Time passed and about a year ago he called to asked if I'd be interested in taking over the Aural Fixation column. Since then it's been an amazing outlet for my ramblings, rantings, and purge for insistent earworms. What, you don't know what I'm talking about? You definitely find your way to a subscription of Game Developer so you can follow along at home!
So, to celebrate the passing of a years worth of writing I thought I'd recap and point out the (sometimes hidden) musical references that I've been consistently sneaking into each article. It's evolved over time from pure song lyric quotes at the end of an article into a full blown interwoven breadcrumb-trail burind within the headers. All of this because I often wake in the morning with an 80's jukebox in my head, it's a curse!
2012
Dude History? (February)
How I Found the Future by Looking Backward
“...and in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make.” - The Beatles: The End
It’s About People (March)
The Great Game Audio Community
“Big city, bright lights, cool cool people, big city. Everybody I know can be found here.” - Spacemen 3: Big City
Knowing a Thing, or Two (April)
Career Fragmentation at the Turn of the Generation
“Sprinklers that come on at 3 a.m. sound like crowds of people asking you, ‘Are you happy what you’re doing?’” - Grandaddy: The Group Who Couldn’t Say
“Look out honey cause I’m using technology” - Iggy and the Stooges: Search and Destroy
Vroom Vroom (May)
A Study of Sound in Racing Games
“Let the good times roll.” - The Cars: Let the good times roll
Crossing the Two-way Street (June/July)
From Game Audio to Game Engine
Headers - Huey Lewis and the News: This is it
“Crosstown traffic, so hard to get through you.” - Jimi Hendrix: Crosstown Traffic
Audio in Unity by Alexander Brandon (August)
Welcome to Unity Sound Design and Scripting
Pop Will Eat Itself (September)
Could Game Mix in Popular Music Samples?
Headers - Phil Collins: Various
“Everybody’s talking bout the new sound. Funny, but it’s still rock and roll to me.” Billy Joel: It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me
Procedural Music by Yann Seznec (October)
Making Games Into Music, and Music Into Games
It’s Just a Jump to the Left (November)
Dynamic Animation Sound Now
Headers - Rocky Horror Picture Show - Time Warp
“With a bit of the mind flip, you’re into the time slip, and nothing can ever be the same.” - Rocky Horror Picture Show - Time Warp
Death of an Audio Engine (December)
Reinventing the Wheel No Longer
2013
Hot for Game Audio (January)
The Game Audio Literature Review
Headers - Van Halen: Hot for Teacher
“I think of all the education that I missed, but then my high school was never quite like this.” Van Halen: Hot for Teacher
WHATCHAMACALLIT (February)
Achieving Transparency in Naming
Headers - Carly Rae Jepson: Call me maybe
“I want to tell you something you've known all along, don't leave me hanging on the telephone.” - Blondie: Hangin’ on the telephone
Every Year I Buy the Magic Beans (March)
The Pains of Being Freelance at Heart
Headers - Olivia Newton John & Electric Light Orchestra: Magic
“You have to believe we are magic, nothing can stand in our way. Don’t let your aim ever stray.” - Olivia Newton John & Electric Light Orchestra: Magic
So with that a special thanks to Jess for passing the torch off to me and big thanks to everyone who has read and given feedback on my articles this past year. It's an incredible opportunity to be able to wax philosophical about the state of our industry and I hope that these article channel the community through the discussions I have with you throughout the year. Feel free to drop a line if something doesn't seem quite right, or if you think we're missing something important that's happening.
Also, give a handclap to the 2012 guest contributors: Alexander Brandon from Funky Rustic and Yann Seznec from Lucky Frame.
Steady on,
-lcl