Eloranta, minna.eloranta@igda.fi

Event Coordinator

• IGDA Finland Helsinki events are the biggest continuous game industry events in Finland. We are now searching for an exceptional individual, who can withstand the pressure of organizing events in a timely manner. This person has already experience in organizing multiple events and is self-driven. The Lead Coordinator will support and manage this role.
• Responsibility: organize gatherings, communicate with sponsors
• Needed time: 3-5h / week
• Needed xp: organizing any events 1-2 years in major role
• Contact: Jori Hellstedt, jori.hellstedt@igda.fi

We also want to thank our outgoing Lead- and Event Coordinators, Minna Eloranta and Jori Hellstedt for their hard work, positive spirit and hands-on input, and wish them all the best for their future adventures.

IGDA Finland Nordic Game Official Party

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Eventbrite registration required! Sign up here.

IGDA Finland has teamed up with the folks at Nordic Game to organize the official Nordic Game Day 1 evening party!

After the first day of the Nordic Game, we'll gather to bar Skeppsbron 2 at 6 PM to enjoy drinks and networking. If you're attending the event, join us for international fun times – Nordic style!

The event has been brought to life by our wonderful sponsors Epic and Fingersoft.

IGDA Finland Nordic Game Official Party
Time: Wednesday 18.5.2016 at 6 PM
Venue: bar Skeppsbron 2 (Malmö)

You need your conference pass or a business card to check in at the event.

Introducing IGDA Finland Vaasa Hub

Vaasa game development scene is ready to take the next step. There has been a lot bubbling under in Ostrobothnia in recent years. One of the most visible parts being Vaasa Game Days, an annual event combining both consumer and professional sides in one enthralling game fair. And of course: there are plenty of people developing games!

With units from six different Universities and the strong entrepreneurial mindset of the people of Ostrobothnia, it´s only natural to have game companies and teams eager to become one. Until now, everyone has been busy developing their own things and not had the time to join the efforts. But now it´s time to make the game development scene in Vaasa visible to the world. Currently the game industry development in Vaasa region is coordinated by West Coast Startup, a joint business incubator of Vaasa University of Applied Sciences and University of Vaasa.

The first gathering amongst local game developers was organized in early 2015, together with Ostrobothnia Game Industry Facebook group, and since then there´s been regular meetings. What´s also going on at the moment, is building a game cluster together with developers from all around Ostrobothnia. In the beginning of April, a pilot project started with Yle Pohjanmaa, in order to hopefully build Vaasa Game Lab inside Yle´s premises, and actively scout and test new collaboration methods. The ultimate goal is to build a safe haven for all game developers, researchers and other parties to collaborate, network and test out new things. Being part of the IGDA family is an essential part of that. And now, the first step has been taken.

The Vaasa scene is thrilled to be part of a global network of game developers and welcomes all enthusiasts to join the hub. Find out more on the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/igdavaasa/

ID@XBOX with IGDA Finland

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ID@XBOX with IGDA Finland – Special Event

Please note there´s a limited amount of tickets available – get your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/idxbox-with-igda-finland-tickets-24511932851

IGDA Finland and the Microsoft Flux Team are joining their ranks for a very special evening dedicated to the ID@Xbox program.

The ID@Xbox program enables qualified game developers of all sizes to unleash their creativity by self-publishing digital games on Xbox One, giving studios the tools and support needed to maximize their success.

Agostino Simonetta, who manages the ID@Xbox program in Europe, will be there to talk more about the program and answer your questions. We will also have a couple of ID@Xbox indie-stories presented – so you´ll get to hear all about it straight from the developers. This is an excellent opportunity for everyone interested or wanting to know more about developing for Xbox to come and learn more: the facts, the experiences – and chat and network with like-minded people at the brand-new Microsoft Flux community space.

Drinks and snacks are on the house.

Program

• 18:00 Doors open
• Welcome to Flux
• Introduction to ID@Xbox
• Technical talk
• ID@Xbox indie-stories
• Networking, fun and good times – Party á la Flux!

Introducing IGDA Finland Satakunta Hub

In Satakunta there is plenty of know-­how in game development, gamification and related fields, but for a long time the companies and schools have worked mainly on their own. Well, that’s about to change right now: We are proud to introduce the brand new member of IGDA family – ­IGDA Finland Satakunta Hub! The first gathering for the students, professionals and enthusiasts was held in Pori in October 2015 under the name “Peliala Satakunta”. The organizers were expecting from 10­ to 20 people to participate, but the total number was almost 40! Lots of contacts and plans were made, and from the start it was clear that the gaming community in Satakunta wants to be part of a larger network: ­ IGDA.

Since then there has been a gathering every month and the network has expanded even more. Over 80 people have attended to the gatherings and other events and the hub´s Facebook group has well over 100 members. In the process of gathering the network, a local audiovisual development and production facility Villilä Studios has been a big help with the project “Cogas – ­Concepting Gaming Seriously”. The aim of the project is to gather a network in Game Development and Gamification and search for joint development ideas and new areas for business. Cogas is financed by The Regional Council of Satakunta.

But so far the enthusiasm of the game developers in the area has been in the biggest role in networking and boosting up the game industry in Satakunta; local game companies, education providers, development companies and all the great people sharing the passion for making games.

IGDA Finland Satakunta Hub warmly welcomes everybody to the gatherings and events in Satakunta. The first official gathering as IGDA Finland Satakunta Hub will be held in April. Join the group and find out about the upcoming events on Facebook: facebook.com/groups/igdasatakunta

Recruiting volunteers!

