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Dunno if my stuff is any good for your purposes, but you have the permission to use it. Anyway, I would guess OCR's content policy works in your favour anyway?

JANUARY 3, 2017 - NOW UPDATED FOR MAGFEST XV / 2017 Since 2012, I've been updating this guide for the Gaylord Hotel and National Harbor area for MAGFest attendees. We're back for 2017! Just dress warmly this time, because it's gonna be freezing this weekend and ice levels suck. As always, if anyone has suggestions on stuff to add, just post and I'll amend. If anyone wants to make plans, then I'm game (I'll be on Discord). ________________________________________________________________ GENERAL INFO: ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ GENERAL AREA The Gaylord Resort is gorgeous. The Atrium, Hotel, and Convention Center are all connected, and most overflow hotels are <2 blocks away. In The Atrium there are several shops and restaurants, though most are high-end or have bad food, so you're usually better off walking a few blocks for food/supplies. The area was planned, so most things are 2-5 blocks away and there are maps everywhere. There are plenty of shops/restaurants (details below), and while most are expensive, there are some affordable options. I'll give suggestions for different budgets/tastes below. (Also in 2016 the MGM Grand was built in the area. Fortunately that's like a mile up from the Gaylord so you shouldn't run into any congestion from there.) HOTELS For the Gaylord Hotel, budget an hour to check in (they're fast but can still get swamped), and an hour to check out and get out of the parking garage (seriously it can be a mess). Main up-side for the Gaylord is that you're right at the con and don't have to don a coat to head back to your room. Main down-side is that it's more expensive and doesn't have any free amenities. For the overflow hotels: checking in and out is faster, but it can still take half an hour or so to get out of the garages. Main up-side for the overflows is that they're often cheaper and many (like Residence Inn) even have free breakfast! Main down-side is that you can't just pop back to your room as easily from the con. PARKING/TRANSPORT For those driving in who have a hotel, use their parking -- that will normally be your cheapest option. For those driving in each day, the public garages are all $16/day. (Be careful! They charge a flat rate if you come in after 8pm regardless of how long you're there, whether it's 5 minutes or 5 hours.) Don't bother with street parking as meters are only good for 2 hours and have 24-hour enforcement. For those not driving, there're really three options: (1) take a cab, Uber, or Lyft from whatever station/airport you're coming in from, (2) take the airport shuttle from DCA to the Gaylord for $19, or (3) take the Metro Green Line to Branch Ave (link) and then the NH1 bus to National Harbor (schedule) -- unfortunately the buses stop running before 11PM, and Metro trains stop running by 12AM (even on weekends). EATING I have specific restaurant lists below, but here's a brief rundown: For breakfast, there aren't a lot of good inexpensive options. Check if your hotel offers free breakfast though (Residence Inn and some of the other hotels do, but Gaylord does not); otherwise, you're better off buying some cereal, granola bars, fruit, etc.. For lunch/dinner, most restaurants are crowded at peak hours (Nando's, Elevation Burger, and Rosa Mexicano especially). Try off-peak hours and check which restaurants are open late. For the budget-conscious, there are some inexpensive options I've highlighted. Better still is also to bring in your own food (like breakfast) or buy at some of the stores around (like Potomac Gourmet or CVS). Drink lots of water. Even if it's cold, you need water. POKEMON HUNTING It's pretty good hunting here. There're 34 Pokestops, 2 gyms, and plenty of Pokemon besides the usual Pidgey/Rattata trash. You can catch a bagload pretty easily walking through the streets, in the Gaylord, or along the waterfront. Unless you're Team Instinct, then you can get rekt. *** ________________________________________________________________ RESTAURANTS: ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ There're plenty of restaurants in the area. I've checked out nearly all of the ones over the years that might be more appealing to MAGFest-goers. THE SHORT LISTS: Recommended (starting with the best): - Nando's Peri-Peri - Elevation Burger - Fiorella - Granite City Food & Brewery - Rosa Mexicano - Succotash On the cheap (starting with the cheapest): - Subway - Potbelly Sandwich Works - Chipotle - Nando's Peri-Peri - Potomac Gourmet Market (for ready-made soups/sandwiches) Breakfast options (starting with the morningest): - Harbor Coffee - Potomac Gourmet Market (for ready-made soups/sandwiches) - Subway Dessert options (starting with the sweetest): - SPAGnVOLA Chocolatier - Pinkberry - Ben & Jerry's THE CHANGE LOG: Here are some of the places that have disappeared in the last 2 years: - Harrington's Pub & Kitchen - Baja Fresh - Freshii - Nature's Table Here are some of the places that are new in the last 2 years: - Chipotle (replaced empty lot) - Franks & Shakes (replaced Nature's Table) - The Irish Whisper (replaced half of Harrington's) - Brother Jimmy's BBQ (replaced the other half of Harrington's) - Granite City Food & Brewery (replaced construction) - Succotash (replaced Baja Fresh and Freshii) - Redstone American Grill (replaced empty lot) THE LONG LIST: I've divided this into 3 sections: (1) breakfast/lunch/dinner places, (2) coffee/snack/dessert places, and (3) places to cross off the list. They're roughly in order of best-to-middling, though I try to balance quality with cost. Also, where I can, I've marked the cost (from $=$10/person to $$$$=$40/person) and my own subjective assessment (from 1/4 to 4/4). (1) For breakfast/lunch/dinner: Nando's Peri-Peri ($, 5/4) PROS: Everything! Inexpensive ($8-$12, no tipping needed). Food is delicious. Chicken is legendary. Vegetarian options are good. Even when it's crowded, you get a seat quicker than most other places. CONS: It gets crowded and noisy at night, sometimes. Yet they still manage to be faster at seating you than other places. (Most people who know me know I'm a huge Nando's fan and advocate. I usually go to a Nando's once a week on average. It's just that good.) Fiorella Pizzeria E Caffe ($$, 3/4) PROS: Moderately priced and decent Italian/Pizza place (even for someone like me who isn't big on Italian food). They're also good with seating large groups (when they have room, so calling ahead wouldn't hurt). CONS: Desserts are a little subpar, really that's about it. (Good option if you're in the mood for Italian, and don't mind walking down to the harbor area.) Elevation Burger ($, 3/4) PROS: Cheap and good burgers ($5-$10), and the vegetarian & vegan burgers are both good. CONS: Gets extremely crowded at peak hours. Also, the burgers alone are small -- get a side dish, a milkshake, or something on the side. There's also not much sitting room inside. (Good option for lunch if it's not too crowded. Take my advice and get fries or a shake with your order though.) Granite City Food & Brewery ($$, 3/4) PROS: Relatively inexpensive ($15-20), good food, and plenty of seating for larger groups. This is also open pretty late ('til 11pm Thursday, 'til 12am Friday-Saturday). CONS: Not much, actually. Crowds are typically not that bad either. (Typical American fare. Main thing that sets it apart also is how late it's open and that it has plenty of seating room.) Potomac Gourmet ($, 2/4) PROS: This is a grocery store, but they have some to-go soup and pre-packaged sandwiches, generally for under $7 for a quick lunch. Fresh fruits/veg, also. CONS: It's just a grocery store, not a restaurant, but it's a good option for a quick meal. (This is the best place if you're in a hurry. If you're getting groceries here it's not cheap, but the ready-made lunch options are actually less expensive than most other places here.) Succotash ($$$, 4/4) PROS: Great southern restaurant (Louisiana-to-South Carolina area) and very generous portions, especially with the side dishes. CONS: Rather expensive ($20-30). The main reason it's this high on the list is because the portions are generous enough to make this a decent value. (I rate this highly because of my fondness for Southern food, and the portion size. The fries, succotash, and anything fried is good, but skip the watermelon and peanuts.) Rosa Mexicano ($$$, 4/4) PROS: Fantastic food (and get the guacamole if you're going to come here). You will be very full after eating here, so you may as well go in the early afternoon, eat a full three course meal, and skip dinner -- it's worth it. CONS: It's not cheap. It can also get crowded, especially at night, and it may take up to 2 hours to get a table without a reservation. (This place is my favorite for high-quality Mexican food. Also the portions are generous; after eating lunch here I end up skipping dinner... However, the price and long wait rule it out for most people.) Crab Cake Cafe ($$, 2/4) PROS: Well, it has Maryland Crab Cakes. Those are always good. CONS: If I wanted to spend $14 on a sandwich, I'd just go to one of the other sit-down restaurants. (The prices aren't listed in the window, but the vegetarian sandwich is $11 and the crab cakes are all $13-14.) (Only good if you really want some crab cakes. Otherwise, no reason to