The Cross Pad - Musings On A Geek World

It's Not You, It's Me!

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Higa) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 21:44:00 +0000

I've just recently started a new blog that you can check out at soundwavesurfer.blogspot.com. It'll be more pertaining to my developing career as a composer and sound designer.

Unfortunately, I won't be posting to the Cross Pad as much as I used to (a couple months ago:P) because of my busy schedule. SAD FACE. I had a great time, but now I must move on to bigger things. Thanks to everyone that's read any of my posts and I hope you'll keep following me on my other blog. Big thanks to Josh Clark for helping with the blogging duties here too. Not sure what he's going to do now, so I'll let him post his message.

BIG FAT THANKS!

Grab a boogie board and head over to my new blog!

Get Involved...All the Cool Kids are Doing It!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Clark) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 07:33:00 +0000

Okay, so I am proud to announce that I am officially a member of the GGDA, the Georgia Game Developers Association. What is GGDA, you ask? Simple, it's a group of video game developers that collectively embrace and support the thriving gaming industry within the great state of Georgia. They pool their knowledge and experience together to educate and evolve their fellow members, especially the n00bs (that's me).

I think it's very important that if you wish to become a part of this great industry, you must surround yourself with people that have more experience, thus allowing you to learn. Since my involvement with the Athens chapter of the GGDA, I have grown into something that I thought was only a dream (I'd like to personally thank Jordan Lynn and Casey O'Donnell for that).

So here's the reason I'm posting this, if you're reading this and you're thinking "Gee, that sounds like fun, I wish I could make games" then stop just thinking about it and do it! With all the resources out there for indie game developers there's no reason why you can't be successful! So here's a few tips on how to get started:

First, join a group. Find people in your area that are already making games, this will help you out more than anything. Be sure to check out the IGDA (International Game Developers Association) and see if there are any chapters in your area. That's your best bet. Here's a link to the "Chapters" page of the IGDA website.

Second, a craftsman is nothing without his tools! There is a plethora of freeware and cheapware (yes, I made that up) out there for any type of designer (programming, art, sound). You just need to find the right one for you. Personally, I'm currently working with UDK (Unreal Development Kit), it's a free version of Unreal 3. It's an all in one as for designing goes but you'll need at least a modeling program to really step up your games. Maya and 3ds Max are industry standard and you can get trial versions for the websites. With modeling, I'm sure you'd like to add some texture to those creations, Photoshop is pretty much the best and can be reasonably priced if you find the right version. There are also TONS of freeware programs that do the same thing, I've just grown to love PS. As for sound, anything from Garage Band to Pro Tools and Ableton work perfectly.

So there you have it, I have given you everything I can think of right now. If you know of anything I don't, like better programs, please leave a comment and share with your gaming brethren! Thanks for reading and game on! Oh, and go get involved!!!

Break Out the Bunny Ears!

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Clark) — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 04:00:00 +0000

Hey, guys, I know it's been a while but I think this article will more than make up for it. Brace yourselves, I'm about to drop a bomb.

Playboy (yes, the magazine) is launching a video game label.

I'm going to pause for a second and let that sink in - pause - you good? Okay, so here's the scoop. The Hef announced that he is partnering with Bigpoint, an online gaming company. Through this partnership, Playboy will distribute select Bigpoint games on their website, starting with Poisonville, an MMO currently in open-beta. According to the game description, Poisonville will feature "beautiful, Playboy-caliber women." Now let's be honest, men love Playboy. Men love video games. But should we question whether or not putting them together is a good thing. I doubt it is. This is what I see happening, a slew of cheaply made games featuring scantily clad women with vitrually no storyline or quality gameplay. Now, of course there will be a portion of people that say "So what? It's got hot girls!" This is a problem. We can't let the gaming industry turn into a medium for non-gaming companies to turn a quick profit. Let's hold every title to a higher standard because for every cheap, unimaginative title that's bought, a real, beautiful title loses money. Think about that next time you're walking through Gamestop or Play N Trade. Oh, and because of my general distaste for this, I'm not supplying you with any links to the game or the companies, sorry.

What do you think? Should we welcome Playboy and any other company with open arms to start developing and distrbuting titles or should we leave that to the companies that were founded to do that very thing? Post a comment with your views. As always, thanks for reading and game on!

Monday Eargasm #21: Metric - "Black Sheep"

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Higa) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 20:41:00 +0000

I'm in lesbians with this song.

