New York, NY--Firmly established as a linchpin of today’s pro audio industry, video games continue to set new standards for advanced technology and revenue-generating products. The 131st AES Convention has revealed the schedule of events for its Game Audio Track, to educate designers, producers, and engineers.
- Game Audio Track Chair, Steve Martz.
- “Game Audio Track chair Steve Martz is a ‘player’ in the best sense of the word,” said 131st convention chair Jim Anderson. “He is deeply immersed in every facet of this burgeoning industry. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of the creative’s, the manufacturers and the audience, and he’s tapped that pool of experts liberally in his pursuit of a record-breaking score for this year’s event.”
- Game Audio Track events include:
- EMERGING TRENDS IN AUDIO FOR GAMES: Michael Kelly (SCEE) and Steve Martz (THX, Ltd.), Co-Chairs, AES Technical Committee on Audio for Games, will survey the current state of technology requirements for audio in game applications. Emerging trends and the technical requirements imposed by those trends will be reviewed.
- HISTORY OF AUDIO IMPLEMENTATION TOOLSETS: Damian Kastbauer, (Bay Area Sound) Extensive audio/visual examples and a pictorial overview will illustrate this history of standard and proprietary audio middleware toolsets. Features, functionality, trends, and techniques will be reviewed in an attempt to define the current state of options engaged in today's game development environments.
- EDUCATION: PREREQUISITES FOR A CAREER IN GAME AUDIO: Stephen Harwood Jr. (IASIG; Dynamic Systems Music) Professional success is built upon a sound, professional education. This panel will feature an overview of a comprehensive game audio curriculum, published this year by the IASIG, presented in the context of a discussion of the specialized knowledge and skill sets needed to work and excel in the video game industry today.
- CAREERS IN GAME AUDIO: Stephen Harwood Jr. (IASIG; Dynamic Systems Music) A panel of accomplished industry veterans share their experience and perspectives on a broad range of professional topics, with a focus on how to begin and develop a successful career in game audio.
- AUDIO FOR MOTION CONTROLLERS: Scott Selfon, (Microsoft) will chair a panel from the console manufactures’ point of view on techniques for delivering audio specifically designed to support games that use motion controllers and visual inputs.
- GAME AUDIO PROGRAMMING FOR ANDROID: FMOD VS JAVA: Peter Drescher (Twittering Machine) Using a silent, open source pinball game as a starting point to create audio files based on 80's synth tech, Drescher compares and contrasts sound implemented using FMOD audio middleware to Java methods built into the operating system.
- AUDIO SHORTS: Included in the full program of Workshops and Panels, the Game Audio Program will offer three 20-minute crash courses on specific designer ‘preferences.’ Scheduled “Shorty” presentations include: #1 Distortionation; #2 O3 - Occlusion, Obstruction, and other Obstacles and #3 My Favorite Plug-in
- “Our goal was to devise the most useful program possible for Video Game professionals,” Steve Martz said. “The twelve workshops and panels in this year’s Game Audio Track represent an extremely comprehensive assessment of the issues, technologies and creative thinking impacting today’s Game industry. We are confident that attendees will walk away with information that will be of great use to them. And, that they will also appreciate the opportunity to meet with their peers on the AES Convention’s clear and open playing field.”
