Generation change at Swiss Game Developers Association

Swiss Game Developers Association SGDA, is a renowned independent association representing the game creation industry. The founding team, including the retiring President Matthias Sala, Robbert van Rooden, and Reto Senn have been instrumental in shaping the association’s identity and establishing its reputation as the leading authority in the sector of Swiss game development.

Their efforts to bring the industry together began as early as 2008 with hosting events and political activities, ultimately leading to the formal establishment of the Swiss Game Association in 2012. Among the impactful contributions of the founding team is the launch of the Swiss Game Awards, pioneering the introduction of Testing Nights in Switzerland, and launching Gamesweek Zurich alongside its associated B2B conference. Furthermore, they achieved significant political milestones, such as producing a report on the significance of video games endorsed by the Federal Council, securing acceptance of the industry’s age restriction guideline and securing recognition of SGDA as a professional cultural organisation by the Federal Office of Culture. Notably, their creation of the safegames.ch platform stands as an important initiative to foster an extremism-free gaming experience.

Moreover, they established a professional head office and services for members, formed strong partnerships with Pro Helvetia, and created an international network to strengthen Swiss game creation – they secured a membership in the European Games Developer Federation EGDF.

New leadership
In light of its tenth anniversary, the founding team has decided to pass on the association’s responsibility to new forces. Alice Ruppert has assumed the role of President, bringing a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of the game development sector. Alice is an alumna of Zurich University of the Arts, specializing in Game Design. She served six years as the Head of Games for the AirConsole platform at Zurich start-up N-Dream AG. Since 2021, she has been a Creative Producer at Aesir Interactive GmbH in Munich, working remotely from Switzerland. Her specialization lies in games revolving around horses and equestrian sports. With a proven track record of success and a passion for advancing the industry’s interests, Alice Ruppert is well-positioned to lead SGDA into its next chapter of growth and influence.

“I am honoured and privileged to take on the role of President at SGDA”, said Alice Ruppert. “ The SGDA plays a crucial role in securing national recognition for our industry and supporting and promoting local talent – these efforts must be continued and further expanded.”

As the new President, Alice Ruppert aims to strengthen the association’s position as the authoritative voice representing game creation. Alice Ruppert envisions continuously enhancing member services, fostering industry-wide cooperation, and advocating for the interests and growth of the sector of game creation at regional, national, and international levels. By fostering dialogue, promoting best practices, and leveraging emerging opportunities, the association will continue to support the success and sustainability of its members.

The new board comprises Alice Ruppert (President), Qui Cung, David Javet, Hiloko Kato, Stefano Maccarinelli and Andri Weidmann.

(Press release/RAN)