Music and Games: Their Need for Each Other

Music is something that is as common in every day life as air is. Music is everywhere and it is constantly flowing. Music for me is something that is a part of my life every day. When I wake up, I listen to music. Music is present when I shower, when I drive, when I create it and when I go to sleep. I am a musician and music is something that I treasure every day. If I were to go deaf, I don’t know how I would be able to manage.
Music is important to everyone. I would consider it impossible to find someone who doesn’t like music of any form. If there’s something that everyone has in common, it’s an appreciation for any type of music. All cultures have different music; what sounds strange to one culture, the other finds it to be very enjoyable.

Video games have always had some form of music. I can recall back in the 8-bit days, hearing synthesized themes that were clever and catchy. Nearly anyone can remember songs from games like Mario or Zelda. Even those who occasionally play video games can call out “MARIO!” when they hear that game’s theme. For some reason, when one hears it their eyes seem to light up. I’ve noticed this before when I’ve played that music. Some people may call out the title, while others may seem to mask their enthusiasm. I can still notice that they recognize the theme because for a second, their interest is piqued. I don’t know how something like this is possible. It is a very simple tune, no complexities. It is straight forward, cheery and just easily recognizable. Maybe that is why so many people can recognize it because the song is simple.

In the old days of the Atari and the Commodore 64, few games featured music. If they did contain music, there would be a small sample at the beginning of the level. As Nintendo came along with the NES, nearly all games featured music. While it was not the best music in the world, it still worked for the game and it drove the game play at a fast pace. Many games would just loop a 30 second sample of music through out the entire game, but the music was catchy enough that it didn’t get annoying. A game that comes to mind here is TECMO Super Bowl. This American football game featured the same song when plays were commencing. It was a frantic, fast paced song though because it captured what it would be like being on the football field. When one is focused enough, they may not notice the music during the game, but the music grabs hold of the player and it gets their blood pumping.

As games became more sophisticated, music seemed to follow suite. Technological advances allowed digital music to be played during games and more complex songs could be composed. When Lucas Arts created the “X-Wing” and “Tie Fighter” series for the PC, players could hear the all too familiar “Star Wars” theme when they booted up the game. Not only that, but actual music from the movies was included and was featured during the missions. Hearing these timeless pieces in their entirety really evoked emotion in gamers. The Tony Hawk skateboarding series were the first that I can remember to feature licensed music. Punk rock dominated at the time the game came out and it helped get a lot of bands noticed. The next game to feature licensed music was Madden NFL 2003. The first song heard when the game started was Andrew W.K.’s “Party Hard.” It was a driving, punk rock anthem that really made you prepared to take on anything.

After Madden 2003, EA started featuring licensed music in nearly all their games. This worked two fold, because it allowed CD quality music to be featured in games and it also allowed small bands to get noticed. Bands like: JET, OK GO, Good Charlotte and Avenged Sevenfold all owe part of their success to the Madden franchise. For some reason, one could become pumped up hearing this music blare over the PA system during a game. EA Trax was something that just simply worked well.

Games from the Tom Clancy franchise also featured music. The music was often instrumental and very patriotic. During a fire fight or a crucial part in the game, the horns would come in with that patriotic music and made the player more focused during the missions. I don’t know how this is all possible, but music just does something to people. Music evokes emotion and it brings back memories. It is a part of every day life and it affects all people of all walks of life.

E306 in Review

Reflecting on the entire week of E3 led me to the conclusion that the only way to survive in the gaming world is to unify. It seems as if all three companies: Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony have figured out that concept. There’s really no loser that emerged from E3. All three companies had their own ideas on how to bring gamers together. Microsoft showed that Xbox live will be going strong and tons of original first-party titles will keep the games going. Nintendo emphasized its quest to unify gamers of all backgrounds and skill levels. Sony, well there really wasn’t a lot of room for more inventive features for its system. While it is clear that Sony took ideas from Xbox and Nintendo, there really was no other choice. I will explain later, but first let me break down, in detail, what all three companies brought to the table.

