News — New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), in conjunction with NYU Tandon School of Engineering, has officially opened and for New York City’s new digital game design incubator—the (GDFL)—within NYU Tandon Future Labs, a startup incubator network operator founded 15 years ago with initial funding from NYCEDC. The Game Design Future Lab taps into New York City’s growing digital game development industry and aims to enable developer growth and success through personalized and strategic mentorship, industry-specific and fundamental business workshops, investor outreach, access to new technologies and network building.
Additionally, NYCEDC and NYU Tandon unveiled the initial members selected for GDFL’s Advisory Board and Game Design Mentor Group, which are both made up of industry leaders and experts who will provide support through mentorship, industry-specific resources, and network building.
Mayor Eric Adams’ “” recognized the digital games industry as a priority, and NYCEDC and NYU Tandon identified an incubator as an effective method to support and build the local industry. The industry’s 7,900 jobs in New York City represent a total economic impact of $2.6 billion annually.
“Since the start of the Adams administration, we have launched a multi-pronged strategy to make New York City a global hub for digital games,” said First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer. “Building on the first-ever Mayor’s Industry Council, the launch of the ‘Made in NY’ marketing credit for digital games, and targeted efforts to train the next generation of industry leaders, we are proud to launch a new gaming incubator to support this important industry. The Game Design Future Lab will provide digital gaming startups with the mentorship and resources needed to grow and thrive in the five boroughs. I thank the New York City Economic Development Corporation and NYU Tandon for their partnership on this exciting program.”
“As the digital games industry continues to grow in New York City, creating thousands of new jobs, it is critical that early-stage developers receive the resources and mentorship needed to thrive,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President & CEO Andrew Kimball. “NYCEDC is thrilled to partner with NYU Tandon to uplift this burgeoning creative sector and can't wait to see the inaugural cohort evolve their startups into innovative long-lasting New York City businesses—game on!”
“Kudos to our colleagues at NYCEDC, and NYC Tandon, for their work to launch the new digital gaming incubator, another incredible example of this administration's work to support digital game development in NYC,” said NYC Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, Pat Swinney Kaufman. “This program, alongside recent City-led initiatives such as the return of the Microsoft Education Battle of the Boroughs and GDC's presence at The AI Summit New York, show the city's commitment to making NYC a global hub for the digital games industry.”
“The digital games industry stands poised to drive unprecedented innovation in New York City,” said NYU Tandon Vice Dean for External Affairs and Public Relations Sayar Lonial. “By extending Future Labs' proven startup incubation model to game developers, we're creating a powerful engine for creative and economic growth. Combined with New York State's tax incentives and NYCEDC's support, GDFL will catalyze the next generation of digital games breakthroughs and make the City the epicenter of this new economic driver.”
Selected GDFL companies will benefit from the Future Labs’ strong 15-year track record of mentoring start-ups across various sectors, with a 93 percent success rate after founding. Participants will also receive tailored mentorship and workshops specific to their startup’s goals, as well as connections to the incubator’s Advisory Board and Mentors, NYU faculty, NYU Tandon engineering expertise, and office hours with field experts. While based out of NYU Future Labs with dedicated desk space in Brooklyn, startups will also receive benefits and resources such as AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and Hubspot.
The digital games incubator will feature annual cohorts of New York City-based digital game companies who have a functioning design prototype and are able to attend in-person sessions. Participating companies will have access to space and state-of-the-art resources at 370 Jay Street at NYU Tandon’s Brooklyn campus.
NYCEDC has partnered with NYU-led incubators since 2009, including the development of the (UFL) at NYU Tandon in 2014. NYU’s startup incubators are co-located in Downtown Brooklyn in the same building as the Center for Urban Science and Progress, an awardee of NYCEDC's Applied Science NYC Initiative. Collectively, the Future Labs incubator network—including UFL, Data Future Lab and Veterans Future Lab—has supported 428 startups, who have raised $4.6 billion across portfolios, and created 9,510 jobs.
“Given my insight as Chair of the Senate Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee, the launch of the Game Design Future Lab is a significant step forward for our local economy and the digital games industry,” said New York State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. “By fostering innovation and providing crucial support to emerging game developers, we are not only creating jobs, but also ensuring that New York City remains a global leader in technology and creativity, while improving consumer protections. I proudly support this initiative and look forward to seeing the incredible talent it will nurture.”
“The launch of the NYC Game Design Future Lab by NYCEDC and NYU Tandon School of Engineering is a testament to New York City’s position as a global hub for innovation and creativity,” said Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce President & CEO, Randy Peers. “This incubator will play a pivotal role in fostering the growth of our city's expanding digital game development industry, offering unparalleled resources, mentorship, and networking opportunities to empower developers and entrepreneurs. By anchoring this initiative in Brooklyn, the program not only strengthens our local economy but also reinforces our borough’s reputation as a thriving center for technology and entrepreneurship.”
The GDFL Advisory Board will offer their acumen to the incubator and access to industry, as a means to support the growth of cohorts. The advisory board members include:
- Jane Chen – SVP, Integrated Marketing at Live Nation Entertainment
- Matthew Cohen – Digital Games Agent, Creative Artists Agency
- Ellen Flaherty – Director of Learning, Ecosystem & Growth, Unity Technologies
- Rowan Hajaj – Head of Finance / Corporate Development Rockstar Games
- Yoshi Ishii – Principal, Makers Fund
- Troy Kirwin – Partner, Andreessen Horowitz
- James Lewis – Director of ID@Xbox Developer Acceleration Program, Microsoft
- Matt Lucero – Head of Brand & Product Marketing, Bucklabs
- Dennis Morgan – CCO & Founder, Harlem CoLab
- Krysti Pryde – Executive Director, Playcrafting
- Jessica Rovello – Founder / Executive Chair, Arkadium
- Caden Stobart – Chief People Officer / Head of Operations / Founder
- André Swanston – Chairman, Swanston Organization
- Michael Worosz – Chief Strategy Officer, Take-Two Interactive
- Julian Togelius – Director, NYU Tandon Game Innovation Lab
- Yiyi Zhang – Founder Women in Games NYC, Community + PR Manager Heart Machine, Inc., Vice President Arcade Commons
Additionally, the Gaming Design Mentor Group will directly support participants with networking, business development, and the one-on-one support needed for successful growth. Mentors include:
- Ahmed Ansari – Industry Assistant Professor, Integrated Design and Media, NYU Tandon
- Hamna Faisal – Head of Partnerships & Asst. Community Manager at Indie Game Academy, Community Manager at Gumbo
- Yuichi Haga – Game Enthusiast
- Masaya Heywood – Co-Founder & Business Developer, Outfox Games
- Yohei Ishii – Principal, Makers Fund
- Henrik Jonsson – Senior Industry Consultant, Radgivery
- Erik Kovac – Head of Marketing, Tilt
- Nicholas O'Brien – Founder, Essay Games
- David Parisi – Associate Professor in the Department of Technology, Culture, and Society, NYU Tandon, Editor of ROMchip
- Scott Prather – Senior Manager, Business Development, Mattel
- Katharina Schmidt – Senior Business Development Manager, Rovio, Part of SEGA Group
- Julian Togelius – Director, NYU Tandon Game Innovation Lab
- Joseph Zaarour – Founder & CEO, iSolvRisk
Quotes from GDFL advisors and mentors available .
Applications for the inaugural cohort are now open through January 20, 2025. Selected developers will be announced in March 2025. . For more information, contact [email protected].
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