Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2019 takes place March 18-22 in Moscone Convention Center, San Francisco, CA, US.
Written by Damian Kastbauer
The Game
GDC is a pure expression of interactivity. There’s no right way to traverse the path from start to finish. From the moment you hit the ground in San Francisco you are faced with a (myriad of options splayed-out before you, do you: BART? Car-share? Cab? Walk (don’t try it!)? But you’ve already been making decisions about how to navigate your time on-the-ground for months: lining up travel & accommodations, printing contact cards, breaking in new shoes, getting plenty of sleep, all in preparation for an intensive week of maximizing time with the largest gathering of game developers in the CONUS. Or maybe you haven’t, and you’re just going to take it as it comes, find the good conversations and pinball-around the conference based on your moment-to-moment experience. It’s all up to you!
After 12 years of GDC interactivity, my days end up anchored around a pleasurable routine that attempts to leave room for the dynamic possibilities that emerge day-to-day:
- 10 PRINT WAKE UP
- 7-9am Game Audio Podcast GDC Morning Meetup community check-in
- Grab a breakfast burrito on the way to Moscone for some audio hallway time.
- First session of the day: settling-in for epiphanies, deep thinking, and brain-work.
- Grab-and-go lunch on-the-run to the audio meetup behind the carousel around noon
- CarouselCon providing solid perspectives from crowd-sourced micro-talks
- Afternoon dynamics: presentations? Expo Floor? Coffee? Meetings?
- Is there time for dinner Y/N?
- Where’s the parties?
- Is it morning yet?
- GOTO 10
No matter what pattern your interactive GDC falls into, the conference is usually best experienced with people. To me, there’s nothing better than making a new friend and randomizing your day with a shared passion. Whether new or old, friends provide additional context and perspective on everything from: where to eat to what is the future of game audio. Don’t be afraid to take the adventure off-script, tamp-down the FOMO and get the most out of the day on your own terms, interactively, in the best way possible. With or without people, make sure there is time in your day to recharge your batteries (literally and figuratively) and take care of yourself. Each day is a sprint and the week of GDC can feel like a marathon. Pace yourself.
We choose this opportunity as ambassadors of audio in the game development community, so lead with the greatest optimism, collaboration, humbleness, and grace in-conversation
Have a look at the GDC Code of Conduct before you hit town and engage its guidelines while onsite (and continue to adhere to its sensible advice even outside of the presentation hall). Forming relationships and cultivating conversations should begin with mutual respect; always stay positive and within the bounds of social etiquette. Find ways to include people in your adventures when possible. Find ways to bring other people into your conversations, and always treat people in the best way possible. We choose this opportunity as ambassadors of audio in the game development community, so lead with the greatest optimism, collaboration, humbleness, and grace in-conversation.
Keep your social media trained at #GameAudioGDC on twitter for up to the moment information and don’t forget to share insight and epiphanies there and with the #GameAudio community at-large. One of the greatest feelings is being able to extend knowledge learned on-the-ground to folks who are unable to make it to the conference to experience it first-hand. Twitter doesn’t always make sense in this strange world of social media, but I have seen it work wonders on-the-ground towards pulling together people towards the goal of socializing and keeping in-touch during the week.
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[tweet_box]The Bohemian Guide to Game Audio GDC 2019:[/tweet_box]
News of the World
Monday March 18th
Game Audio Podcast GDC Morning Meetup
After years at the venerable Sightglass coffee, this years conversations will be held on the ground floor of the Sennheiser SF retail location near Union Square. What started as a small group of folks with a shared-love for good coffee and game audio has evolved into a community-catalyzing force that helps set the tone for each days activity during the conference. From 7:00-9:00AM Monday through Saturday folks gather and unravel their experience as part of a group discussion that hovers around game audio and touches on topics in-between our professional aspirations and personal stories. Moving locations to Sennheiser SF is an attempt to increase accessibility and lower the noise floor for the event. I hope you can join us and be part of the conversation.
Monday March 18th through Saturday March 23rd
7:00 – 9:00 AM
Location: Sennheiser SF, 278 Post St
For folks with an All Access, Summits, VRDC Add On passes, Monday begins with some incredible talks!
