Voting for Imirt's new board will take place until midnight on Monday the 7th of December 2020. Details of how to vote has been sent to members by email. (You can also find the voting details in the Membership Content here on the site). To vote you must be a registered Imirt member. You can sign up for Imirt membership for only €20. Please sign up by midnight on Monday the 7th of December so that your membership can be processed in time to vote before the deadline.

3 out of the 7 board seats are being contested in this election. Board members Robin David O'Keeffe, Peter Lynch, and Keith O'Conor will be standing down. Many thanks to Robin, Peter and Keith for their great contribution to Imirt and the Irish game developer community over the last several years, we wish them every success in future.

If you have any questions please email contact@imirt.ie and thank you for supporting Irish game developers!

The Candidates

Alanna Kelly

Alanna wrote her first game - an implementation of Hangman on her father's ZX81 that had been fished out of the attic in 1991. Alanna developed a strong interest in game development, technology and computer programming. After leaving college in 2005, Alanna worked in Dublin as a programmer for PopCap Games International. In 2012, she moved to Galway and has since worked in diverse fields such as Computer Vision, Academia, 3D/Bio Printing and Telecommunications.

She is currently interested in driving community projects to encourage game development related learning, collaboration and entrepreneurship, she established Galway Game Jam in 2013 to further this end. Alanna currently works as a Senior Software Engineer for Ericsson and is also involved in running the Computer and Communications Museum of Ireland.

What I hope to achieve

As part of Imirt I would hope to develop community projects to entourage learning skills relevant to game development. Advocate for game development as a viable career option in Ireland, including campaigning for support and incentives for entrepreneurship and the further development of the video game industry in Ireland. The dream would be to turn Galway Game Jam into a feeder for a game development focused startup accelerator in Galway.

Contact

Website: alannakelly.ie

Twitter: @alannakelly_ie

Aoife O’Friel

I’m a writer and narrative designer from Waterford, now based in Sweden and working for Ubisoft.

My journey into games began in 2016 when I decided to learn more about the industry. I’d always wanted to write fiction, but it was years before I discovered that it was possible to have a career as a video game writer.

I started out in QA and writing for indie games, but I really wanted to make the leap to AAA. Assuming the best way to do that was to be near the biggest developers, I took a chance on Canada.

That move could have been a disaster (and it almost was), but with a great deal of luck, I landed a short-term contract with Ubisoft Québec. That started me on my current path. Now, it’s my goal to help make this industry more accessible for everyone.

What I hope to achieve

I want to help grow the Irish game dev industry and attract more Irish talent into games. This starts with raising Imirt’s profile and challenging perceptions about who can become a game developer.

When I was growing up, a job in games was never presented as an option, let alone a viable career path. Even though I’ve loved games from a young age, I had no idea I could be part of the industry. I think a lot of young people, particularly girls, have suffered from a lack of information about how games are made, and career paths are often shrouded in mystery.

One of the biggest roadblocks to getting into game development is that there is no “right” way. While that can be freeing, it also means that the tools, resources, and networking needed are often inaccessible to many.

I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to combine my love of writing with my love of gaming. I want to help make those opportunities more visible and more available by engaging in online workshops and events, and promoting mentorship in the industry.

Contact

Twitter: @aoifeofriel

Website: aoifeofriel.wixsite.com/portfolio

Basil Lim

Basil is a game designer, researcher and educator working with applied game design in societal and medical health fields. His latest research is into applied game design in augmented reality and machine learning for neurosurgery. Basil has extensive experience across art, game design, visualisation and frontend development with indie and freelance studios, and was an initial co- founder of bitSmith Games, an award winning game studio that created games with Irish mythos and cultural influences. He has worked on games with multiple Irish studios across various platforms - analog, digital and alternate controller, and organises Global Game Jam and co-organises Dublin State of Play events annually. He has two furballs who serve as recurring weekly blocker tasks.