go.) Thai Pavilion ($$, 2/4) PROS: It's the only Thai restaurant in the area, and it (now) has a decent vegetarian menu. Price is rather decent also. CONS: Honestly it's a little below-average for a Thai restaurant. (Good if you're craving Thai food, but otherwise I'd pass.) Potbelly Sandwich Works ($) PROS: Inexpensive but filling sandwiches. And I've always liked their milkshakes. They're also usually good about handling the lunch rush. CONS: The line will go out the door at lunch, and there won't be any place inside to sit unless you're lucky. Though, they get through the line at a pretty fast pace. Subway ($) PROS: ...it's Subway. CONS: ...it's Subway. Chipotle ($) [NEW!] PROS: ...it's Chipotle. CONS: ...it's Chipotle. McDonald's ($) PROS: ...it's McDonald's. CONS: ...it's McDonald's, and all the way out in the gas station a half mile from the convention. Franks & Shakes ($) [NEW!] (Haven't been here.) Practically fast food, and to be honest there're better options around for fast food (Chipotle, Subway) and shakes (Potbelly, Elevation Burger). The Irish Whisper ($$) [NEW!] (Haven't been here.) This place appears to have replaced Harrington's (which was another Irish pub). However it's predominantly drinks and pub fare. Brother Jimmy's BBQ ($$) [NEW!] (Haven't been here.) Uh... guys, I may be southern but I also don't eat pork, so I have no idea how to evaluate good BBQ. Someone check this out and let me know. Although the reviews aren't very promising. Bobby McKey's ($$$) (Haven't been here.) Open late and sandwiches look moderately priced, but everything else looks pricey. Cadillac Ranch ($$$) (Haven't been here.) Open late and sandwiches look moderately priced, but everything else looks pricey and the Yelp reviews aren't great. They do have a mechanical bull, though. Public House ($$$) (Haven't been here.) Sandwiches are moderately priced, entrees are expensive though. It gets very crowded on weekends. Yelp reviews aren't great, but it could be worth a try? (2) For coffee/dessert SPAGnVOLA Chocolatier (¢¢, 5/4) As a chocolate lover, SPAGnVOLA is one of my favorite chocolatiers, second only to Lindt. The hot chocolate, gelato, and pretty much everything else here is delicious (mind you, some of the treats like bonbons/truffles are pricey, but the coffee, gelato, and hot chocolate are all reasonable). Harbor Coffee (¢, 3/4) Good coffee, and the same price as any other place. It's about 2-3 blocks from the hotel, as opposed to in the hotel -- that's the only down-side. The Coffee Bean (in the hotel) (¢, 2/4) It's passable for a quick coffee fix since it's in the hotel, but that's it. Harbor Coffee is a better option if you're willing to walk. Pinkberry (¢, 3/4) Delicious frozen yogurt with toppings. They also claim to be open late (allegedly until 12am on Saturdays). The Peeps Store (¢, n/a) It's Peeps. Where else are you gonna find an entire store devoted to these marshmallow chicks? They have other merchandise too. Ben & Jerry's (¢, 2/4) ...It's Ice Cream. It's not Nice Cream, but it's still ok. (3) Probably should avoid Redstone ($$$, 2/4) Some of the food options (anything with buffalo sauce or roasted) is actually decent, and it has a great view of the harbor plus good service. Unfortunately, it's way too expensive given that the quality of the food is not that high, and you can get much better food for less at places like Granite City, Succotash, or Fiorella. National Pastime Sports Bar & Grill (in the hotel) ($$, 0/4) The only reason to go is to watch the playoff games. However the food is overpriced and really, really not that good. McCormick & Schmick's ($$$$, 4/4) The food is actually very good, but it's very expensive. I don't think many folks came here to drop that kind of cash. McLoone's Pier House ($$$$, 4/4) Like McCormick, the food here is also very good, yet very expensive. Grace's Mandarin ($$$$, -1/4) The food is overpriced and comes in small portions, the decorations are gaudy, and the waitresses dress like a cross between P. F. Chang's and Hooters. Old Hickory Steakhouse (in the hotel) Moon Bay Coastal Cuisine (in the hotel) Pienza Italian Market (in the hotel) Bond 45 Sauciety (Haven't been to any of these places) I can't speak to the quality of any of these places -- some of them even look quite good -- but the prices are very high and I don't think anyone came to drop that kind of money here. ________________________________________________________________ CHALLENGE MODES: ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ Below is a specific strategy guide for some players who are looking for a challenge, whether out of necessity or... well, usually necessity. VEGETARIAN MODE: Fortunately the DC area is pretty friendly to vegetarians, so you have plenty