Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1541592
M OT I O N P I CTU R E S O U N D E D I TO R S 33 and a chance to play some games! Riot generously opened their doors to their on-campus arcade and PC game room. Attendees got to hop behind the wheel for some Mario Kart, ready their joysticks for Street Fighter II, and take down alien invaders in Defender. PCs were also available for people to play Riot titles such as League of Legends and Valorant. For those who we still hungry for more, we moved off campus next for an after-party at a nearby bar called Sorry, Not Sorry. More than 100 people came out to continue the celebration, and many stayed for well over three hours! Game Audio Fest attendees included MPSE members, as well as members of CAS, BAFTA, and GANG. Game audio people who work at PlayStation, EA, and Blizzard also came to enjoy the day with us. A tremendous thank you to Brad Beaumont MPSE, Mia Watkins, Roxy Florido, and the entire Riot Games team for your partnership and for hosting such a memorable day for our community! And thank you to our sponsors The Halp Network and GameSoundCon for your support as well. After this, we stepped outside onto Riot's breathtaking quad for lunch. Attendees got to enjoy an absolutely delicious catered meal with Hawaiian-themed food, courtesy of the Riot Games team. We then moved back inside for our second panel, "Always On, Ever Evolving: The Art of Live Service Game Audio." This was a chance for attendees to learn all about working on audio for live service games, which have grown significantly in the games industry over recent years. This conversation was moderated by MPSE Board member Phillip Kovats, and our panelists included leaders from some of the top game studios in the world: David Henry MPSE Audio Director of Destiny 2 Bill Hemstapat Senior Interactive Music Designer at Riot Games Scott Lawlor Audio Director of Overwatch 2 Victor Mercader Senior Sound Designer of Apex Legends Leilani Ramirez MPSE Director of Dialogue at PlayStation Studios Brandon Reader Senior Manager of Sound Design for League of Legends Bianca Salinas Senior Dialogue Designer at PlayStation Studios Pedro Seminario Audio Director at Blizzard Entertainment Peter Zinda Audio Director of Valorant Both these panels were livestreamed for MPSE members worldwide. After each panel, we asked the in- person audience game-related trivia questions for the chance to win MPSE Store merchandise. Several attendees went home with an MPSE Game Sound hat, T-shirt, or a coffee mug. From there, everyone stepped outside for dessert, more networking, TOP TO BOTTOM: MPSE Vice President Eric Marks welcomes everyone to Game Audio Fest. Eric Marks MPSE, Chris Battaglia MPSE, Scott Hanau, Brad Beaumont MPSE, Eliot Connors MPSE, Jay Jennings MPSE, Jamey Scott MPSE, Matt Yocum MPSE. Riot Games' PC game area. "Always On, Every Evolving" panel with Phillip Kovats MPSE, Bill Hemstapat, David Henry MPSE, Scott Lawlor, Victor Mercader, Leilani Ramirez MPSE, Brandon Reader, Bianca Salinas, Pedro Seminario and Peter Zinda. MPSE Game Audio Committee Chair Garrett Montgomery with his son and MPSE Vice President Eric Marks. OPPOSITE: The team who brought Game Audio Fest to life: Roxy Florido, Brad Beaumont MPSE and Mia Watkins from Riot Games, and Phillip Kovats, Tracie Costabile, Eric Marks and Garrett Montgomery from the MPSE. Photos: Chris Schmitt Photography