What I hope to achieve

I am a strong believer in grassroots and direct engagement – working with initiatives such as pyLadies, MakerFair, CoderDojo and Idea camp, I have seen firsthand how an encounter between inquisitive minds and experience blossoms into ideation. Accessibility should continue to be integral to Imirt’s ethos – a mundanity, so commonplace that it is a matter of course. There is strength in such openness - mingling and connecting with not only other areas of design/tech, but non-traditional avenues of game design and development creates the studios and employment of tomorrow. Local community outreach that I have been so fortunate to be involved in has been extremely successful – some of the most rewarding projects I have worked on have involved local DEIS schools and non-traditional areas of applied game design (mental health and pain management). I would love to continue such avenues of development and bring larger demographics into the fold of IMIRT and gamedev. The situation we have found ourselves in has brought home how important others are to us - increased accessibility via remote attendance and work has broadened availability of employment and conferences. Continuing this focus on international collaboration and taking forward best practices that have been developed through necessity is paramount.

Contact

Twitter: @firewatersun

Instagram: @firewater_sun

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/basil-lim-12994a25/

Website: www.firewatersun.com

Craig Stephens

Originally from the UK, I’m Founder & Director of video games PR agency Kartridge. We have been delivering highly successful media and influencer communications campaigns since 2015. Our clients have ranged from AAA publishers - such as Hi-Rez Studios and Square Enix - to one-person indie developers.

My professional life began in the QA teams of EA and Jagex, which provided a solid understanding of the mechanics of games development. Nurturing a keen interest in Public Relations I then worked with Jagex’s freshly-minted PR team on early RuneScape promotional campaigns. Jagex lead to NCSOFT and several multi-year MMO campaigns. My time there culminated in heading up EMEA PR operations. Prior to Kartridge I was headhunted by Gamer Network to promote their network of brands, including GamesIndustry.biz, Eurogamer and EGX.

In 2018 my Irish wife and I married in Dublin, where we now live and work.

What I hope to achieve

As a member of Imirt’s board I would hope to increase the organisation’s standing, both nationally and internationally, so it is better able to achieve its strategic goals in the short and long term. I would develop mechanisms to fuel the growth of the industry to strengthen its role economically, socially and culturally.

My ideas range from lobbying trade and government to improve on recent tax incentive announcements with more investment and financial aid, developing Imirt’s online resources (for would-be employees, employers and consumers), supporting industry and educational networking opportunities, plus championing Imirt’s goals and initiatives with the press.

A key to identifying opportunities and measuring success is to better understand the scope and value of the industry. I would look to develop a foundation of financial and demographic knowledge on which Imirt can plan its activities.

This will cement Imirt’s key position in this thriving creative industry.

My experience working closely with international trade associations (such as Ukie) on events and initiatives, plus tireless networking with developers, publishers and supporting services would make me a great board member. I bring a lifetime of gaming passion, well-honed PR creativity and (as a company director) a highly flexible timetable.

Contact

Email: craig@kartridge.co

Website: kartridge.co

Darren Kearney

I am passionate about community. For over five years I have been maintaining Galway’s local gamedev scene with regular game jams and consistent meetups on a voluntary basis. In these volunteer efforts I find it best to have a team, so we can spread the workload and ensure everything gets done.

In 2018 I established my own freelancing business (Mind Cauldron) which I am still operating. In 2020 I co-founded a small game development company (Portal Punch Ltd.).

We have received development funding from the Wrap fund for developing our studios’ first game.

What I hope to achieve

The game industry is a problematic beast. In all my volunteering efforts it is my mission to improve it, to make it welcoming for everyone and to make it better for everyone.

I hope to put in place some training for informal game-making event organisers (gamejams/workshops) that is based on the research findings of Dr. Aphra Kerr, Ms. Vicky Lee-Twomey and Mr. Joshua D. Savage, as well as my own direct experience. I hope this will effect positive change and increase the diversity of people entering the game industry. I will pursue avenues that increase collaboration and cooperation within our industry and where possible pursue the establishment of a grant support scheme from the government, similar to Artist supports offered by the Arts Council of Ireland.

Contact

Twitter: @darrencearnaigh

Discord: @mindcauldron#9419

Slack (IrishGameDev): @darrencearnaigh

John Molloy

I am a game designer, program manager and these days the creative director for internal projects at Black Shamrock Games. I studied at Ballyfermot College before moving to the UK to take up my first design role at Lionhead working on Fable 2. Over the years I’ve also made games at Splashdamage and Wargaming, mostly on console and PC but with a couple of years on mobile titles. Outside of work (and before Covid) I helped in the running of meetups for the Google Developers group, co-championed the UCD Coderdojo and generally pitched in with community stuff at Dogpatch labs. I play a bit of everything, my weekly fixes are a 5E D&D campaign, a few hours on Tabletop Simulator and the old favourite Left 4 Dead 2.

