Many International Game Developers Plan To Skip GDC In US
Source: Slashdot
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica:
This week, tens of thousands of game developers and producers will once again gather in San Francisco, as they have since 1988, for the week‑long Game Developers Conference. But this year’s show will be missing many international developers who say they no longer feel comfortable traveling to the United States to attend, no matter how relevant the show is to their work and careers. Dozens of those developers who spoke to Ars in recent months say they’re wary of traveling to a country that has shown a callous disregard for — or outright hostility toward — the safety of international travelers. That’s especially true for developers from various minority groups, those with transgender identities, and those who feel they could be targeted for outspoken political beliefs.
Concerns from International Developers
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Emilio Coppola, Godot Foundation Executive Director (based in Spain) told Ars:
“I honestly don’t know anyone who is not from the U.S. who is planning on going to the next GDC. We never felt super safe, but now we are not willing to risk it.” -
Nazih Fares, a French‑Lebanese citizen and creative director at indie studio Le Cabinet du Savoir:
“Hearing European citizens getting arrested by border control over their views on the U.S. is not something I would like to test for myself.” -
Eline Muijres, founder of Cohop Game (based in Austria):
“I read a few long reads about how UK/German tourists ended up detained, and that was the final straw for me. It doesn’t feel safe for me.” -
Domini Gee, Canadian game writer and narrative designer:
“There’s no shortage of stories… about the risk of detainment, deportation, phones being searched… the consequences if I’m not [OK] could be high.”
These developers cite intrusive questioning, racial profiling, and other reported incidents at U.S. border checkpoints as primary reasons for skipping the conference.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.