VentureBeat Homepage
  • The Machine
  • GamesBeat
  • Jobs
  • Special Issue
  • Account Settings
  • Log Out
  • Become a Member
  • Sign In
VentureBeat Homepage

GamesBeat

VentureBeat

  • AR/VR
  • Big Data
  • Cloud
  • Commerce
  • Dev
  • Enterprise
  • Entrepreneur
  • Marketing
  • Media
  • Mobile
  • Security
  • Social
  • Transportation

Follow

follow us on Twitter follow us on Facebook follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS

The Machine

  • AI
  • Machine Learning
  • Computer Vision
  • Natural Language Processing
  • Robotic Process Automation

Follow

Follow us on RSS

GamesBeat

  • Games
  • Esports
  • PC Gaming

Follow

follow us on Twitter Follow us on RSS

Events

  • Upcoming
  • Transform
  • Media Partner
  • Webinars

General

  • Newsletters
  • Got a news tip?
  • Advertise
  • Press Releases
  • Guest Posts
  • Deals
  • Jobs
  • VB Lab
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
×

Join the GamesBeat Community

Free: Join the GamesBeat Community for access to 3 premium posts or videos a month.

Learn More

Sign in to continue purchasing your ticket.

Please wait...

Share

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn

Profile

  • VentureBeat Homepage
  • Newsletters
  • Events

Skillz teams up with IGDA to introduce new game makers to game developer chapters

Dean Takahashi@deantak September 12, 2019 9:35 AM
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn
Skillz and the IGDA are teaming up.
Skillz and the IGDA are teaming up.
Image Credit: Skillz

A company culture of growth

Learn how your company's culture can either advance or totally sabotage your company goals.

Register Now

Join Transform 2021 this July 12-16. Register for the AI event of the year.


Mobile esports company Skillz has joined with the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) to connect studios to Skillz’s community of 30 million players and 17,500 new game makers.

The San Francisco-based Skillz makes it possible to play esports matches in mobile games, and it has built up an audience of 30 million registered players. On top of that, Skillz enables developers to create new mobile esports games, and it has built that network up to 20,000 players. The IGDA, meanwhile, has a network of 10,000 chapters of game developer groups. And now they will be connected.

With this new venture, Skillz joins the IGDA’s roster partners, including Amazon, Microsoft, and Unity, providing additional resources and support services to help game makers.

“Game makers are the unsung heroes of esports, designing the engaging content that drives a growing multi-billion dollar industry forward,” said Andrew Paradise, the CEO and founder of Skillz, in a statement. “Skillz is the platform that empowers anyone to embrace their inner champion. By giving some of the most talented creators in the world access to the Skillz community and technology platform, the industry’s brightest rising stars can showcase their passions to the world’s 2.6 billion mobile gamers.”

Gaming is becoming the most important mass media market and already employs over 220,000 professionals spanning programmers, producers, artists, writers, analysts, and more. The mobile gaming industry is now 50% larger than the global film box office, bolstered by the 60% of people with smartphones who play at least one mobile game. In the past decade alone, the number of game makers worldwide increased from 32,000 to over 10 million.

“Partnering with Skillz is an incredible opportunity to enable developers from all walks of life and in studios of all sizes to make their mark on the booming esports scene,” said Renee Gittins, the executive director at the IGDA, in a statement. “It’s more important than ever to support the thousands of creators working alone or in smaller studios, given the increasing accessibility of game development and resulting competition. We’re working with Skillz to give developers the tools and connections they need to make their games successful.”

The IGDA founded the world’s largest game creation event, the annual Global Game Jam (GGJ), now run by a separate organization. In GGJ 2019, more than 47,000 participants at 860 sites in 113 countries created over 9,000 games in one weekend. Through Sept. 30, developers have another opportunity to create great games and win a grand prize valued at $50,000 through the Skillz Global Game Developer Challenge.

“If you compare game developers to writers, Skillz is the platform enabling someone to be the next Danielle Steel or J.K. Rowling,” said Paradise. “Or if you compare game developers to filmmakers, Skillz is the competition marketplace enabling indie creators to earn an Academy Award.”

GamesBeat

GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it. How will you do that? Membership includes access to:
  • Newsletters, such as DeanBeat
  • The wonderful, educational, and fun speakers at our events
  • Networking opportunities
  • Special members-only interviews, chats, and "open office" events with GamesBeat staff
  • Chatting with community members, GamesBeat staff, and other guests in our Discord
  • And maybe even a fun prize or two
  • Introductions to like-minded parties
Become a member

GamesBeat Summit 2021

#GBSummit returns with two days of content and networking designed for industry executives.

Hosted Online

April 28-29, 2021

Register Now

Search jobs and find your dream job today.

Get Hired
  • GamesBeat
  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Follow us on LinkedIn
  • Follow us on RSS
  • VB Lab
  • Newsletters
  • Events
  • Special Issue
  • Product Comparisons
  • Jobs
  • About
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service

© 2021 VentureBeat. All rights reserved.