GameSoundCon and GDC Next 2013 recap

This week I had the pleasure of attending both GameSoundCon and GDC Next in Los Angeles. GameSounCon, which I had heard of through the GDC Audio Track this past spring, was everything I hoped it would be; presentations by renowned video game composers and sound designers, informative panels on the latest audio implementation software, and lots of great networking opportunities with members of GANG, IASIG, and newcomers to the industry. My GameSoundCon registration came with a free GDCNext Expo badge (yay for early registration perks!) which was happening next door.  GDCNext was smaller than GDC “prime” and more focused on portable and social media gaming and applications with panels ranging from app support to theme park interaction design (the Disney Imagineers one was amazing).  Both conferences were definitely worth the trip out west. Now… jet lag!