What I hope to achieve

Continue the work to expand IMIRT across Ireland and strengthen our connections. We’re stuck apart right now, but the lessons we’re learning will help sustain and grow the community after the restrictions lift.

Represent Black Shamrock and its commitment to growing the Irish game development community and support it with the contacts and resources available from the entire Virtuos group.

Engage with 3rd level institutions to better deal with the disruption of the pandemic. How can placements be made to work while we’re remote first? What are the best ways for students to showcase projects? Where are the graduate openings?

Celebrate Irish games world wide, and prepare for re-opening. We don’t know yet which exhibitions will go ahead in 2021 or in what form but we need to be ready.

Lobbying. The games tax credit is a hard won victory but it’s not done yet. We need to be right there making sure that the final details deliver on our needs and enable a real and sustainable future for all levels of the game industry in Ireland.

Contact

Slack (IrishGameDev): @John Molloy

Company Website: www.black-shamrock.com/

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/molloyjp

Josh Loveridge

Josh Loveridge is the founder and managing director of Loveridge Digital & Stratton Studios, both are multinational companies in their respective fields.

He is currently the youngest ever all-star accredited business owner from the All-Ireland Business Foundation at only 20 years of age. Josh is enthusiastic & driven to transform the gaming industry within Ireland by sharing the vast resources and knowledge he has gained from working within the industry & developing unique business models over recent years while putting a strong focus on research & development and continue to grow and strive within the field. Stratton Studios is a full-time development studio located in Newtown County Wicklow, They focus on developing single-player experiences for Console platforms such as The One We Found, Castle Costume, with their most recent title"Costume Kingdom" releasing on PS4/PS5 recently.

What I hope to achieve

Over recent years there have been major successes within the Irish gaming community, but those successes are too few and far between, I believe that with the right resources and mentorship programs in place Ireland can become a major player within the gaming industry, I hope to establish a program within IMIRT that enables the development community to have a fighting chance and to thrive as it has become harder and harder to "break" into the industry over recent years due to increased financial pressure when setting up a studio. I would also strive to set up more networking events be it virtually or in-person ( when all the craziness has subsided), The knowledge gained at such events cannot be understated enough and often times forge business relationships that last a lifetime, Having more events within the country would also make the gaming scene more attractive to higher-profile members of the gaming community, The more exposure the gaming industry within Ireland gets the quicker it will expand and grow! These are some of the reasons I believe I am a perfect fit for the Imirt board this year!

Contact

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/josh-loveridge-905361150

Facebook: www.facebook.com/josh.loveridge.3

Twitter: @StrattonStudios

Website 1: loveridgedigital.com

Website 2: strattonstudiogames.com

Killian Mangan

After spending 4 years studying game design in university in Scotland, I moved back home to Waterford to help form a remote gamedev cooperative called Quarant Inc. We're now nearing the release of our first game ‘Grow Big (or Go Home)’ and have another game in development also. I assumed the role of Team / Creative Lead at Quarant Inc. a few months ago and I continue to play an active part managing both the creative and team aspects of our co-op. I've also had experience in Leadership at the ticketing in Longitude music festival various years, managing a team of 8 in a high-stress environment. In University, I took on the position of PR and Fundraising Manager for the Soup Kitchen Society, wiping off hundreds of pounds of debt and adding a few hundred pounds of reserves to the bank account within the space of a year.

What I hope to achieve

I hope to prioritise and promote the cooperative model for game development as a structure which is much more equitable, sustainable, and successful than traditional business. I believe that, especially in an industry as turbulent as game development, the co-op model can bring many benefits to newer teams looking to incorporate, and to bigger and more experienced teams looking to switch to a worker-led model.

I also hope to stress the importance of encouraging flexible work for the employees in our industry, with a key focus on the switch to working from home. I seek to push for slower but more manageable and sustainable growth of the industry over rapid expansion which can lead to an exaggerated boom-and-bust cycle for those working on projects within the industry, worsening job market precarity in an industry already so wracked by precariousness.

As someone heavily involved in politics, I want to use my knowledge to lobby the Irish Government to remove the barriers present for those wanting to enter the industry; namely removing the under-25 self-employed job-seeker's and minimum wage penalties, and getting independent game developers recognised as members of the creative arts, including eligibility and access to universal basic income for artists.

