Jason Della Rocca, executive director of the International Game Developers Association, has just dropped a game industry bombshell:

He's moving on.

Della Rocca, who has headed the IGDA for eight-plus years, posted an announcement a short while ago on his Reality Panic blog:

It has been a wonderfully rewarding and stimulating 8+ years that I’ve served the IGDA, and it is now time for me to go. There are three key elements to my departure:

   1. There are some exciting personal opportunities that I want to pursue that simply require me to strike out on my own and step away from my role as the IGDA’s executive director. (Watch for more specific news on this after GDC, and no, I’m not starting a game development studio.)
   2. After 8.5 years of service, I won’t deny a certain amount of, uh, fatigue.
   3. Given the maturation and evolution of the IGDA, I’m not sure if I’m actually the “right guy” anymore…

Regarding #3, while I believe that my particular skills and strengths suited the needs of the IGDA along the way, the org has grown to the point where different styles of leadership should probably be explored.

Entertainment Consumers Association president Hal Halpin offered praise for Della Rocca:

The departure of Jason Della Rocca from his post as head of the IGDA isn’t just a loss for the association, it’s a loss for the sector as a whole. I am honored and privileged to have worked with him and can’t say enough about his tireless efforts and steadfast dedication to his members. I wish him luck in his new career and believe that we all owe him a debt of gratitude for the change that he was able to foster, the fruits of which we all enjoy.

GP: Jason is truly a class act; he will be missed at IGDA. We wish him the best of luck, where ever he lands.

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