Monday, March 18 | 10:00am – 11:00am
INTEGRATING LIVE ACTORS INTO NON-LOCATION BASED IMMERSIVE THEATER VR EXPERIENCES
Speakers: Tanya Leal Soto (Tender Claws), Samantha Gorman (Tender Claws), Tara Ahmadinejad (Piehole), Julian Ceipek (Tender Claws)
Pass Type: All Access, VRDC Add On
Monday, March 18 | 11:20am – 12:20pm
MENTAL MODELS AND SYSTEMS FOR SPATIAL COMPUTING
Speaker: Timoni West (Unity Technologies)
Pass Type: All Access, VRDC Add On
Monday March 18th – Night
Keep your ears tuned to the wind (and to #GameAudioGDC on twitter) for info on any audio group meetups that might materialize. Be ready for the spontaneous, the goose-hunt, the wild sheep chase through the streets of San Francisco on a moments notice. Be safe, travel with friends when possible, and take care!
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Sheer Heart Attack
Tuesday March 19th
Tuesday is all about the Audio Bootcamp. Whether you’re new to interactive audio or an experienced professional, the line-up attempts to cover the full-spectrum across all disciplines and highlights evergreen topics as well as deep-dives into niche audio territory. Guaranteed to be a day of disparate perspectives and stimulating discourse (especially during the lunchtime surgeries*), this is where the fun will be!
Location: Room 3002, West Hall
Tuesday, March 19 | 10:00am – 11:00am
AUDIO BOOTCAMP XVIII: HOW A SYSTEMIC APPROACH TO GAME AUDIO INCREASED CREATIVITY AND PRODUCTIVITY FOR ‘ASSASSIN’S CREED ODYSSEY’
Speaker: Lydia Andrew (Ubisoft Quebec)
Tuesday, March 19 | 11:20am – 12:20pm
AUDIO BOOTCAMP XVIII: THEATRICAL INTERACTIVITY IN VIDEO GAME MUSIC
Speaker: John Robert Matz (Independent)
Tuesday, March 19 | 12:20pm – 1:50pm
AUDIO BOOTCAMP XVIII: LUNCHTIME SURGERIES
Speakers: Lydia Andrew (Ubisoft Quebec), John Robert Matz (Independent), Filip Conic (Rovio), DB Cooper (DB Cooper VO, LLC), Gerard Marino (G-Musique), Stephan Schutze(Sound Librarian), Josie Brechner (Visager), Scott Selfon (Oculus), Damian Kastbauer (ArenaNet)
*An opportunity for deeper conversations with Audio Bootcamp speakers over lunch in a smaller scale setting. Grab some food and then come back to sit at tables-in-the-round with the day’s speakers and chat on the topics that have surfaced throughout the day.
Tuesday, March 19 | 2:10pm – 2:40pm
AUDIO BOOTCAMP XVIII: ‘ANGRY BIRDS 2’: HOW AUDIO CHANGES EVERYTHING
Speaker: Filip Conic (Rovio)
Tuesday, March 19 | 3:00pm – 3:30pm
AUDIO BOOTCAMP XVIII: DEVELOPING VOICES
Speaker: DB Cooper (DB Cooper VO, LLC)
Tuesday, March 19 | 3:50pm – 4:20pm
AUDIO BOOTCAMP XVIII: LOOP CLINIC: SEAMLESS AND FATIGUE-FREE MUSIC AND SOUND DESIGN LOOPING TECHNIQUES FOR INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT
Speaker: Gerard Marino (G-Musique)
Tuesday, March 19 | 4:40pm – 5:10pm
AUDIO BOOTCAMP XVIII: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT VR AUDIO CAN BE LEARNED FROM YOUR CAR
Speaker: Stephan Schutze (Sound Librarian)
Tuesday, March 19 | 5:30pm – 6:00pm
AUDIO BOOTCAMP XVIII: INDIE FREELANCING: CREATING COMMUNITY AND COLLABORATION
Speaker: Josie Brechner (Visager)
Tuesday March 19th – Night
Heard of Game Audio Denizens on FB? These folk shave been consistently coordinating one of the best, grassroots, community-focused meetups of all time. DB Cooper and her ilk will be on hand to huzzah and hooray your way into the night!
The Jillionth Annual Game Audio Denz ’n’ Friends Dinner
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
5:30pm to 8:30 or 9:00pm
Location: California Pizza Kitchen, 53 Third Street
Game Audio Karaoke
Tuesday March 19
8:00pm – midnight
Cost: Free!
Location: YamaSho, 1161 Post St
From the humblest beginnings comes one of the most-loved events of the conference. Spawned years ago by Luca Fusi and further championed these last years by the folks at A Shell In The Pit, this night of karaoke is a chance to sway and sing in camaraderie with like-minded people of all pitches. This year finds the fine folks at AK and ASITP picking up the tab leaving no excuse for anyone in game audio not to attend, eve if it’s just to soak in the good vibes.
