Neoseeker editors Lydia Sung and Gabriel Vega had a different experience at the LA Game Conference in Hollywood a week ago. Unlike events like E3, where they are treated to previews of games not due for years and the new cutting edge technology from gaming companies to be employed as a peripheral for the next generation of console, the Neoseeker editors got a lot more at the gaming industry as a whole, how it works, and where it's going. As was said by the editors in their report, this wasn't a convention for gamers, but a conference about gamers. This is all about the business of how our favourite industry works.

The article covers so very cool items of interest in the gaming universe, ranging from emerging trends to industry growth. It's definitely an article worth taking a look at for any gamer interested in seeing something more about the industry than previews of the next game sequel coming out in a few years. The stats alone were informative.

It's also got a few unsettling points about how the gaming industry views us right now, and where the gaming industry is going. I read the three page article in it's entirety, and I came away feeling like I knew a little bit more about the cogs working currently behind the gaming industry.

Also, feel free to hit up the thread for comments in Site News and Announcements on the Neoseeker forums!

We took a trip to Hollywood on Tuesday, April 28, for the LA Games Conference on behalf of Neoseeker. We had a pretty good hunch from the start that this wasn't going to be the usual sort of event we're used to covering, so despite early invitations, we didn't exactly RSVP. As far as we could tell, this was a business affair, and we weren't entirely sure if our readers would be interested.

As if the name "LA Games Conference" wasn't already a dead giveaway, our early suspicions proved correct -- the LAGC was not a convention but a professional conference. Rather than roam an exhibition hall, we sat in rows, and instead of sampling demo stations, we were treated to a seminar. Though dressed for the event, we felt a bit like fish out of water, though there were a handful of others who really stuck out, with their t-shirts and sneakers ensemble; we concluded that these individuals must have signed up without a full understanding of what the word "conference" entails.

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And the real kicker is that gamers like ourselves and many of our regulars on Neoseeker are no longer perceived as worthwhile investments by these companies. As video games grow in popularity, we see marketers shifting their focus to the newer, larger demographic that looks easier to appease. It's not pretty, but it's business. We can only hope for the best at this point, and pray that major publishing houses never turn their backs on "core" gamers in favor of the new mainstream.

Mishtram via neoseeker.com »