Well, I'm back from my blogging vacation and I bring a kick-ass song with me for you. Featured prominently in my new favorite movie Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, Metric's "Black Sheep" is filled with catchy indie flare and easily the best song on the soundtrack. Check out more them them at their website ilovemetric.com.

Monday Eargasm #20: The Gregory Bros. - "Double Rainbow Song"

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Higa) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:29:00 +0000

Most of you have probably already seen the viral video of the guy that is EXTREMELY happy to see a double rainbow at Yosemite Park. Although he claims he wasn't trippin' on acid or any drugs, maybe he has the right idea. We should take time to look at the beauty of nature. But enough of that sappy stuff, check out what The Gregory Brothers did when they take his voice and auto-tuned it into a kick ass song!

The Gregory Brother also auto-tune clips from news channels and make some creative songs using voices of politicians and President Obama. Check them out at TheGregoryBrothers.com.

Monday Eargasm #19: Violent Soho - "Muscle Junkie"

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Higa) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 02:31:00 +0000

Oh man, I'm so glad I heard this the other day! Listening to Violent Soho, from the land down undah of Australia, is like being transported back to the first half of the 90's when grunge rock was the shit. Violent Soho is like an interesting mix of Nirvana and Weezer- thick dirty guitars with enough catchiness to keep you coming back for more.

Check out their official website to listen to more!

Monday Eargasm #18: Modern Skirts - "Soft Pedals"

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Higa) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 02:33:00 +0000

I couldn't make it to this past week's annual Athens, GA music and arts festival ATHFEST. I was pretty devastated, but I had my own personal Athens music party coming from my speakers this weekend. One of the more popular bands to come out of Athens is Modern Skirts. Check out this week's eargasm "Soft Pedals" from their sophomore album All Of Us In Our Night.

I personally dig their first album Catalogue of Generous Men more, but I like they are experimenting more away from their usual pop sound. They've finished recording, mixing, and mastering their third album and should be released pretty soon. Pretty pumped! Check out their website at www.modernskirts.com.

Monday Eargasm #17: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Soft Shock"

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Higa) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 02:34:00 +0000

Yeah Yeah Yeahs performing "Soft Shock" at Coachella 2009.

Karen O is one of my favorite female lead vocalist ever. So simple, yet so beautiful. Yeah Yeah Yeahs released their last album called It's Blitz! last year with this single "Soft Shock." It feels like the spiritual successor to "Maps." Listening to this makes me want to sit at a beach at sunset with a tasty beverage and my feet in the sand. What do you feel like when you hear this?

If you haven't heard their earlier stuff, get to it! Check out their website at yeahyeahyeahs.com.

World of Warcraft Anger Management Fail

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Higa) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 17:54:00 +0000

This dude just found out his girlfriend deleted his WOW account and explodes on his computer. I don't feel too bad since he's using a PC. I'm also a little surprised he has a girlfriend too.

Monday Eargasm #16: Weezer - "Represent"

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Higa) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 17:20:00 +0000

GO USA!!

The 2010 World Cup began this past weekend and Weezer released a brand new song to commemorate the games. Their new song "Represent" is much like their new sound they've been getting into for their past two albums, which is very rock/pop oriented. Best part? It's available for free on iTunes! The US Team recently tweeted how they listen to it in their pre-game playlist:

"Just downloaded the new Weezer song here in Rustenburg...Got it added to our pre-game playlist for tomorrow! Go #USMNT"

Get the free download and watch the World Cup!

Rock Band 3 Will Feature A New Keyboard, Full Functioning Guitar

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Higa) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 17:55:00 +0000

It's about time!

To set up hype just a few days before E3 in L.A., Harmonix has just announced that Rock Band 3 will feature a 25-key keyboard and a full-sized, fully functional guitar by Fender. Check out the the USA Today's special first look at the game below.

Other additions of interest is the new "Pro" mode, which is supposed to be a more difficult game mode that will actually teach players how to play guitar, keyboard, and drums using different peripherals and realistic notation. Another cool feature is the ability to drop in and out of a song on the fly. Perfect for parties or get-togethers when you need to get a new beer. Don't worry, all your tracks and invests from past Rock Band titles will be able to be ported over as well!

Seriously, the coolest and biggest news is the addition of the keyboard. I cannot wait to try it out!

Monday Eargasm #15: We Versus The Shark - "Ten Uh Clock Heart Uh Tack"

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Higa) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 17:24:00 +0000

Ever listen to Math Rock?

We Versus The Shark was one of my favorite bands from the little music town of Athens, GA. They played their last show last Summer during Athfest Music and Arts Festival and rocked the Morton. I wish I could see them live again one more time!! Check their music out on their MySpace for some awesome head-banging goodness.

