WOW how time flies!

UM my poor abandoned blog!  I have been so busy in the last year. I teamed up with some very talented folks: Greg Rahn (composed for Broderbund and even did Carmen Sandiego OMG!!!), Barry Dowsett and Kevin Tone from Soundrangers (one worked for Microsoft and one has won prestigious awards), and Jesse Holt (audio designer for Game House for 10 years!)  Not only are they talented, they are my friends. We’ve been running all the audio presentations at Casual Connect and Gamesauce for the last few years. We decided to start a new company, the Game Audio Alliance. We each have 10+ years in the game audio industry, so we are quite the force of complimentary skills!  www.gameaudioalliance.com

What else?  I’ve been doing a lot of Facebook games… Mesmo, Mean Hamster, GSN… Those games are very addictive!  OH and I did a bunch of 8-bit music for a game called Pixel Whirled.  It is like Space Invaders, except you can flip the screen over… so you have to play two levels at once!  I also did some voiceover work, which is always great fun.

I’m trying hard to release a new single and album for nR Element, my eurodance project… and my pal Eva Maass was hired to sing for Disko Warp Records’ release of “Butterfly,” a cover of the Dance Dance Revolution song by Smile-dk. I recorded and produced the vocals. Pete made the beats sound sick, and remixers did awesome jobs.

I’m also trying to release an OST for Aveyond 1. Oh speaking of Aveyond, I finished the last tracks for the final installation coming out this winter… kinda sad, but I am so proud to have done all the tracks for the series… it is like 100 songs in all throughout the years.

I am now a board member of the chorus I sing with, GGMC. I’m proud to be more official now.  OH and this last concert, I sang the solo of “Kalinka” which is a Russian folk song that was used for TETRIS!!!  How fitting.

I have big plans and am trying to get unburied… I have certainly bit off more than I can chew! But the fire is still lit and I never ever get sick of making music. It is my life’s passion. Thanks for all of you who follow me and give me strength and feedback. I love you all! XOXO. Talk to you soon, lonely blog and abandoned fans!

Audio Track at Casual Connect in Seattle this July

Well I’ve been asked to lead and organize the Audio Track this year for Casual Connect in Seattle this July. The Track consists of 5-6 sessions including discussion panels and lectures by audio professionals in the Casual Game industry. It’s quite an honor to be so involved with this and quite a bit more time consuming than simply giving a presentation last year, but worth every minute. So far, we have quite a lineup. We will focus on the value, importance and cost of great audio. Presentations include the making of sound effects, techniques of recording live instruments and voiceovers, integrating music and sound effects, communication between audio and game developers, and a question and answer panel with audience participation. We will also address certain concerns we have with the industry and attempt to reach out and educate developers about audio. Stay tuned for some descriptions of sessions, tips and tricks, and more news.

Seattle

Seattle

Casual Games Association
Casual Games Association

A Game Without Sound? A Travesty!

So sometimes I visit this old-school arcade in San Rafael where I grew up. It has new games but also old favorites like Mappy, Dig-Dug and Ms. Pac-Man!  I’m actually pretty good at the last one, but Jason is amazingly good.  Usually…

This time, apparently the employee got sick of all the sounds (sinner!) near the office and turned them all off. This made playing as well nearly impossible. This was an interesting lesson about how sound not only is fun and enjoyable, but also useful and integral to gameplay.

The sound of the pellets being eaten reminds you that you are going down the right path. The oninous sounds of the ghosts makes you careful. And most importantly, the sound when you get the super pellets… those few moments of invincibility to devour those pesky ghosts… Your mind almost memorizes the length of the sound… and without it, well it’s anybody’s guess! And who can enjoy those flirtatious cutscenes without the cute music? As simple as the sound is, it’s SO IMPORTANT.

Recently we’ve been downloading some Casual Games from Reflexive and other portals and noticing games with no music! Hey, bad place to skimp on the budget, guys! Games with good music and sound effects are more fun and more complete. Well, at least we think so!

Incidentally, the Ms. Pac-Man in downtown San Rafael, at Star Base One, rocks… it’s modded to go super-speed! Go play!

Ms. Pac-Man!

Ms. Pac-Man!

An Extravagent Party at San Francisco City Hall

OK so I thought the economy was down the pipes? You wouldn’t know it at the Intuit Holiday Party… ballroom dancers, Brazilian dancers, several live bands, amazing food and desserts, casino games and dealers and professional photographers. Performers included: Kaweh, Latin Rhythms, Eric Jarmie, Galo Rivera, Boca Do Rio, SRO, The Angelo Piano Duo & Joyce Cooling. Joyce was my favorite.

Yes, very cool party, but it makes me wonder how a company can justify laying off many people and outsourcing jobs to save money, and then spending what I can only imagine is a small fortune on a party…

But I enjoyed the great music and food. Hmm maybe one day Walz Music will have a great Holiday Party! But we would also like to be socially conscious and not wasteful. Here are some pictures and a video!

San Francisco City Hall

San Francisco City Hall

The Desserts!

The Desserts!

One Band Setting Up

One Band Setting Up

Another Band Playing!

Joyce Cooling

I Feel So Classy!

I Feel So Classy!

Vote No On Prop 8!

If you are in California and old enough to vote… please realize PROP 8 is winning here… that means… gay marraige will be overturned and all existing marraiges will be torn apart. This is a travesty. In the past, ethnicities and mixed race couples were forbidden from marrying… this is not the first time people have fought for equal rights.

There is no reason why anyone should stop two responsible adults from getting married. They need the same rights as other couples.

If this passes, people’s beautiful dreams and weddings will be UNDONE. Young people will face a future without being supported by society or rights with their future partners. Please tell everyone you know in CA to vote NO on Prop 8.

You can also visit www.noonprop8.com to find out how to help!

Vote No on Prop 8!

Vote No on Prop 8!

Bomberman (the game!) on a plane

So Jason and I were playing Bomberman on my laptop during a flight. We kept saying things like, “ooh, I got another bomb!” Or “I’m gonna blow you up!” ETC…

Not a good idea to play this game on a plane these days. Luckily no one even seemed to notice.

Love the game. The theme song is pretty memorable too! And the characters are so cute and their sounds are adorable.

Bomberman!

Bomberman!

Gameplay

Gameplay