I will begin with Nintendo since they were a bit under the gun pre-E3 06. Last year Nintendo revealed a “revolution” in gaming, bringing a whole new way to play video games. When they first revealed the motion sensitive remote, the public was a little dumbfounded by the whole concept. Our interests were piqued but we just didn’t know what to make of it. We had an idea of the concept that Nintendo was trying to pitch at us, but with the lack of specific game titles, we just didn’t know what to expect. About two weeks before E3 Nintendo finally revealed the name of their new system, the Wii. As small and innocent as the name is, it sent a shock wave across the world of gamers that might have been on par with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Ok, maybe not quite on par but we could in fact be talking bogey with it. (A little golf terminology if you haven’t caught on yet.) While most of the close minded crowd shunned Nintendo for using such a name that would get it made fun of by pre-schoolers; the other half looked at it as a concept that made sense, and truly embodied the idea of Next-Gen gaming. Wii is a name that will bring gamers together and I truly think it will. I could definitely see this as a system that could bring an entire family together. The controls are fun and simple and there are plenty of family friendly games planned with the release of the system. While most gamers would scoff at this, I see it as an opportunity to make games acceptable in the public eye. Too many people see video games as mindless, bloody entertainment and Nintendo wants to change that. Gaming at its very core is competitive fun for every one. No matter what, boy or girl, young or old; the Wii is for every one.

Gamers have reached a diva-like status and it is a fact. A majority of gamers believe that the only good game is one that comes with a big, fat “M” on the cover explaining that this game is for mature audiences only; they horde over these games like they are the only things that matter and that they are somehow entitled to sole ownership of gaming. It is sad to say, but too many gamers are not open to the idea of fun without violence, profanity and all other evils that can pollute the mind. There are many legendary and classic games that have been developed without the inclusion of violence. The average gamer doesn’t have to look too hard to find them. Go to any gaming store and peruse the aisles and you can see great games such as: Super Monkey Ball, Lumines, Tetris, Super Mario Sunshine, and various sports titles from EA and 2K games, just to name a few.

If I had to describe Nintendo’s showing at E3 06 in one word, that word would be, diversity. Plenty of different games are being developed for the Wii and none will disappoint. Tony Hawk will bring his classic franchise back, but this time with a down-hill racing twist. Link will look better than ever with “Twilight Princess,” and as always, Mario will be back with his solo effort. To entertain those hard core gamers, Red Steel, from Ubisoft will take full advantage of the Wii Remote with an intuitive approach to the First-Person Shooter genre. With the unveiling of the Wii, the future of Nintendo looks very bright.

Microsoft came out looking strong after a seemingly disappointing launch for their new system. If it weren’t for such strong titles, Microsoft would seriously be re-thinking the release of the Xbox 360. Current games such as Call of Duty 2, Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter, Burnout Revenge, and Oblivion have given the 360 a legitimate chance at establishing itself at the top of the heap. The corner stone of the Xbox 360 is Xbox LIVE. There is not a better online gaming service anywhere, period. With the addition of Xbox LIVE Arcade, the experience has become even better. The big story for Microsoft was Gears of War, which is promising to be a killer app for the 360. Along with that will come the long awaited “Too Human” trilogy from Silicon Knights. This game will truly break the boundaries between fun game play and brilliant story telling. This will push the envelop for gaming. It is something special when you can take a seemingly “mindless” hack and slash and fuse it with an intriguing take on Norse mythology and giving it a sci-fi twist.

Now, we move on to Sony, the misunderstood company that everyone had mistaken for a cat burglar. It is true that they never really revolutionized anything with their presentation. The Cell technology seems very gimmicky to tell you the truth, but I wasn’t at the show so I couldn’t really claim whether or not it is truly something powerful. All I can go by is what I saw from videos I saw from the internet; and quite frankly, it is nothing that the Xbox 360 can’t handle. The 500 – 600 dollar price tag is very iffy, and this is a system that will have to prove itself come the holiday season. I think everyone was a little too rough on Sony, and I will be the first to admit that. When I heard of their online capabilities and the 6 degree motion sensitive controller, I called foul quicker than an NFL referee on a pass interference. Now that I’ve thought about it a little longer, Sony had to do it to stay alive in this market. Sony has not been performing extraordinarily well as a company and they are really banking on this system to do well. It is quite the gamble for this company but this Cell Technology and Blue Ray is the difference between greatness and mediocrity for this company. Sony in no way wants to taste the bitterness of obscurity.