IGDA Finland is looking for more volunteers! Are you crafty with words and love social media? Or do you have some graphic design expertise? Our wonderful Media Team wants you!

We are currently looking for Social Media Managers and an Art Director in Helsinki area.

Social Media Managers - produce quality content on our social media channels (Twitter + Facebook), including live coverage of our monthly gatherings

We appreciate solid skills on Twitter and Facebook, understanding on the principles of different social media channels, excellent English skills. A more technical background will be considered a plus.

Sounds like you? Super! Contact our Social Media Coordinator Noemi Cugudda: noemi.cugudda@igda.fi

As an Art Director you will - take care of the look and feel of our visual content - oversee and organise the work of our photographers and graphic designers - plan and coordinate various graphics projects

We appreciate experience in project management, diverse graphic design skills, photography skills and a sharp visual eye.

Interested? Great! Drop an email to our Media Team Lead Niina Pesonen: niina.pesonen@igda.fi

As well as a fun team with fantastic people we offer exclusive studio visits and the chance to meet all the cool people in the industry – not to mention the warm and fuzzy feeling inside you when you get to make the world a better place.

Not from the Helsinki area? Contact your local hub to volunteer! Everyone is welcome to contribute, no matter their skills and background.http://igda.fi/hubs/

IGDA Finland goes Game Dev Days

It’s almost April, and that means Game Dev Days are here again. The Estonian game conference is held now for the fourth time and it brings together game development professionals from all over the world to the lovely city of Tallinn. This year IGDA Finland will be there to attend the event in full force: we are working on bus rides from several hubs bringing people all over the country to Helsinki, where we’ll board a ferry to our southern neighbor. The participating hubs for this event are Oulu, Jyväskylä, Turku, and Kotka.

The buses are not the only thing we have in store for participants. IGDA members can get 20% off of Standard conference tickets with the code "IGDAFIN542”. There are also special discounts for both ferry trips as well as hotel accommodation. Note that some of the hotel discounts are only available until 25.3.2016, so make your reservations on the double!

The conference is held on 8.-9.4.2016 at Original Sokos Hotel Viru.

Our ferry of choice (Tallink) leaves on Friday, 8^th of April at 10:30 AM. Join us for some international good times!

Discounts

Remember to use your IGDA discount for conference tickets: you’ll get 20% off of Standard conference tickets with the code "IGDAFIN542”.

We have plenty of partners to help you get there and rest well. To travel cheaper, use the promo code GAMEDEV to get 30% off of Tallink Silja ferry trips to Tallinn from Helsinki and Stockholm. Offer is valid for travel between 06.04.2016 - 11.04.2016.

Those traveling from farther away can also get discount tickets from OnniBus. If you prefer flying to the conference, airBaltic also offers discounts. Both of these partners use the code GAMEDEV as well.

Discount prices for accommodation are available at the following hotels:

Original Sokos Hotel Viru

Standard Single room 81€/night Standard Double room 86€/night

To book your room send an email including your personal details and promo code GAMEDEV to viru.reservation@sok.fi or book by phone +3726809300

Estoria Solo by Sokos

Solo King Single room 85€/night Solo King Double room 95€/night

To book your room send an email including your personal details and promo code GAMEDEV to viru.reservation@sok.fi or book by phone +3726809300

Tallink City Hotel

Standard SINGLE room 65€/night Standard TWIN/DOUBLE room 75€/night

To book your room send an email including your personal details and promo code GAMEDEV to hotelbooking@tallink.ee

Additionally, those who favor even cheaper options, we have a pre-booking for 12 beds at  Center Hotel at very low price.

1 Family room (4 beds) - 48 EUR/night

3 Twin rooms - 30 EUR/night

2 Single rooms - 25 EUR/night

We need to confirm this reservation by 25.03.2016 or the reserved rooms are freed up. Contact your hub representative if you are interested in taking part in this deal.

Contact information

Each hub will inform their members on bus schedules in their own channels. To find out more, contact the representative of your local hub.

Jyväskylä

Tuomas Roininen – tuomas.roininen@igda.fi Sasu Louke – sasu.louke@expa.fi

Oulu

Anna Salomaa – anna.salomaa@igda.fi

Turku

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/221379864882537/ Natasha Trygg – arsparietis@gmail.com

Kotka

Mika Turkia – Mika.Turkia@student.kyamk.fi

For those departing from Helsinki area, your contact person is Katri Laine katrilaine147@gmail.com. Facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/838553366255862/

Spring season 2016 gathering dates

Happy New Year! I hope everyone has had a relaxing holiday break and a wonderful start to 2016. I've got some news to kick off the new year: the gathering dates for spring season 2016.

• January 12
• February 9
• March 8
• April 5
• May 17

That means the next gathering is only a week away! More info will follow early this week so stay tuned.

The list of gathering dates are also available on the gathering info page.

Re-introducing Demo Corner in IGDA Finland Gatherings

With new locations come new possibilities: as the gatherings are moving to Maxine, we thought this is a good time to bring the demo corner back. It has been way too long since they have been organized, and as the IGDA Finland community is all about sharing what better way to foster that ideal than showcase the talent in that community. The demo corner is a place for developers to show off their games and get some feedback. We're aiming for this area to be a space for everyone: from people working on commercial AAA games to enthusiasts making indie projects in their spare time. So don't worry about your studio being too famous or your personal project being too insignificant – we want everyone to have a chance at giving and getting feedback and sharing ideas.

If you have a game you're working on that you want to share with fellow devs, head to December Demo Corner sign-up page right away!