Tickets will be available through Eventbrite early next week. Keep ‘em peeled over at #GameAudioGDC.
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A Day at the Races
Wednesday March 20th
Wednesday is all about the community conversations and roundtables for me. There are some great presentations that you won’t want to miss, for sure, but one of the things that has risen to the top of my GDC experience are the various audio community discussions that run throughout the week. There is never a shortage of content from experienced folks across all disciplines of game development, but for me, it’s difficult to go wrong sitting-in on a roundtable of interest and the ability to engage in the interactive quality of these forums. Aside from the roundtables listed here for Wednesday, there are other roundtables sprinkled throughout the week. So if you find yourself wanting to be a part of the conversation, or are just looking for something a bit more interactive, I encourage you to seek one out and see what they’re all about.
…and don’t forget the IASIG Party tonight and the IASIG Town Hall on Friday during lunch.
Wednesday, March 20 | 12:30pm – 1:30pm
G.A.N.G. TOWN HALL
Speaker: Brian Schmidt (Brian Schmidt Studios)
Location: Room 3002, West Hall
Wednesday, March 20 | 2:00pm – 3:00pm
WOMEN/MARGINALIZED GENDERS IN GAME AUDIO ROUNDTABLE DAY 1: NAVIGATING THE WORKPLACE
Speakers: Becky Allen (343 Industries), Amanda Rose Smith (ARS Audio), Carlye Nyte (Camouflaj)
Wednesday, March 20 | 3:30pm – 4:30pm
GAME AUDIO PROGRAMMING ROUNDTABLE DAY 1: GAME INTEGRATION
Speakers: Guy Somberg (Echtra Games, Inc.), Tomas Neumann (Blizzard Entertainment)
Location: Room 215, South Hall
Wednesday, March 20 | 5:00pm – 6:00pm
GAME AUDIO CULTURE ROUNDTABLE DAY 1: HOW CULTURAL DIVERSITY COULD BE THE KEY TO SUCCESS
Speakers: Damian Kastbauer (ArenaNet), Atsushi Suganuma (Square Enix, Ltd.), Gwen Guo (Imba Interactive)
Location: Room 206, South Hall
Wednesday March 20th – Night
IASIG Audio Mixer
Wednesday, March 20
6:00pm – 9:00pm
Location: Sennheiser, 278 Post St
Any audio professional attending GDC is welcome at this special social event. (Show your GDC Audio Pass or audio-related business card for entry.)
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Construction Kit – 2443 Sounds
A treasure trove of raw, organic, and processed sounds including seamless loops divided into Fire, Water, Air, Earth and Explosion categories. Customize every detail with an extensive selection of sound components.
- Organic Fire: Campfire sizzles, torch whooshes, and flame bursts.
- Processed Fire: Distorted impacts and unique crackles.
- Organic Earth: Rock crashes, gravel scrapes, and heavy stone hits.
- Processed Earth: Stylized rumbles and granular textures.
- Organic Water: Ocean waves, hydrophone bubbles, and fluid splashes.
- Processed Water: Underwater whooshes and stylized liquid smashes.
- Organic Air: Bamboo swishes, cloth movements, and pressure bursts.
- Processed Air: Filtered gusts and dynamic noise sweeps.
- Explosion: Firework detonations, Butane bursts, and cinematic impacts.
Building Blocks – 416 Sounds
Game-ready sound layers featuring Impacts, Whooshes, and Textures as seamless loops. Elevate transitions and enhance atmospheres with loops and pre-designed sound layers.
- Fire: Explosive bursts, blazing infernos, and warm embers.
- Earth: Ground-shaking impacts, crumbling terrain, and heavy collisions.
- Water: Cascading waves, serene rivers, and underwater ambiences.
- Air: Whispering breezes, stormy turbulence, and slicing gusts.
Design Kit – 192 Sounds
A collection of ready-to-use sound effects divided into Attack, Bend, and Explosion categories for quick integration into your projects. Perfect for high-energy scenes and immersive storytelling.
- Fire: Crackling flames, fiery bursts, and roaring infernos.
- Earth: Crushing impacts, shifting ground, and massive land eruptions.
- Water: Splashes, fluid manipulations, and crashing tidal waves.
- Air: Slicing winds, swirling currents, and thunderous gusts.