Wicked Cool Video Game Driving Simulator

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Higa) — Sun, 30 May 2010 15:46:00 +0000

I WANT ONE.

This is just an F1 simulator, but the possibilities are endless!

Monday Eargasm #14: Michael Giacchino - The Score to "Lost"

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Higa) — Mon, 24 May 2010 17:19:00 +0000

Turn that radio off! We know you grow tired of the cookie cutter top 40 hits that's bombarded at you 23 time a day. Let us soothe your ears to something new and maybe introduce you to something entirely different, no tip required. All in a day's work for The Monday Eargasm:)

And so it is over. After 6 beautiful years of amazing storytelling, LOST came to an emotional end last night for its series finale. Not many words can describe how I feel about the ending, other than it was beautiful, satisfying, and thought-provoking. Also, I can have a life now!!

One of the best parts of the show was the amazing score, composed by Academy Award winner Michael Giacchino. The music was a character of the show it self. Simply beautiful. There's no way I couldn't feature part of his score as a Monday Eargasm, so enjoy the live recording/rehearsal of Giacchino's music before the LOST Live event that took place last week.

Thank you Michael, for providing bombastic glissandos and heart string tugging ballads to the most amazing television show of all time.

LOST Cast Retrospective Video

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Higa) — Thu, 20 May 2010 01:54:00 +0000

Yeah, yeah. I didn't post this week's Monday Eargasm. It'll resume next week! I'm in the process of moving back to Atlanta to start my new internship, but more on that later.

Here's a retrospective video from the cast members of LOST. The series finale is Sunday, May 23rd, so I hope everyone is getting ready for their LOST viewing parties! Enjoy the video and have a box of tissues near by.

Bigger and Better Things to Come!

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Clark) — Wed, 12 May 2010 06:15:00 +0000

Hey guys, sorry about my recent absence in the blog. I've been working on several things for the blog and other outlets of creativity (that I might even share with you when I'm done). Which brings me to my point in this post: things to come!

Bryan and I have been talking about the blog and we want to try a few new things to help make our blog more accessible and more appealing to a broader audience. Among the little things, the biggest announcement is that The Cross Pad will now have a video series! That's right, yours truly will be giving you a video each week covering whatever game-related material I can cram into a video small enough to fit on Youtube. Oh yeah, that's another part of it, we will be starting the official The Cross Pad Youtube Channel!!! So when we do, be sure to subscribe so you can keep up to date on our oh-so-informative posts about anything digital media! As far as my first video post, you can expect it Thursday (yes, past due for yet another Indie Game Wednesday but I make up for it, promise).

All in all, I'm really excited to be doing this and I hope you all like it as much as we do! Thanks, as always, for reading and game on!

Monday Eargasm #13: Rebecca Roubion - "Free"

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Higa) — Mon, 10 May 2010 20:35:00 +0000

I made a very cool new friend at the office a couple months ago and then when I found out she was a singer/songwriter, I was instantly a fan of hers. Rebecca Roubion has such a soothing tone and her piano playing skills equally exhibit the amount of talent she has. Check out her song "Free" and more from her album A Fine Place To Start at www.rebeccaroubion.com. Can't wait to see her live soon!

P.S. - Everyone in Nashville is a musician. Seriously.

My First Year In The Real World

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Higa) — Mon, 10 May 2010 00:08:00 +0000

Exactly one year ago today, I stood up, turned my tassel over and stepped into the real world. It's cliche, but damn - what a year it has been. Back on May 9th, 2009, after the initial highs of being done with my college education was over, I was terrified. I had no clue where my life would go. I had a degree in music education, but wanted to pursue my dreams of having a career in the music business. The problem was I didn't know those dreams were. I was just hoping I could put my foot in the door somewhere and work my way up the ladder, something everyone told me I would have to do.

After sending 42 resumes all across the country during the summer, my mentor Bruce Burch forwarded me a job opening in the music industry in Nashville. I sent another resume, had a phone interview and was hired all within a day. It was a big sigh of relief and excitement engulfed me. Moving to a new city and a new job was pretty amazing. It looked like my life was on that road of working up ladders, but life sometimes likes to throw some curve balls.

Pump the brakes!! Three months later, I got laid off. This completely shook my world and panic took over. I tried to look for other jobs, but kept hearing the same thing: "We're looking for someone with more experience."

UGH.

