The GAMA (Game Manufacturer's Association) site at gama.org has recently launched discussion boards.  Since there is already a robust game industry discussion forum on Delphi.com (Game Industry Forum, or 'GIF'), the GAMA boards appear to be an attempt to fashion an alternative.  The introductory message on the GAMA site gives some indication as to the organization's intentions.   According to the message, 'One of GAMA's primary missions is to facilitate and increase industry-wide communications.  The more we all know, the better we can do business.'  The message continues, '...However, GAMA has an obligation to be an instrument of productivity and promulgate a positive image of our industry.  This forum presents one of the public faces of the Games Industry.  Therefore the Forum Administrator will delete messages, or portions of messages, that are deemed to be denigrating or offensive, or contain false information.' 

One interpretation of this message is simply that GAMA seeks to create a game industry discussion area that is more positive and less contentious than the GIF, which has hosted discussions of difficult topics on which there is wide disagreement.  The GAMA goal of promulgating 'a positive image of our industry' is not part of the GIF mission, which is simply, 'promoting better communication within the game industry.' 

Oversight of discussions on the GIF was actually stepped up this summer in the wake of a user survey which requested tighter controls by a two to one margin.  Policies requiring professional and civil communications stayed the same, but moderators began stepping in more quickly to quell flames and other inappropriate communications.  This may not have been enough for GAMA, however, and the organization may be starting the new discussion area as a reaction to past disputes on the GIF. 

The Game Industry Forum was spun off from a similar comic industry forum on Delphi in 1999 and has been primarily a place for retailers to congregate, although many distributors and manufacturers interact with the retailers as well.  Until recently, it was moderated by D.P. 'Vern' Vernazzarro, who was also head of the Retailer Division of GAMA for much of that period.  As of this summer there were a number of changes.  First, Vernazzarro turned over moderation of the site to a number of new volunteers.  Also, the organizers of the game and comic industry forums on Delphi formally joined into the Game and Comics Industry Network.  According to the site, 'The Network is a cooperative effort of volunteers dedicated to promoting the efforts of industry professionals in both the hobby game and comics industries.'   The group also announced plans to form a new retailer organization (see 'Comic and Game Retailers Talk Retailer Organization').  

This history of the GIF provides additional possible reasons why GAMA may be interested in creating a competitive area for industry dialogue.  It may be that GAMA did not like the widespread discussion on the GIF of the attempt to obtain full voting rights for retailer members of GAMA (which is currently controlled by publishers), and the sometimes bitter reactions of retailers when the measure failed (see 'GAMA Membership Dispute Continues').   Also, GAMA may view the new retailer organization referenced above as a competitor and may wish to give retailers an alternative forum that is tied to GAMA, rather than a competing organization. 

The value of discussion boards to users, like the value of any network to its users, grows for each user as the number of users increases -- the more posts on the site and the more accumulated knowledge possessed by the users, the more any give user can benefit from its use.  According to Vernazzarro, the number of members of the GIF has been increasing over the last six months, and retailer usage is at an all time high.  As a new discussion area, the key to the success of the GAMA boards will be how many users it can get to use them.  GAMA definitely has a good list of game industry participants and it will be interesting to see whether it can attract enough to reach the critical mass that makes for interesting discussions.

In addition to age and user base, the GAMA and GIF boards have some other differences.  The software is different, and that means that things like how messages are displayed varies.  This is largely a matter of personal taste, although there is definitely a 'switching cost' to learning how to use a new discussion board system if one is used to a particular software.  Also, the registration process appears to be significantly different.  Applicants to use the GIF boards are vetted to make sure they're actually industry members.  We were able to register to use the GAMA boards with no screening.  Perhaps that's why GAMA is more concerned with how positive the messages are than the GIF -- if consumers are seeing the boards as well as industry participants, it's probably a good idea not to air dirty laundry there.