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A Night at the Opera
Thursday March 21st
Thursday is a powerhouse of sound design juxtapositions. From the bonkers action and verve of Yoku’s Island Express through-to the cultural influences of Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the day is jam-packed with different ways of expressing and hearing sound. I sat down for a preview of the ‘Moss’: Design Before Sound presentation on-the-ground up here in Seattle from Stephen Hodde; he has put together a succinct illustration of the role that sound plays in delivering on, and how it can better deliver on, the emotional potential in a games design. Part storytelling, part TED talk, and 100% heart. Not to be missed!
Thursday, March 21 | 10:00am – 11:00am
ADVENTURES IN III AUDIO: ‘YOKU’S ISLAND EXPRESS’
Speakers: Jesse Harlin (Submersion Audio), Thomas Bible (Submersion Audio)
Location: Room 3006, West Hall
Thursday, March 21 | 2:00pm – 2:30pm
THE SOUND DESIGN FOR ‘GOD OF WAR’
Speaker: Mike Niederquell (PlayStation)
Location: Room 3002, West Hall
Thursday, March 21 | 3:00pm – 3:30pm
‘MOSS’: DESIGN BEFORE SOUND
Speaker: Stephen Hodde (Polyarc)
Location: Room 3006, West Hall
Thursday, March 21 | 4:00pm – 5:00pm
BRINGING VIRTUAL AUDIO INTO THE REAL WORLD WITH ‘CREATE’
Speaker: Dave Shumway (Magic Leap)
Location: Room 3006, West Hall
Thursday, March 21 | 5:30pm – 6:00pm
THE INFLUENCE OF PRE-HISPANIC CULTURE ON ‘SHADOW OF THE TOMB RAIDER’
Speakers: Rob Bridgett (Eidos Montreal), Brian D’Oliveira (La Hacienda Creative)
Location: Room 3006, West Hall
Thursday March 21st – Night
Game Audio Network Guild Awards
Thursday March 21st
7:00pm – Doors
7:30pm – Start
Location: 2nd floor of Moscone West.
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A Kind of Magic
Friday March 23rd
Friday finds a grab-bag of potential, especially for folks interested in mainlining musical insights across multiple genres, perspectives, and voices. The day kicks off with a fantastic panel filled with some favorite folks and rounds-up with giant robots performing a ballet of symphonic destruction! (If that doesn’t peak your interest, rest assured the music is gonna be great!)
Friday, March 22 | 10:00am – 11:00am
RELATIVE PERFECTION: FINDING THE BALANCE BETWEEN FLAWED AND FLAWLESS
Speakers: John Robert Matz (Independent), Guy Whitmore (Foxface Rabbitfish, LLC), Austin Wintory (Independent), Neal Acree (Independent), Penka Kouneva (Independent)
Location: Room 3002, West Hall
Friday, March 22 | 11:30am – 12:00pm
THE MUSICAL BRUSH: THE INTERACTIVE MUSIC OF ‘CONCRETE GENIE’
Speaker: Samuel Marshall (Sony Interactive Entertainment, Pixel Opus)
Location: Room 3002, West Hall
Friday, March 22 | 12:15pm – 1:15pm
25TH ANNUAL IASIG TOWN HALL
Speakers: Owen Peterson (Utah Valley University), Kurt Heiden (IASIG), Tom White (MMA, IASIG)
Location: Room 3002, West Hall
Friday, March 22 | 1:30pm – 2:30pm
THE GANGS BITE BACK: MUSIC AND SOUND OF ‘CRACKDOWN 3’
Speakers: Brian Trifon (Finishing Move, Inc.), Brian White (Finishing Move, Inc.), Kristofor Mellroth (Microsoft Studios Global Publishing)
Location: Room 3006, West Hall
Friday, March 22 | 3:00pm – 3:30pm
THE MUSIC OF ‘BATTLETECH’: BIG SOUND ON A BUDGET
Speaker: Jon Everist (Everist Sound, LLC)
Location: Room 3006, West Hall
Friday March 23rd – Night
School of Game Audio Meetup
Friday March 23rd
5:00pm – 7:00pm
Location: California Pizza Kitchen, 53 Third Street
Followed swiftly by Friday Night Foley
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Jazz
Saturday March 24th
One last Game Audio Podcast GDC Morning Meetup at Sennheiser SF before attendees are scattered to the four-winds of everyday life. The world subtly shifted, the colors twice as bright, and the sounds more detailed. Each year brings new opportunities to align oneself with their career path, hopes, dreams, and vision of the future. My last suggestions for you in this Bohemian Guide to Game Audio GDC are to: make friends, make memories, and envision the role you will play in the future of game audio. I look forward to seeing you in San Francisco.
