Gamedev.World is originally a global digital game developer conference but today its here for another great cause. Last month, we shared with you the cancellation news of Game Developers Conference due to coronavirus (COVID-19). Because of the sudden changes. independent developers were the most affected by this cancellation. A ton of developers could not get refunds on flights, hotels, and other expenses. Some of them remain stuck abroad, incurring heavy charges as they live in hotels far from home.
That’s why Gamedev.World is trying to help
The GDC Relief Fund spearheaded by WINGS aims to alleviate the financial burden this has caused for those developers, and to allow them to continue to express their passion for game development past this crisis. In response, Gamedev.world is hosting a stream on Twitch starting today (March 30) to April 1st. It’s promoting the sale of this Relief Bundle that is full of games, assets, prototypes, and other creative work as a Pay-What-You-Want offering. This bundle will stay available until April 3rd. All proceeds of the fundraiser shall go to the GDC Relief Fund spearheaded by WINGS. Below you can see the schedule.
At the time of writing, I am listening to Jukio Kallio’s great voice and music. There are also game streams and talk from amazing people in the games industry like Rami Ismail. In a statement to Venture Beat, the organization said:
The Gamedev.world team has worked these past few weeks to help developers return home, negotiate refunds, and figure out temporary lodging, but right now financial support is one of those urgent needs faced by developers around the world that we cannot help alleviate without your support.
Donate if you can!
You can donate directly to Gamedev.World by visiting itch.io and buying these bunch of great games. You can also support the team by watching the stream on Twitch and by publishing it. If you’re a developer in need of financial help after GDC’s cancellation, whether you can’t refund your hotel, flights, or visa cost – or you’re still stuck abroad due to travel bans or border closures, please apply here for the GDC Relief Fund.
