Game Audio Network Guild

From what I can see on the forums, Toronto has a fun group of GANG members. It also has, as you may have read in my last post, a burgeoning and active indie game development community.

Probably one of the most spectacular testaments to the creativity of this community is the annual Toronto Independent Game Development Jam (fondly dubbed TOJam). For those of you in or near the GTA, it's a can't miss.

What is it? Basically it is a public game making event. Local game makers come out for a crazy 3-day, around-the-clock game making binge. Participants have from 3:00pm Friday to 11:00pm Sunday to complete a good, small game.

This year's event brought out 180 jammers, with 25 additional people working remotely. I was one of four audio designers that attended.

It was interesting to see how other local designers approached the trade. We were all very different in our focus. There was one focused only on SFX, a film musician, a techno/hip-hop composer, and I represented the single-stop, full-spectrum game audio design side of things.

 

 

Just to give you a taste of what an Audio Designer can expect there, over the three days my work included sounds/music for six different games:

1. Macabre Mystery Game

• 45s of spooky and suspenseful intro music.
• 90s of chilling ambient game-play music
• 30s of excited revelation music as the mystery unwinds.
• 60s of hilarious 80s sitcom music, muffled through the headphones of a serial killer - and once again in full clarity for the end credits.
• 25 Gory and spooky sounds.

2. Scrolling Shooter Puzzle Game

• 120s of high-energy racing rock music
• 16 Sci-Fi explosive sounds.

3. Psychedelic Deterioration of Your Senses Game

or "The Particle of Infinite Wonder"

• 120s of hippie trance music
• 20s of intro tripping-out ambient soundscape

4. Redneck Missing Fish in a Barrel Game

• 80s Banjo music, deliverance style
• 90s Hillbilly ‘check out my gun' music

5. Hungry Hungry Cats, Nomnomnomnom

• VO endless terrible cat noises

6. Film Noir Game

• 40s Dark and stormy jazz music
• 90s Suspenseful detective jazz music
• 60s Ambient background jazz-fusion drums

 A total of ~15 minutes of music, 40+ SFX and a handful of voice recordings.

As you can see, not only is it a great exercise in speed-audio-design, but it's a chance to work in a wide variety of styles all in one weekend.

This is my first GANG blog, but I’ve been trying my hand at blogging elsewhere for a few years now. I’ll be short on my introduction, but if you’re interested in checking out the blogspace that I use to share news about my games and other career-related things, you can check it out here.

My name is Harry Mack and I love indie game culture. That is not to disparage the bigger, shinier, 3Der mission of the mainstream industry. However, I definitely belong where the hands-on passion, interesting games, and unique industry visionaries are.

I have been in the industry for about ten years, a fifty-fifty split between in-house and out-house (or freelance if that’s too lavatoryesque). I’ve been a pianist for twice that time, with a formal background in music and a little game design education for bonus marks. 

This year’s GDC brought me a fun blast from the past. I’d like to take a moment to use it to highlight some of the stepping stones that originally led me into the indie game world.

Those of you in attendance at the GDC this year may have caught a great little panel titled “What you Need to Know About Casual Games 2010 .” Speakers Nick Fortugno and Juan Gril did an excellent job rapidly reviewing some of the innovative and dominant trends in casual game space over the last year.

Just to clarify, from Nick and Juan’s perspective ‘casual’ game really means ‘super-awesome indie’ game. They shared a lot of insight and perspective into experimental design choices, and it was also a source for leads on some new games to try out.

I enjoyed it so much, that I decided to do some looking back into their presentations at past GDCs. I got quite the surprise when I found out that examples chosen for two of four of the 2009 categories were games that I worked on. Corpse Craft was selected to highlight new themes and mechanics in multiplayer games. To show a trend in the evolution of arcade games they recognized Braid ’s innovation and brilliant level design. 

Even if it took place a year ago, it was nice to see these very creative games getting recognition. If you’re interested in checking  out the session transcript, it is still posted on Gamasutra. 

For me it was a chance to reflect on some of the excellent memories that began my serious love affair with indie games. I mean we flirted before, but those games were the moment where it became really serious. Now that I am completely immersed, I look constantly forward to being one of a sea of participants playing a role in creatively shaping the indie community, both locally and globally.

It would be great to hear from any other game audio designers out there with a similar focus.

 

Greetings all...

Having just joined G.A.N.G. and recently returned home from my first experience of GDC, I thought I'd best begin my Blog in an introductory fashion.

I'm a Composer/Audio Engineer based near Newcastle, Australia. 33 going on 34, and endeavoring to establish myself in the Games Audio Industry.  

For the past twenty years or so I have expressed my creativity in a non-professional manner, through live musical performance (guitars, drums and vocals) and composition. My compositional experience has entailed work for short films, dance productions and numerous bands and solo-projects.  

I have also completed studies in audio engineering, and have recorded, mixed, mastered and co-produced material for several other artists.

