The Lasombra
12/24/2010 3:35:00 PM
On Thu, 23 Dec 2010 22:19:41 -0800, "Kevin M." wrote:
>The Lasombra wrote:
>> Who will investigate this and see if we can get V:EKN as the club?
>I investigated this a few years back and the VEKN doesn't qualify,
Why not?
3. A member group must have a minimum of eight (8) members, with a
legitimate means to verify active members. Exceptions considered on a
case-by-case basis for groups with a history of service.
-- V:EKN membership via website
4. A member group must have a legitimate and pronounced interest in
the promotion and positive presentation of games and the gaming hobby
and industry.
-- tournaments worldwide at and apart from conventions
5. A member group must have regular (at least monthly meetings), or
else have semi-regular meetings and frequent communication (via a
website, Yahoo group, or similar means).
-- Usenet newsgroup, monthly tournaments, and the board of directors
could meet regularly in IRC
V:EKN is not associated with White Wolf, and so it does not qualify as
a demo team. There is nothing in GAMA's requirements that indicate
that all of the members of the group be local to one another.
More details obtained from GAMA this week:
--------------------------
GAMA Clubs & Organizations Program
2010
Summary: The GAMA Clubs & Organizations Program presents an
opportunity for those groups around the country - and even the world -
who are involved with playing and promoting games and gaming to become
participating members of GAMA. In doing so, they gain the ability to
communicate directly and effectively with the manufacturers,
publishers, distributors, and retailers that serve the hobby games
industry, as well as access to other resources and benefits that GAMA
can provide them. In exchange, the rest of the gaming industry can
benefit from working with such groups in both their promotional
efforts (via in-store and convention demos and organized play,
advertising and publicity opportunities, and direct marketing to club
members) and their development efforts (primarily through playtesting
and focus group feedback, but also through potential freelancer
recruitment).
Part One: Definitions
To begin, it is important to establish common terminology and a mutual
understanding of what these terms mean in the context of this
document.
Clubs: These are, for our purposes, groups of game players who are
focused on either gaming in general, some genre of gaming, or the
support of a particular game. They may take dues for minor things (to
include paying for a space or a small newsletter), but they are not
really revenue-driven at all. Clubs may support a specific game or
company, but they do not have an official relationship with that
company (other than, perhaps, getting some prize support for a special
event once in a while). The more such a club identifies with a
company, the less likely they are to continue to be treated as a club
by GAMA.
Conventions: These are the bodies of folks that are considered the
core staff and leaders of a particular convention. There are, in fact,
two different types of convention groups - the non-profit groups
(usually small and regional in nature) and the for-profit groups
(normally national in scope, like DragonCon, GenCon, etc.). Such a
group's main (and usually only) focus is the convention itself; they
do not have a year-round profile, and they are not often a body of
people that functions in any other capacity.
Demo Teams: Almost every company that supports a group to run their
games has a different name for said group. Many such groups do more
than simply demonstrate the games; they run tournaments, ongoing
campaigns, and other related activities that promote the games. The
central idea is clear, though - to present a specific company's
products in the best possible light, thus promoting the line and
fostering sales. Because such groups fulfill a clearly business-driven
agenda, we have to view them separately from other groups.
Organizations: "Organizations" is actually a catch-all term for any
group that doesn't quite fit into one of the other categories. This
may include private groups of game masters who want to make actual
revenue for presenting games, even though they are not actually
representing a specific company. It might also be used to refer to a
group that functions much like a club, except that the members only
really get together to run games once or twice a year at conventions.
Any other group that may want some kind of relationship with GAMA, yet
doesn't function as a club, convention, or demo team would be
classified as an Organization. Theoretically, this could include
another trade association, a collective of webzines, or almost
anything else. It might also include clubs that don't have gaming as
their focus (such as an anime fan group that might get involved in
running a video room at Origins).
Organized Play: For clarity's sake, this phrase is used to refer to
having a group of people go into a venue (club meeting, convention,
game store) and run games for others to play in. This can include
one-off scenarios, battles, and board game experiences. It can also
include tournaments and competitive play, as well as connected gaming
experiences (including continuing RPG and LARP campaigns). Unlike a
typical "game night" or group of friends playing, high-level
preparation, professional-level resources, and a focus on service for
the players mark Organized Play.
Part Two: C&O Membership Requirements
The following guidelines are used to determine if a group qualifies
for membership in this program:
1. All potential C&O Members are recommended by the C&O Coordinator
(or vetted by that person if recommended by someone else) and approved
by the Executive Director.
2. Each accepted group gets one year of membership for free. Each
following year must either be paid for (at a rate of $50.00 a year) or
earned through service. To earn the membership, a group must perform a
total of 256 hours of service, either in Volunteer or Event Hours .
All group memberships will be asked to be paid for at the start of
each calendar year. Upon verified completion of either the Volunteer
or Event hours the membership fee will be refunded.
3. A member group must have a minimum of eight (8) members, with a
legitimate means to verify active members. Exceptions considered on a
case-by-case basis for groups with a history of service.
4. A member group must have a legitimate and pronounced interest in
the promotion and positive presentation of games and the gaming hobby
and industry.
5. A member group must have regular (at least monthly meetings), or
else have semi-regular meetings and frequent communication (via a
website, Yahoo group, or similar means).
Part Three: C&O Membership Benefits
Benefits for C&O Program Members include, but are not limited to, the
following:
1. Access to GAMA Cohort Program, connecting the club with GAMA
member companies to set up convention and in-store gaming demos, as
well as playtest opportunities and other benefits and programs.
2. GAMA Insurance Program access. As GAMA members, the club can offer
the insurance benefits to its membership.
3. Discounts for members to attend Origins (50% off current ticket
prices for members attending who are not otherwise getting badges for
Game Mastering or Volunteering. Passes for group leaders (2) to
attend GTS.
4. Invitations to participate in special events throughout the year.
5. Access to other GAMA membership benefits and programs as they are
developed.
6. The ability to participate directly in shaping future policies and
programs that GAMA engages in towards the goals of promoting and
selling games.
Part Four: Review, Revocation, and Reinstatement
As clubs are involved in volunteering at GAMA events and presenting
game experiences on the behalf of game manufacturers and retailers,
event participants will be asked to fill out simple, score-generating
surveys. Where appropriate, retailers and convention organizers will
also be providing such feedback.
Manufacturers will also be able to provide feedback to the GAMA staff,
indicating their relative satisfaction with a group they have
interacted with. The GAMA Staff will regularly review this feedback,
updating the information we have for each C&O Member and providing
additional feedback based on direct dealings (such as with Origins).
This information is then to be shared with GAMA Manufacturer and
Retailer members so that they can make the best decisions about which
clubs and organizations they want to interact with.
Clubs who score consistently badly will be suspended from the program.
They can get themselves reinstated by independently putting on events
at stores and conventions and then getting the proprietors to provide
us positive feedback. Reinstatement would be judged on a case-by-case
basis, with final approval by the Executive Director.