PC Gamers Rejoice: Your Rennaisance is Upon You

If there is anyone who should be happier than Nintendo fan boys right now, it would have to be PC gamers. No one has any idea how absolutely dominating Microsoft had been at E3 06. I consider myself a console gamer through and through, it just suits me better. However, at this time I could almost be envious of those loyal to PC gaming. Microsoft dropped a bomb shell at E3 that seemed to go largely unnoticed. With the Console wars heating up, Microsoft slipped a little ace from its sleeve by announcing Games for Windows on Windows Vista. This is a completely new iteration for Games for Windows and this time Microsoft is dead serious about reviving the once thought dead industry. Windows Vista will finally offer a gamer friendly environment that will suit them nicely. With organization and a lay out to make even the most OCD person feel disorganized, Vista will cater nicely to gamers.

Microsoft also announced that for the first time ever, PC gamers and console gamers will be able to unite under one flag: Live Anywhere. Now the bridge will be gapped between those two demographics and they will be able to compete to find out truly who the best gamers are. Since PC’s and the Xbox 360 run on similar hardware, it is easier now than ever to unify for the total gaming experience. PC users will now be able to keep their gamer card right on their desktop. Think of it as the gamer’s equivalent to MSN Messenger. They will be able to see what games their friends are playing and will be able to join in on the action.

Along with Live Anywhere, Microsoft announced the release of DirectX 10. This new installment will feature even more graphical muscle than what was thought possible. This became very apparent when those watching the conference got to experience Crysis. The people at Crytek have outdone themselves with this new graphics engine. The demo starts out on a damaged aircraft carrier out in the middle of the ocean. The environment is very dark, but the darkness is illuminated by the raging fires caused by the damage. Even though there is little light, the graphics are still detailed and animations are fluid. The player makes their way outside on the deck where utter chaos ensues. It is almost pitch black outside due to the smoke caused by the fires. There is a moment of silence, aside from orders being given by deck personnel. A moment later a large mechanical beast breaks through the smoke and at this point I’m thinking, METAL GEAR!!!!! In a way it is somewhat similar to Metal Gear Ray, but that is completely beside the point. The beast lets out a giant roar and begins its advance. You are instructed to find a rocket launcher, and when you do, the entire deck unleashes hell’s fury on the titan war machine. Moments later the machine retreats back into the water and all seems safe. A chopper radios in for you and you are instructed to board it. Needless to say, it was a stunning demo and I only wish I could have been there to see it.

Shadowrun will be the first game to bring the Xbox and PC crowds together for fragging goodness. Shadowrun is a first person shooter that actually started out as a pen and paper based RPG. There were several video game adaptations developed for it but they never really reached that top celebrity status in the industry. A trailer was shown at E3 that showed potential for good game play. The game has come under some scrutiny lately due to its “Xbox 1 quality of graphics.” I have looked at several screens of actual game play and I think they did some nice lighting and textural work. The point that many people are missing with this next generation of gaming is that developers will not be able to tap into the full potential of the Xbox 360. I recall back when the PS2 came out; the graphics were less than stunning. The only reason they did seem that way was because the gap between 64 bits and 128 bits is quite immense. There were several games that really made the graphics of the PS2 stand out and showed what the system was truly capable of.

I feel as if I’m straying from the main point however, so now I shall get back on track. PC gaming has always had its struggles; it is very expensive to get into and technology always seems to become obsolete. At this point, I believe that the life cycles of technology have lengthened quite a bit. AMD released its very powerful 64-bit processor; Also, ATI and NVIDIA have been great trailblazers for the development of motherboards and GPUs. However, to create a powerful gaming computer, gamers often have to get the right components and put everything together themselves. That has all changed now that the industry is starting to recognize its loyal fan base. Dell’s XPS series offers great technology for an intense gaming experience. Dell recently acquired Alienware Inc. and with this type of merger, I smell pure, raw, power. Also, buying a gaming PC has become cheaper than ever with Ibuypower.com. This is a custom computer manufacturer that takes all the latest components and puts it all together in a slick package for a price that would surprise everyone.