Periods of solitude and hopelessness suck, but they really do make you grow as a person and force you to make decisions. I had to skip this whole "climbing up the ladder" plan because that plan no longer exists today. I repeat: the plan of working up the ladder does not exist anymore. I went straight to what my passion was.

I've been creative all my life. Either making stop-motion movies with Lego pieces or sketching Star Wars characters on paper. Being creative will be the only thing that will make my life worth while. Coming to this conclusion, I decided that I will be a audio engineer and composer for film and interactive media. After I decided this, I put my plan in motion. I reached out to my mentors, got put in touch with people that could help me and been having a blast since.

Interning with Tommy Cooper has been completely inspiring as I've learned so much about audio engineering and life in general. I've also been supplying scores to a short film, an upcoming indie video game, and some hip hop vocals from co-workers. I've got so much in stored for the next year as well!

Anyway, I was just musing on the state of my life a year after graduation and it's tough but definitely a lot better and more focused. 5 years of college prepared me for the real world, but the real world is definitely where I've learned about what I want to do with my life.

Cheers to all new grads (oh, and moms!). In the mean time, I'll still be blogging about nerdy things.

The Nashville Flood - May 2nd, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Higa) — Tue, 04 May 2010 04:47:00 +0000

No new Monday Eargasm this week. Instead, I'd like to feature an astounding new video on YouTube made of many images from the flood that hit Middle Tennessee this past weekend. Between May 1st and May 2nd, Middle Tennessee was hit by a devastating storm that accumulated the greatest amount of rainfall ever recorded in Tennessee history.

Thankfully, the immediate area I live in was not hit, but you can find flood damage just a mile away. Rock walls were torn down. Cars were stranded on the side of the road. An ambulance was in a ditch flipped over. Some roads were just completely gone. This is the first time I've ever experienced a flood and it was pretty scary. My thoughts are going out to the victims of the storm and I hope things will get better in the coming days.

Monday Eargasm #12: Local Natives - "Wide Eyes"

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Higa) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 21:14:00 +0000

A good friend of mine with excellent taste in music introduced me to this band called Local Natives, specifically this video featuring their song "Wide Eyes" and I decided to pass it forward to you! I'm impressed with their musicality and how everyone in the band lends their vocals to the track. The lead singer also has a glorious mustache. Thumbs up! Check them out!

Wasted Guy Vs. Flip Flops - Hilarious Viral Video

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Higa) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 15:19:00 +0000

This is seriously one of the funniest videos I've seen in a long time.

This hilarious event was taken during Coachella 2010 last weekend. Good to see the drunk guy finally won! I think we all cheered for him at the end! Maybe his backpack was just too heavy.

Indie Game Wednesday #2: Bubble Tanks 2

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Clark) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 05:12:00 +0000

Alright, kids, it's the second Indie Game Wednesday and I'm featuring one of the most innovative shooters ever: Bubble Tanks 2. BT2 show us what it would be like if bubbles decided to fight other bubbles...in big bubbles...using bubbles as ammo. Intrigued yet? You better be.

HeroInteractive spared no expensive in the creativity department when improving their first successful game, Bubble Tanks. For those of you who haven't played BT2, you start out with a simple tank with a single firing gun. As you move through what I call "Bubble Stages" (basically huge bubbles) you encounter enemies. These enemies drop (yep, you guessed it) bubbles that you collect. When you finally collect enough bubbles, the fun begins. You get to choose from three different paths for your tank upgrade to take: Heavy, Balanced and Agility. With ever successive level you get to choose another upgrade, further diversifying your tank. By the time you reach your maximum level you'll have a tank all your own to destroy bubbly baddies with. But with all this awesomeness, I must warn you; this game's replayability is through the roof which makes it highly addicting. Please, if you have a good job and/or family I must stress to take this game in small doses, we don't need complaints coming in about your unemployment due to my incredible game suggesting skills (seriously, don't do it.).

There you have it, folks. Hope you find as much enjoyment out of this game as I do. Here are the links for the game on HeroInteractive's website as well as Kongregate.

Thanks for reading and in the spirit of the recent April 20th holiday: Go in peace, stay in love.

Monday Eargasm #11: Corinne Bailey Rae - "Closer"

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Higa) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 15:24:00 +0000

It's about time that I featured a female artist, so what better way to start off with Corrine Bailey Rae? "Closer," from her sophomore studio album The Sea released this past January, is what I miss about R&B soul today - smooth vocals, funky rhythms, and real instrument sounds. The English musician has been nominated and awarded with many honors including an Album of the Year Grammy and two MOBO Awards. Here's to here continuing success! Check out her website at www.corrinebalieyrae.net.

