IGDA

IGDA是全球最大的非盈利遊戲開發者協會，是美國遊戲開發者大會(GDC)的締造者，也是目前美國GDC的重要合作伙伴之一，目前擁有來自世界各地的會員15000名。

IGDA是位於美國舊金山的一家面向遊戲開發者的非營利組織，1995年成立，迄今已有十餘年曆史，其全稱為“International Game Developers Association”（國際遊戲開發者協會，有的地方翻譯為國際遊戲開發商協會）。

如名所示，IGDA的目標是“建設全球遊戲開發者的社區”，其任務主要有三：一是為遊戲開發者提供統一的聲音；二是增進開發者之間的相互理解與尊重；三是為下一代遊戲開發者提供指導和幫助。

IGDA在GDC上同步主辦的遊戲開發者優選獎（GDCA）

遊戲開發者優選獎（GDCA）是由國際遊戲開發者協會（IGDA）主辦的年度遊戲評選獎項，與遊戲開發者大會（GDC）同步舉辦，以由參加IGDA的眾多遊戲開發者會員針對前1年度推出遊戲各方面的表現進行票選，頒給獎項予以肯定鼓勵。

遊戲開發者優選獎是全球遊戲業界最大的獎項之一。能夠獲得獎項的人將獲得無上的殊榮，尤其是“終身成就獎”，而能夠獲獎的遊戲也都是叫好又賣座的大作。

遊戲開發者優選獎（GDCA）目前設置的獎項有（以2010年實際評獎為依據）：

特別獎

◆ 終身成就獎

◆ 先鋒獎

大獎

◆ 年度最佳遊戲

部門獎

◆ 最佳劇本

◆ 最佳遊戲設計

◆ 最佳技術

◆ 最佳視覺藝術

◆ 最佳出道作

◆ 創新獎

◆ 最佳掌上游戲

◆ 最佳音效

◆ 最佳下載遊戲

◆ 最佳社羣/線上遊戲

The IGDA was established by Ernest Adams in 1995, first operating under the name Computer Game Developers Association.

The impetus for setting it up was actually several-fold. The primary reason was that developers had no one to speak for them in the USA Congressional debates of early 1994. The publishers had the IDSA, the developers had no one. People in the game industry wanted to join something, and there was nothing to join. It became very clear that a true professional society was needed to give developers a voice.

Another reason was simply that a professional society to advance the state of the art, and do all the things that a professional association does, was overdue. The community needed a way to share experience and work together on issues on an ongoing basis.

The CGDA came into being just as the old, previously privately owned, Computer Game Developers Conference was being sold to Miller Freeman (now CMP). Miller Freeman and the CGDA continued to collaborate on the conference, and Miller Freeman provided initial support for the CGDA.

In 1999, the CGDA was having a tough time with mainly volunteer labor to run the organization. The board of directors turned to Miller Freeman to contract them for management services. Around the same time, the CGDA changed its name to the International Game Developers Association to better reflect its growing global scope and platform agnosticism.

The IGDA continued to contract with CMP for day-to-day operation/management services until the end of 2004. As of January 1st, 2005, the IGDA ended the management agreement with CMP and have been directly running the day-to-day operations of the association under the wise governance of the elected board of directors.