PC gaming is quite possibly the Cinderella story of the year. Yes, Nintendo did impress with the Wii, but Nintendo has never really been in trouble, not the type of trouble that plagued PC gamers. PC gamers have dealt with a surplus of crappy to mediocre games, and now it is time for a well deserved change.

Silent Hill: Video Game to Cinematic Gold

After attending the movie “Silent Hill,” I have concluded that I must be the only person in the world who has played “Silent Hill.” With the weeks leading up to the day that I would see this movie; I got a chance to peruse around the internet and read reviews that several “respected” movie critics had written. I started by reading what Roger Ebert (of Siskel and Ebert) thought of the film. He made a very good point that the film was cinematic goodness, save for bad dialogue. He also went on to state that unless one has played this game, average movie goers will not have any idea what the hell is going on. Other sites had stated the same thing, but as I came across sites like IGN, the movie was absolutely ripped upon. IGN said that the movie is boring, long and confusing, plus the dialogue was terrible. Now this strikes me as strange because should not IGN have some type of understanding of Silent Hill? Silent Hill has never been known for its eloquent dialogue, so with that the director did not have a whole lot to work with.

The director did a marvelous job with the film. He hit everything spot on, from the actual music from the game, to clever camera angles that brought back great memories. At the beginning when Rose enters the town she follows her daughter into an under-ground passage way. From there the darkness approaches and the familiar sound of the warning sirens blare through the theatre. This brought chills up my spine, I loved it and the siren was a great touch. All goes black for a moment, and then rose illuminates the darkness with the faint glow from her lighter. She follows the corridors and suddenly I’m reminded of the alley way at the beginning of Silent Hill 1. The director does some great work with the camera by taking it overhead with exact shot placement from the game. Rose gets to a dead end and discovers a figure strapped to a fence by barbed wire, just like in the game. Creatures suddenly come from all over and attack Rose. They over-take her then suddenly disintegrate into ash, and Rose wakes up in a diner and the darkness is gone.

That was my favorite scene from the movie simply because the director hit everything spot on. He did a great job with the camera work, the sound and the overall feeling of fear and claustrophobia. You could hear the same eerie sounds from the game, that background music which sounds like metal being banged frantically. He sets a great mood with this scene and sets the pace for the rest of the movie. The Actress who played Rose’s daughter was also brilliant. She portrayed an innocent, yet troubled child perfectly. She could go from playing innocent to playing the dark form of herself without any trouble at all. This girl has amazing range and she has a bright future ahead of her.

Silent Hill is an underrated movie simply for the fact that it is not very scary at all. This is forgivable simply because it’s nothing I have not seen from the game itself. The director was trying to show what the game would be like in cinematic form. The story is great and well thought of. The ending is also worth the price of admission simply because it is a constant and satisfying blood bath. I didn’t think this movie was boring at all. It kept a good and constant pace and was never bogged down by pointless dialogue. This movie is definitely not for someone who takes movies painfully seriously. This film is for those who have beat Silent Hill, (The first and second ones, the third and fourth are pretty irrelevant) or those who have very open minds and appreciate movies for as they are. This movie is as faithful as possible to the first Silent Hill. Perhaps that is what the movie’s downfall was. The story is too complex for today’s movie goers and too canon for today’s gamers. The director was simply taking everything that Silent Hill was and making it into a fantastic, visual feast. People who saw this movie can not say that they weren’t impressed when the movie made the transition from normalcy and into the darkness. Perhaps a better alternative would have been to use the story line from Silent Hill 2. It would basically be all the Silent Hill goodness, without confusing the audience with the involvement of the occult. Who can say for certain what would have made this movie “great.” Perhaps people need to stop judging every movie like it is up for an Academy Award, and just start enjoying the show.

Alcohol

After a long, strenuous summer of work, students have returned to the campus of DSU. Some of the students that walk these hallowed halls only have one thing on their mind. What it is may not be surprising, but let me just say that they have dreams of reenacting scenes from the Delta House in John Landis’ classic film Animal House. Or for those who have not seen that movie, you may be looking forward to a few rounds of beer pong, “century club” or “Edward forty hands.” While many professors would prefer that those thoughts should be extradited to another place further back in the mind, the fact is that some of the students just want to let loose and party.

