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IGF 2023 is right on course and has a new captain at the helm. Shawn Pierre has joined the Independent Games Festival as our new chairman.

Shawn Pierre is an Assistant Arts Professor at NYU Game Center and an independent game developer. Through his work as a developer, he has explored creating new ways to play, including installations, physical interactions, voice-enabled experiences, interactive podcasts, and more. As a Philly Game Mechanics member and project director, Shawn also works to build a community where local developers meet new people and share their creative work. He was also a member of the Audio Jury for the IGF Awards.

Shawn takes over from Kelly Wallick, who resigned after IGF 2022. We talked to him over the phone about his plans for the Independent Games Festival in 2023 and beyond, why he loves it so much Trombone Championand the advice he would give to anyone considering entering the IGF Awards for the first time.

Speaking of the IGF Awards, entries for IGF 2023 open this Friday September 30! We will publish details on how to submit in the coming days. Be sure to follow our blog and subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.

Below is an edited, condensed version of the interview with new IGF President Shawn Pierre.

Beth Elderkin, GDC: What was your reaction when you heard that you would be the next IGF president?

Shawn Pierre, IGF President: I thought it was pretty cool! It’s exciting to find additional ways to contribute to the overall independent gaming community because there are so many different ways to contribute – whether it’s through teaching, whether it’s by making things locally or on a larger scale. hosting, whether it’s creating games and then sharing that information about the games you’ve been working on. You can do a lot, many different ways you can contribute to the gaming community.

I just want to thank Kelly for all the work she did as IGF president. During her time as president, she pushed the IGF forward by creating an environment that demonstrates the power of the indie game community on a global scale, even during a pandemic! I hope to continue all the great work she started as I begin my work as president.

GDC: What do you hope to add to the role?

Shawn: I mean, the easy answer is just another perspective – not necessarily a reflection on something in the past. Kelly did a great job and I want to continue everything she did. I really want to look at everything she started, everything she did, and find a way to continue that. But also bring my own outlook and twist and personality into the equation.

Anyone who has the opportunity to contribute to something like this has had a different life experience. So they’re able to take in something different and bring in something that someone else just hasn’t experienced. It will be a learning experience for me, and hopefully it will be a positive learning experience for me and everyone.

GDC: What do you love about indie games?

Shawn: One thing that independent teams seem to do more than the AAA genre is that they can take more risks. They are able to take more risks and pursue something a little closer to the heart. Of course I’m not saying that the makers of Assassin’s Creed and GTA don’t do things they are passionate about. Many of them are. But there are often things they shouldn’t do to make sure the game sells well and the company stays afloat.

While independent developers have the same things to worry about, sometimes they are able to take more risks and try to do things that could put a larger company in a worse position.

I mean, there’s that trombone playing that came out not too long ago, Trombone Champion, which I just saw on Twitter. I can’t imagine a big AAA company putting that out or thinking, “Hey, let’s just do this!” I’m sure if they wanted to it would be great, but it’s probably not something on their radar.

I just played it before this talk. I was very good—[laughs] no, i was terrible.

GDC: We’ve seen a lot of growth in indie games lately. On this latest GDC, encryption won the IGF and GDCA top prizes. The indie gaming field is starting to merge and merge with the larger gaming community. Where do you see the future of indie games going?

Shawn: That is a good question. Indie games are already growing on a global scale. We’re seeing developers from all over the world show even more than we’ve seen in the past, which is great because we’re all connected…I think I’m seeing even more of That happen, in terms of connecting even more with people around the world and learning more about the types of games that people around the world are making, and seeing how those games better reflect their culture.

Games also become a lot more personal, I would say. There are games in the past that were quite personal, but I think people feel a lot more comfortable with that as well, which is really great.

GDC: We are getting ready to open the submission process on Friday, September 30. What are you excited to see with IGF 2023?

Shawn: IGF has always been – whether I was outside seeing what was nominated, or during the judging process and going through a bunch of different games – it’s always been a great place to see the future. What’s happening, what new takes, new spins, new perspectives are coming into the field.

I am excited to see the future. I’m excited to participate, actually in the future. And hopefully encourage people everywhere and always to be a part of that future too.

GDC: Speaking of the future, I’m sure we have some developers thinking about submitting their games for IGF 2023, maybe even for the first time. What advice would you have for them?

Shawn: Make a giant checklist of things you think you should do, then get ready to add a bunch of things you didn’t know you had to do.

Please read your submissions several times before submitting. Make sure you have enough codes for people to play. You don’t want the judges looking for codes, you don’t want the judges wanting to play your game and then not having access to it.

Make sure you can present your game in a way that shows why you think it’s special, why you think it deserves to be a finalist. Every game has a different way of doing that, so you’ll have to think about what works for your game. Just because a game that won two years ago might be the same as yours doesn’t mean you have to follow exactly what they did. Everyone’s processes are a little different and people’s feelings change from year to year.

Do your best to show what you find special, what you find important about your work. That’s not even just for IGF, but just in general when you show your game to people and the public.

And if the game doesn’t make it, that doesn’t mean you’re a bad developer. It is not a reflection of the fact that you have a bad game. Hundreds of games are submitted every year. There are so many, so many, so many good games, and there are limited spots. Consider submitting again next year and use all the information you’ve learned to help your future submissions.

You can follow Shawn on Twitter @ShawnPierre. Don’t forget to submit your game for the IGF Awards from September 30th—and keep an eye on IGF 2023 on the Conference for game developers, in March in San Francisco!

GDC returns to San Francisco in March 2023, and registration opens soon! For more information, be sure to visit our website.

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