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A big thanks to Damian Kastbauer for sharing with us his a guide to #GameAudioGDC! Learn more about Damian Kastbauer here
• See all Game Audio Sessions at GDC 2019
• See the 2019 GDC Party List
• See the list of devs connecting at GDC 2019
• Join the here
• Overview of places offering free food at GDC
• Visit the official GDC page here here
• See tweets with the #GameAudioGDC hashtag here, and #gameaudiogdc2019 here
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• 44 community tips and insights for making the most of GDC
• GDC 2 Electric Boogaloo: Attending my second Game Developers Conference
• The SUPPLEMENTAL Guide to Game Audio GDC 2018
• The Definitive Guide to Game Audio at GDC 2018
• The Grand Guide to Game Audio at GDC 2017
• The Ultimate Guide To Game Audio at GDC 2016
• Are you at GDC ’15? Here are the Game Audio Top Picks from Damian Kastbauer, Jack Menhorn & Frank Bry
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Cinematic & Trailer Sound Effects Four Elements Play Track 3050 sounds included, 251 mins total $112.49
Master the Art of Bending the Elemental Forces
Unleash the raw power of fire, water, earth, and air with this comprehensive 9 GB sound library featuring 3050 high-quality sound effects across 630 files. Whether you’re designing cinematic soundscapes or enhancing video games Four Elements delivers the tools you need to harness the energy of the natural world.
Construction Kit – 2443 Sounds
A treasure trove of raw, organic, and processed sounds including seamless loops divided into Fire, Water, Air, Earth and Explosion categories. Customize every detail with an extensive selection of sound components.
- Organic Fire: Campfire sizzles, torch whooshes, and flame bursts.
- Processed Fire: Distorted impacts and unique crackles.
- Organic Earth: Rock crashes, gravel scrapes, and heavy stone hits.
- Processed Earth: Stylized rumbles and granular textures.
- Organic Water: Ocean waves, hydrophone bubbles, and fluid splashes.
- Processed Water: Underwater whooshes and stylized liquid smashes.
- Organic Air: Bamboo swishes, cloth movements, and pressure bursts.
- Processed Air: Filtered gusts and dynamic noise sweeps.
- Explosion: Firework detonations, Butane bursts, and cinematic impacts.
Building Blocks – 416 Sounds
Game-ready sound layers featuring Impacts, Whooshes, and Textures as seamless loops. Elevate transitions and enhance atmospheres with loops and pre-designed sound layers.
- Fire: Explosive bursts, blazing infernos, and warm embers.
- Earth: Ground-shaking impacts, crumbling terrain, and heavy collisions.
- Water: Cascading waves, serene rivers, and underwater ambiences.
- Air: Whispering breezes, stormy turbulence, and slicing gusts.
Design Kit – 192 Sounds
A collection of ready-to-use sound effects divided into Attack, Bend, and Explosion categories for quick integration into your projects. Perfect for high-energy scenes and immersive storytelling.
- Fire: Crackling flames, fiery bursts, and roaring infernos.
- Earth: Crushing impacts, shifting ground, and massive land eruptions.
- Water: Splashes, fluid manipulations, and crashing tidal waves.
- Air: Slicing winds, swirling currents, and thunderous gusts.
Four Elements gives you complete creative control, blending organic recordings with processed sound layers to meet the demands of any project. Master the forces of nature with Four Elements. Let your creativity ignite.
Keywords:
Elements, Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Wave, Water, Liquid, Rock, Cast, Stone, Pebble, Torch, Gas, Flame, Campfire, Sizzle, Burst, Scrape, Whoosh, Impact, Texture, Attack, Bend, Bending, Explosion, Processed, Surge, Quake, Hit, Flow, Burn, Ignite, Drop, Smack, Destruction, Rumble, Hiss, Blow, Wind, Cloth, Movement, Underwater, Bubble, Ocean, River, Lake, Firework, Firecracker, Bang, Blast, Detonation, Magic, Fantasy, Forces, Fire Magic, Water Magic, Earth Magic, Fire Air, Fire Effect, Fire Whoosh, Water Whoosh, Seamless Loop, Loop, Fire Cast, Water Cast, Earth Cast, Air Cast
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