The classic college party involves students getting together at a house and drinking alcoholic beverages until they have no idea what planet they are on. In the upcoming year there will be keggers galore and minors aplenty; so I have made it my personal duty to explain my thoughts on the consumption of alcohol.

Right now the legal age to purchase and drink alcohol is 21. However, I’m not going to be naïve to the fact that there will be many under that age that will be partaking in such activities. I only hope to create a survival guide and ground rules to incoming freshmen, and lay some common knowledge and ground rules that could potentially save someone’s life or dignity. There are several repercussions and consequences for underage drinking. If you are caught by the fine officers of the Madison Police Department, you can expect to receive a minor or a DUI, jail time and or a massive fine. One can alleviate stress of being caught in a situation like this by doing one of two things; don’t drink or drink smart.

Parties such as the one depicted in Animal House are not real smart to attend if you are a minor. While they are fun, there is a very high end chance that party will get busted. It is common knowledge but there are always a few people who want to be really daring. It is also not advisable to partake in “booze cruising” because there is the possibility that your night of fun could ruin your entire week. Burn cruising is a completely different story, but I will save that for another article.

Alcohol is both a blessing and a curse because it brings people together, but it also ruins lives. There is nothing like having a couple beers or a glass of your favorite spirits makes for a pleasant night and no regrets in the morning. Drinking in moderation is always the best way to go but people have to be mature enough to know their limits. College is the best four years of anyone’s life but those years should not be wasted. I just have a last message for all freshmen on this topic; your main reason for attending college is to learn and gain experience for the real world. At the same time you should not take life too seriously, because you’ll never get out alive.

Lupe Fiasco: Chi-town's Latest Phenom

There seems to be an overbearing need for cars, money, drugs and sex in the world of hip-hop these days and one would have a hard time finding some sensible or artistic meaning within the songs. Synthesizers and cookie-cutter lyrics give the title of MC a bad name. Chicago has come up recently as a force in the hip-hop world with acts like Kanye West and Twista fusing instrumentals with hip-hop lyrics. If I had to describe Lupe Fiasco’s Debut effort what comes to mind is a humble version of Kanye West. Lupe takes an approach that is very unique to hip-hop by using slower beats and intricate lyrics that show his true intentions for making music. His style isn’t exactly what you’ll here in the clubs these days but he creates an album that you can truly sit down and listen to.

Earlier this summer I was randomly watching MTV and a video came on with a rapper that I had never heard of. He had a ridiculous name that I had never heard of but his music was pure. The song was called “Kick-Push” and it was basically about the life of a boy who had taken up the hobby of skate boarding. The first thing I noticed was the use of strings and brass. Today hip-hop has been over-taken by synths and drum machines that it is refreshing to hear a true artist these days.

Lupe’s next single is “Daydreamin’” which takes a mix of soul and jazz with a sample of I Monster’s “Daydream in Blue” and features soul singer Jill Scott. The first verse of the song deals with a projects building becoming a robot and describing the activity of the people around the building. He describes happenings in the ghetto taking place around the project building/robot. It’s a visceral scene to imagine and not quite what you would expect from a rapper but Lupe shows that he is a true lyricist in this song.

Lupe has a very unique play on the life that is typical of rappers growing up in the ghettos with gangs and drugs and drive bys. In the CD booklet he depicts two scenes with children receiving guns in schools and gangs using books in the place of guns. It’s a unique and darkly humorous view of that life and it shows that his mind works in a new way that people would never expect from an MC these days.

This is an album that can be listened to by everyone because it is not a typical rap album. Lupe shies away from the lifestyle portrayed by rappers today and conveys a message of what really matters. He shows a wide range of subject matter and has a distinct flavor that you can’t find anywhere else these days.

Fall Camp Trojan Style

Every year around the middle of August, millions of football players around the country prepare for their upcoming season. The Trojans of DSU are one such team that hopes to improve upon last season. This time is known as fall camp. This two week period of two-a-day practices and team meetings is used to fine tune the team, prepare the incoming freshmen and create team unity.

