Wisconsin Games Alliance: Changes name from Madison Games Alliance

Katy Pettersen, kpettersen@madisonregion.org, 608.516.6684

Madison, WI – Leaders of the Madison Games Alliance (MGA) announced today that it is, effective immediately, becoming the Wisconsin Games Alliance (WGA). 
According to Jennifer Javornik, Co-Director of the Alliance and VP of Sales for Filament Games, “The name better reflects our reach and our intent to include, and partner with, all facets of the games industry throughout the state.” 
The change comes at a time when the organizer of the Alliance, the Madison Region Economic Partnership (MadREP), is working with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) to get the new WGA designated as a center of excellence. MadREP President Paul Jadin indicated that “The new brand is more conducive to fulfilling the conditions for designation and, while it has been at the table throughout the first two years of the MGA, we believe that WEDC will now be in a better position to support the Alliance going forward.” 
Another contributing factor is the planned launch of the state’s first-ever game-development conference, which will be announced next week. Tim Gerritsen, Co-Director of the Alliance and Studio Head for Fantasy Flight Interactive, has been spearheading the conference effort and believes it will have appeal throughout the Midwest. Tim pointed out that “We see this as an opportunity to highlight the density of activity in the Madison Region while also taking advantage of all that the rest of the state has to offer. We are anxious to include everyone from Wisconsin as well as our neighboring states in this effort.” 
The change was approved this week by an overwhelming vote of the WGA Steering Committee.