Contact

Twitter: @killianm97

Game Dev Portfolio: https://killianmangan9.wixsite.com/game-dev-portfolio

Email: killianmangan@gmail.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Killian.Mangan.97

Manuel Correia

I’m a game designer of both digital and analog games. For the last ten years I've worked in a range of platforms which include mobile, PC, augmented reality and virtual reality. You might have played some, such as Forge of Empires, 8 Ball Pool or the first expansion for Guild of Dungeoneering: Pirate's Cove. I am currently at Romero Games, working on Empire of Sin.

I love to play around with new ideas and concepts of play, especially in analog formats because they are so quick to prototype and iterate on. With a trusty notepad by my side, you’ll often find me sketching new ideas or looking for people to play with.

What I hope to achieve

I think my experience with board games could come in handy as an accessible way to introduce people to game design both in workshops and in game jams. As one of the founders of Playtest Dublin, a regular board game playtesting meetup which is still running, I would like to start one in Galway as well. Given the current situation, maybe a national group ran online would be even more useful.

My contacts with publishers and manufacturers could help to turn projects into a reality. I love talking to other creative people, so it would be fun to help with interviews or podcasts.

Contact

Website: gamesbymanuel.com

Twitter: @gamesbymanuel

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manuelcorreia/

Paul Fahey

Paul has been a part of the Irish game development industry for the past 6 years. He’s been around the industry in multiple roles including reviewer, developer, and designer but has spent the past two years writing for Digit Games.

He has always tried to make time for his fellow developers, taking part in as many social or outreach initiatives that he possibly could!

In the past year, he has taken a more active role in the community. Outreach to students and those breaking into the industry has been his focus but he wants to work with all of the wonderful developers this community has to make the industry better for everyone.

He wants nothing more than to see the Irish games scene grow into a strong, inclusive, welcoming community and he's willing to put in as much work as it takes to get there!

He will also join your tabletop RPG. It doesn't matter that he already has six ongoing. Oops.

What I hope to achieve

The Irish games industry has a great reputation as one that is warm, welcoming, and with an excellent sense of community. I believe that this is the result of years of hard work and cultivation by the community itself and Imirt has been such a huge driver of that work. All of the social events, the outreach initiatives, the community support, giving smaller, indie devs the moment to shine; Imirt has done so much to improve the industry and I want to help that continue.

I’ve always been an activist at heart. I’ve never liked the idea of leaving the work of improving our society to others and I’ve always tried to live by the mantra “If not me, who?”. Our industry, as much as we love it, has a lot of problems and I believe that we, as Imirt, can do a lot to improve it. I also want to help prop up the amazing talent that we have in our community and shine a spotlight on some amazing games that might not be getting the attention they deserve.

I’ve been involved in community organizations pretty much all my life. Youth politics, teenage activist groups, grassroots movements, I’ve done whatever I could to help wherever I can. As a result, I’ve picked up a lot of confidence when it comes to fundraising, event organizing, and canvassing. I’m still very much in the early days of my game development career, but I’m absolutely dedicated to making this industry better for everyone in it. I hope to show you that as a member of the board.

Thank you for considering me for the board and thank you for doing all that you do for the Irish industry!

Contact

Website: https://www.paulfaheygames.com/

Twitter: @paularexpress

Sara Mena

Hello, I'm Sara Mena, a visual artist. I moved from Portugal to Ireland to start my career in video games. After that, I was abroad in Germany and Sweden for four years before coming back again to Ireland.

During this time, I've been working in a variety of projects from small indie board games to large mobile titles to movie festivals, getting much-needed experience.

I'm now focusing more on educational games and apps in my newly founded company, Doodlio Studio.

What I hope to achieve

When I came to Ireland, I felt incredibly welcome to the video games community, which is part of my interest to apply for the Board.

I'm confident that with my background as a visual artist, I can help with the following:

Create graphic material to promote and building awareness of Imirt

Create ways for better communication between members, the community and other organisations.

Help with proposals for the Irish Government and other organisations by setting up templates for appealing presentations, petitions and auxiliary material.

Help to organise events like Inis Spraoi and games festivals.

Contact

Website - doodliostudio.com

Linkedin - linkedin.com/in/saramena/

Email - hello@doodliostudio.com