The first day is the day that all the players arrive on campus and move into the dorms. Most freshmen come early because of their eagerness to get things started, while upperclassmen that are familiar with the procedure come later in the day. All the players meet and get to know each other and get comfortable with their surroundings. There is a wide variety of people who joined the football team, from high school stand outs to people who want to give college football a shot; even a marine, thrown in for good measure. This diversity really brings the team together because everyone learns to work together no matter what type of background another player has.

The team is really a tight-nit family and they work to make each other better by any means necessary. They can accept anyone into their circle as long as that person is willing to contribute something to the team. They work together very well and everyone is approachable. They are a band of brothers who go into battle knowing that each person will give everything they have got to achieve victory.

On the second day the players wake up to check out equipment at the field house. The players receive their spirit packs, equipment and lockers. After check-out, the players head to the practice field to do a 300-yard shuttle run. The shuttle run involves the players sprinting 50 yards back and forth until they have reached 300 yards in under a minute. Then the players gather in to the basement of Zimmerman Hall to test out on weight lifting. Following the testing the players head to the marketplace for lunch and a few words from Head Coach Nate Holtz. He explains a few things about the school and how excited he is about this season. The players meet the people involved with dining services and receive instructions on how the meals work during camp and during the school year. After lunch, the players convene in the science center for meetings with the coaches, president Knowlton and Dakota State’s Athletic Director. The players then introduce themselves to each other by standing up saying their name, where they are from and what position they play. Once each player has done this, they are informed that each player must be able to know everyone’s name in about three days. The consequence for not knowing someone’s name is extra conditioning after practice. Unit meetings and position meetings follow, along with a team dinner. The day closes out with an organizational walk-thru that explains to the players how practices work. The players then go back to the dorms to get some sleep for the start of practice.

The next day the players wake up around 6:30 and head to breakfast at 7:00. Today is the first day of two-a-days. Players meet in the respective position meetings and get to know the playbook. After an hour, the players head out to the practice fields for a pre-practice stretch. Coach Holtz blows the whistle to gather the team in to tell them what is expected for the day. The team then splits up between offense and defense and head out for drills. The defense begins the practice with turnover circuit where players hone their skills in taking the ball away from the offense. There are four stations set up with two involving stripping the ball away from the ball carrier, and two that work on intercepting a pass. After turnover circuit, the players split up into individual position drills.

The Defense works on leverage drills and getting around the offensive line. They also work on plays that they have learned in their team meetings. It’s important for them to know what they are doing with all the defensive packages, stunts, and coverages. Offense works on running technique, footwork and their respective plays as well. After about 6 or 7 drills, the team gathers in the middle of the field for Team competition. Even without pads, the intensity is very high between the offense and defense. Everything about these practices is high intensity and every player is trying to get on top of their games. Players fly around at a hundred miles per hour and try to deliver as much punishment as they can. Once the pads go on, everything is intensified even more. The hits become harder and the intensity is doubled. Conditioning plays an important role in camp because it takes everyone to that next level of work. Conditioning ranges from straight on 110 yard sprints, to a 12 minute run where players jog around a box while coach Rave tells them to do different types of exercises. Players push out whatever strength they can muster. This is the part where the mind tries to tell the body that it can’t give any more but the players with the most heart can ignore what the brain tells them and they push on.

Once the pads go on, the players become even more excited about football and their power and strength seems to become augmented two-fold. They adopt a bar fighter’s mentality that it is a battle between them and their opponents and that there is no way that they will back down. The players fly around the field and deliver punishing blows on a regular basis. Every hit has that familiar pop of the pads and some impacts are too violent for description. Emotions run high around this time as the offense and defense square off twice a day. Each side challenges the other to step up and prove that they have what it takes to dominate. Whether it is a sack for the defense or a long gain for the offense, each side shows that they have what it takes to compete.

Football really proves what type of person one can amount to and how well they respond to high intensity situations. It is a sport that emphasizes the team concept and that the whole is better than the sum of its parts. DSU is hoping for great success this season and by the way things are looking, that success looks to be within reach.