Until recently I managed a large retail environment, turning over tens of millions of dollars each year, with around 40 team members to nurture. As fast-paced and exciting as my position was, it did not satisfy my insatiable creative urges. Thus, my partner Melinda and I founded Microscopic Media as a platform to combine my creative talents with my business experience. Fortunately we may also call on Melinda's seven years experience in retail and operations management when I need to concentrate on getting creative. 

My first GDC in San Francisco was an amazing experience. Everyone I met from the audio community were very welcoming and approachable, which was a refreshing change from the music and film industries. No-one was 'too important' to have a conversation with me, or to exchange contact details. So thanks to those I met, and I look forward to meeting more of you through G.A.N.G.

What fills my time besides music you may ask?

Gaming of course! Although these days I do limit myself to PS3 (ID: Belegur) and iPhone in the interests of productivity.

I'm also obsessed with motorsport of all kinds. I have previously owned a racing kart and have also driven several other race cars. Apart from attending GDC, most of my other vacations have been planned around attending a motorsport event, however I did manage to see the NASCAR race at Vegas while I was in the USA :)

Photography, other visual art mediums, and travel are the other things that enrich my life on a regular basis.

If you want to know more about Microscopic Media or myself, please message me, check out http://www.microscopicmedia.com , or you can also find me on Facebook.

Thanks again for the warm welcome, and I hope to work with some of you on exciting projects in the future.

Cheers,

Brad. 

 

 

 

 

Hello my friends!

 

I've just uploaded a new song called The Dark Movements pt.2. It's another concept about Cthulhu, you'll love it.

 

I need your feedbacks, so please download it here and let me know: http://www.metallized.it/download/tdm2.zip 

 

 

Music for Sky Invader (french video game) under development

Work in progress (your opinion is welcome).

The playlist

 

 

 

Read it here

If you want, can also take a look at this video from Machinima featuring the sound of the game.

 [video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NStiw7Xa6Wk 500x350]

Congratulations to all the sound team there! Awesome work, guys!

 

...Of diligently trying to purchase EWQL Symphonic Choirs, only to have to put it aside for a more immediate money problem, I finally bought it (and at a price that I can afford)! Thank you NAMM deal! Only half a month in, and this year's already looking up!

 

 ~Bryan J

How are you doing folks?

I hope all is well, soon we have the christmas rush upon us. yey! =)
Last week I produced a couple of new themes (as usual), some pitches and I'm also working on the third AZURE album with my friend Robban Kanto.
5 new songs are currently in proces, I've wrecked some of my drum-gear so I have to buy some new stuff this weekend.

Ahh, and I also just got the heads up from CDbaby that the two EMBRACING albums we produced in 1996/1997 will be released on digital distribution in the coming weeks. iTunes, Spotify etc. So check them out when they are available.

 Don't forget to check my twitter and webpage www.morningdewmedia.com
for new music themes and mp3 demos.

Have a nice weekend my fellow audio artists!

Cheers,

Mattias Holmgren
MORNINGDEW MEDIA
http://www.morningdewmedia.com

 

 

 

Hi!

 Just wanted to share a trailer.  It´s from a small game we´re  doing all audio for, thought would be cool because it´s very fun and it´s Hallowen!  ;-)

Cheers,

J & G

 

Pro Zombie Soccer Trailer 1

Music Teaser 1

Music Teaser 2

MCV PR Note

To lovers of all things audio and video games,

My name is Nazer Lagrimas, and I'm currently finishing up my last year at Berklee College of Music in Boston.  I just thought it'd be fun to document my last moments as a student up here, and hopefully this will work as a resource for more individuals like myself, who classify themselves as a fish out of water when looking at the world we all love, the world of video game audio.

A bit of background information.  Growing up as a musician in San Diego, CA, I eventually found myself at Berklee.  Here, after taking in the advice of so many of my peers, I went for passion over practicality (typical Asian family says Doctor or Engineer, take your pick) and pursued my love for Film Scoring.  A year in, a club emerged at Berklee called the Video Game Music Club (VGMC), whose intent was to bring more awareness to this revolutionary industry at the college.  Being a huge fan of games myself, I immediately found myself at the weekly meetings, learning as much as I could from club leader Filippo Beck-Peccoz, and numerous faculty members and guest speakers.  As time went by, I found myself in the Secretary position at the club, and now as the new President.

Now starting my last year, I'm currently planning out meeting ideas for the club.  The club has over 200 members, and over 40 new students have shown interest this Fall, and the meetings haven't even started yet.  It should be a fun and exciting year, and I'm hoping to learn a lot, as well as give guidance and assistance to those who were just like myself, new students in a new city latching onto something familiar.

I've had the pleasure of meeting many G.A.N.G. members, both at Berklee and at GDC this past year.  The VGMC also performed at the G.A.N.G. Awards this year as the VGMC Band, and that was definitely a blast.  It's going to be a good year, and I just wanted to say thanks again to everyone at G.A.N.G. who has been so helpful, till next time.

- Nazer Lagrimas Jr.