Dear Members of G.A.N.G.
The year 2012 continued to be a year of growth and expansion for the respect of game audio. Game audio has increased visibility, not only among the rest of the industry but by the public at large, and has garnered respect as an art form in its own right. (Letter continues after the jump)
Among the milestones in 2012 were the first nomination of a Video Game Soundtrack for a GRAMMY® award, a record number of Video game concerts in places such as Dubai and Sao Paulo, record numbers of audio attendees at conferences such as the Game Developers Conference, PAX, MAGFest, GameSoundCon, plus greatly increased game audio presences at AES and NAMM.
Participation at GANG Demo Derbys, or GANG-sponsored summits are likewise at all-time highs. Nominations for the GANG Awards continue to climb, and the quality bar gets higher and higher! Further, educational and degree programs in game audio are popping up in Universities and Colleges around the world.
Our goals of outreach, recognition and community have been featured prominently, and the current environment provides us with opportunities to further our core missions. It is no coincidence that the goals of GANG are to promote those milestones listed above. What a difference we have made in outreach, education and recognition, harnessing the vast amount talent, knowledge and wisdom among our members to the benefit of GANG, the game industry and the society at large.
In 2013, I’d like you to think about the core elements of GANG: Community, Recognition and Outreach and think about how you can contribute to your local community. One great way is to contact your local schools, colleges or universities and simply volunteer to talk to their students. Many GANG members do this and I have yet to see a classroom fail to be mesmerized when someone shares their knowledge, passion-and funny stories– about game music or sound design and working in the industry. If you’re a bit shy about speaking in front of a group, (or perhaps a recent graduate without a lot of game experience yet,) talk to them and let them know that GANG is a tremendous resource they can use and have them contact us; we’ll be sure hook them up with someone.
In 2013, we will also focus on our internal sense of community, through the re-working of our web site and improved member-to-member communications. The level of game audio knowledge and experience possessed by our members is unsurpassed and we will be working this year to make it easier to share and tap that vast knowledgebase.
I would like to close this annual letter to give huge thanks to our outgoing President and Vice President, Paul Lipson and Michelle Sorger. They say that the 5-10 year mark is the toughest part of any organization-it’s when the majority or organizations shut down through apathy or attrition. Their leadership and commitment to GANG kept us going strong and straight. We have very large shoes to fill, and strive to lead as well.
The very best and wishes for a happy and prosperous 2013 to you and your families. I look forward to taking on the challenges and working with Alex, Dren and the rest of GANG to continue GANG’s success and impact on the industry.
Brian Schmidt
President