Game Audio London 2013

Proper Beans & Toast!

Just back from the AES 49th Audio For Games Conference and I'm overwhelmed with feelings from the past week. To say that the trip oversea's was a game-changer for me would be an understatement; It shook me to the very core of my person. Those who know me also know I have a penchant for enthusiastic positivity...it goes without saying that, when I say it I mean it. The rush of emotions I've felt were the direct result of so many things: the support and sponsorship of individuals and institutions, the openness of the game audio community, the laser-focused conference track, and the spirit of openly sharing the heart of our interactive lives with each other.

I helped coordinate a bit of the behind-the-scenes work that went on during the conference and acted as an advocate and evangelist throughout the past year. One of the coolest community things that happened during the conference was the #AudioForGames hashtag on twitter. People were able to jump on it early and bring a second layer to the sessions and presentations that helped fuel the discussion and engaged participants in (what I thought was) a higher level of communication. Thanks to everyone who contributed there as part of the community. (It goes without saying that the #GameAudio community overall is one of the best things!)

Aside from the few people I had met in person before, nearly every interaction I had was immediately "easy"; Some were downright psychic in their communication. (Here I go again with espousing the positive.) I say it every year (and often daily) that it is the people in game audio that continue to make this passion for interactive sound so satisfying. Sure, I like pulling off cool tricks and supporting the sound and dynamics in games...but it's the people that make these tiny victories so much better. I always feel like when I speak so positively to the nature of people that I'm setting myself up for the fall, but I've not felt the repercussions of it thankfully.

Add to this that it was the first time that I'd been in the same room with Anton, co-founder of the Game Audio Podcast, in over 7 years. The podcast grew out of our experience during one of the first couple of GDCs I attended as a way to extend the conversations that happened at conferences. We've been at it remotely for three years and I can easily say that being at the conference with him made it a richer experience. We were able to record an episode per day, wrapping up the previous days events and sharing our experiences. We also were lucky enough to rope in some special guests who were gracious enough to take time out of the jam-packed schedule to chat about their experiences.

The fine folks at DesigningSound.org have helped us round up the episodes which can be accessed here:
http://designingsound.org/2013/02/game-audio-podcast-aes-coverage/

Look for a couple more to trickle out in the near future as we continue our coverage of all things game audio.

Speaking of that, GDC is right around the corner! Anton and I will once again find ourselves together to bring you coverage of this years exciting lineup. Over the past years, a team of dedicated podcast editors have generously donated their time to cleaning, editing, and polishing our (my) frantic ramblings. If you're headed out to San Francisco in March be sure to say hello!