Are There Any Talented Vocal Artists Anymore?

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Higa) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 23:27:00 +0000

We are obsessed with "reality." It has seeped into our TV's with reality shows and cable network channels devoted entirely to reality television. It overcame our video games with life-like graphics and advanced realistic artificial intelligence. It has even infected out moviegoing experience with 3D technology to make the films seem more real and part of our world.

Then why the hell do we not feel the same way about popular music?

Beginning in the late 90's, music artists began to use Auto-Tune to correct pitch in vocal and instrumental performances, primarily in recording studios. Trade secrets like these were nothing new. When you hear an artist sing on the radio, more than likely it was cut with multiple takes of okay performances and taking the best parts to paste into one great definitive track. All Auto-Tune did was save time and trouble by fixing pitches on the fly. Then Cher made her comeback with her 1998 hit single "Believe." Her altered vocals brought a new sound to popular music and everyone wanted to imitate.

Now everyone does.

Reinvented for modern times in the mid-2000's, T-Pain began using Auto-Tune to the extreme, making his vocals sound roboticized. The "T-Pain Effect" is now copied by most hip-hop artists like Kanye West, Drake, and Lil' Wayne. R&B artists like Usher who were popular because of their naturally talented vocals now feel like they have to "catch up" with the new crowd of performers. This has got to stop. What happened to vocal integrity?

Gone are the days where vocal musicians would come into the studio to lay down vocal tracks and nail them within the first couple run-thrus. Frank Sinatra didn't have to use Auto-Tune when recording, he was just a talented vocal artist who actually knew what he was doing. Today, most vocal artists presume that engineers will run their vocals through the box. This isn't always bad, because I'm not totally against the use of Auto-Tune, just the overuse of it. Of course there will be a few intonation problems while recording tracks that Auto-Tune can fix in a jiff - No one's perfect. Auto-Tune should only be used in moderation. What suffers the most from the overuse of Auto-Tune? Live performances.

My way of calculating if artists are really talented (or if their engineer is) is through their live performances. I can't count how many times I've listen to singers live and was disappointed in their vocal performance compared to their recording. That is a by product of Auto-Tune. Jay-Z headed up the "Anti Auto-Tune Movement" last year in hopes that it will bring back integrity to the vocal artist and to inspire new artists to not rely so much on Auto-Tune. Thankfully, several artists have jumped on board, so maybe there's hope for the future of music. I'm not completely for abolishing Auto-Tune, but allow the performer's natural talent to shine through without newfangled technology getting in the way.

To think that this all started with Cher. Shame on you Cher. ;)

NCAA 2011 Massacre

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Clark) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 05:22:00 +0000

Okay, I love football and I love games so, naturally, I love football games. Now given my passion for college sports the only logical game for me is the Electronic Arts NCAA Football franchise. This franchise has defined the college football experience for a gamer and continues to amaze consumers with every successive year. However, a tragedy has occurred. On April 8, 2010, EA announced that the cover of the upcoming NCAA 2011 game will be home to none other than Tim Tebow. In the article EA released they labeled Tebow one of the greatest players of college football. Now, since he has finished his final year at the University of Florida, I can admit that he had a pretty good run the past four years, however, as a die hard University of Georgia fan (Florida's sworn rival, for those of you who don't know) I must detest this fowl outrage. It wasn't enough that I had to watch ESPN continually compare everyone to Tim Tebow, now I have to see his often tear-filled face every time I reach for my latest football game?! He hasn't even been drafted yet! This cannot stand. The first option is to boycott the 2011 title. This seems to be the consensus among Tebow haters out there but I doubt they will all follow through with their threats because, let's face it, it's the only college football game worth playing. So I purpose something a little more drastic and creative. Everyone needs to carry on like they would with the annual NCAA release. Buy your beloved title, then, just as you return home to start your new Dynasty or Campus Legend (I;m more of a Campus Legend guy, myself), pause. Now after this oh-so-brief pause, pull the artwork sleeve out from behind the protective layer of laminate and go kindergarden on it. That's right, reach for those colorful markers and give me your best mockery painting of the teary-eyed gator. Then, as you finish your masterpiece of defamation, snap a quick pic of the beauty and post it on your Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc. That way everyone can see your distaste for this awful decision from EA.

Well, there it is. I've said my piece on the matter and I hope to see several designs come release date (July 13). Send me those Van Goghs, Picassos and Monets via redforsaken@gmail.com and I might just make an album of them and feature it on here. Thanks for reading! Game on and...

GO DAWGS!!!