Las Vegas

The first stop on my cross-country trip is Las Vegas to attend the DICE Summit. It's an industry event which features the biggest names in the video game industry. Seriously, I've never felt so small and insignificant when standing alongside the likes of Ed Fries, Shuhei Yoshida, and Mark Cerny.

Like TED, DICE features talks from industry luminaries. Perhaps the most noteworthy talk came from Austin Wintory, composer best known for his work on Journey. What made it so memorable was he asked the audience for a random game title and he would create a theme song for it on the spot. And so, live in front of the audience, he created the theme song to the fictional game "Surviving Las Vegas."

With tickets costing over $3000 each, it's no surprise that DICE featured a number of parties, each stupidly extravagant. I have to admit, it was really nice being able to talk to people I respect as people--with no PR handlers or marketing messages to get in the way. I particularly appreciated my chat with Seth Killian, as we talked about religion and heritage. It was a truly unexpected moment that I'll always remember.

It was terrific meeting up with old friends, like Ben Gilbert and Susan Arendt. But I also managed to make new friends too--some of who I can't wait to see at GDC.

Hard Rock Hotel - http://www.hardrockhotel.com/

Okay, I was actually amused by the special drinks for the welcome reception. Good job, Perrin!

This place is swanky

Loved the pinball machines at the arcade. Also, Space Jam!

Best swag ever? Got Ring Pops, Pop Rocks, Push Pops, and candy cigarettes.