In recognition of the wide-ranging, multidisciplinary nature of interactive entertainment, everyone who participates in any way in the game development process is welcome to join the IGDA.

[10][11] It was such a success[7][10][12] that on the spot a steering committee was formed to host a larger event six months later at a Holiday Inn in Milpitas, California, which drew 127 developers.

[7] Early conference directors included developers such as Crawford, Brenda Laurel, Nicky Robinson, Anne Westfall, and Ernest W.

Initial board members included David Walker, Tim Brengle, Anne Westfall, and Ernest Adams, who became Chair.

A separate organization was also created in 1996, the IGDN, International Game Developers Network, run by people such as Marc Mencher and Gordon Walton.

The two organizations, the CGDA and the IGDN, ran more or less in parallel for a while, and then merged in 1999 as the International Game Developers Association, with David Walker and Tim Brengle as members No.

[34] Backlash over the presence of these female dancers resulted in the several people resigning in protest, most notably Brenda Romero from the IGDA's Women in Games Special Interest Group steering committee.