of good options among most of the places I listed above. I'll list out the best places for vegetarians and strats at each. Nando's Peri-Peri: Many vegetarian options -- the halloumi cheese wrap, roasted vegetable wrap, veggie burger, and all of the sides, are good. You're not missing out by just going vegetarian here. Elevation Burger: Their vegetarian and vegan burgers are pretty good, and if you're fine with dairy then you can still get their shakes. Rosa Mexicano: They have a specific vegetarian menu. When you sit down, ask for that -- it'll give you more options than you may see on the normal menu. Succotash: There are fewer vegetarian options here, but still enough, and they clearly label which items are vegetarian or vegan on the lunch and dinner menus. Remember their side dish portions are pretty huge. Fiorella: There are several vegetarian options as long as you're fine with cheese. Chipotle: Still has your beans/rice/cheese options as always. Subway: Well, if you're running out of options, you can always get the veggie sandwich at Subway. I'm always suspicious of their veggie patties though. VEGAN MODE: The DC area is also relatively friendly to vegans, though understandably your options will be more limited than vegetarians. But! You'll still have plenty of options here. Nando's Peri-Peri: The only good vegan options are the roasted vegetable wrap (ask for it without cheese) and butternut squash salad, plus most of the sides. Mind you, those are all still really good, so you're not missing out by joining us for a Nando's run. Elevation Burger: Their vegan burger is good. However, make sure you are specific that you don't want any cheese on it (I've actually had this problem at other Elevation Burgers). Rosa Mexicano: Similar as the vegetarian mode, ask for a vegetarian menu when you sit down -- you'll have way more options. Many (though not all) of the items on there can also be made without cheese upon request. Succotash: There aren't many vegan main dishes, but most of the side dishes (which have generous portions) are vegan. The menu clearly specifies what is vegetarian or vegan, too. Fiorella: There are fewer options here -- mostly just pasta and sauce, or some custom orders without cheese, but I haven't tried either so I can't vouch for quality there. Chipotle: ...when in doubt, there's Chipotle. Subway: ...and when all else fails, there's still Subway. CHEAPSKATE MODE: So you want to get through spending as little on food as possible? Well, that involves a little bit of a different strategy. The short version is that you should make a grocery run before you get to MAGFest, and just store what you need in the mini-fridge for breakfast and lunch, and eat out for dinner. Prioritize fruits, ditch the junk food, and drink plenty of water. So here are some specifics: Breakfast: If you're in an overflow hotel, see if they have free breakfast and eat your fill their -- maybe even enough to pass on lunch (your choice). Otherwise, pack some cereal, milk, and disposable bowls/spoons; OR some granola bars (...not the kind that are no better than candy); OR some fruit like bananas and apples. Don't skip breakfast -- you just end up hungrier and more tired. Lunch: A bit more of a challenge, but you can tide yourself over with other things you've packed or stocked up on beforehand. Fruit (apples, bananas, oranges, etc.), peanut butter crackers, granola bars, yogurt, etc., can help you last until dinner. And drink lots of water. Dinner: Unless you plan on bringing like a portable hotplate (...honestly this is a bad idea unless you have a lot of room, like in the suites, and even then really know what you're doing), allow yourself to eat out for dinner. The best low-cost options are Nando's, Potbelly, Subway, Chipotle, and Potomac Gourmet. Other: Drink lots of water. Yes I know I keep repeating this, but it keeps you from getting too hungry, and makes it less likely you'll get sick. Also, if you run low on anything, CVS and Potomac Gourmet should have what you need to restock. HEALTHY MODE: ...um... ...I'm not good at this one... OA would give better advice here. ________________________________________________________________ OTHER PLACES: ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ Not many folks going to MAG are planning on shopping, but there are a few things around that you might want to be aware of. CVS There's a CVS right across from Nando's Peri-Peri, if you need to grab anything you couldn't pack on your way in. Urgent Care There's an urgent care clinic just up from CVS (from the hotel, turn right around the corner of the CVS). Just keep this in mind in case you catch MAGFlu and need to check in. Potomac Gourmet This is a small upscale grocery store. Fruits/veg, packaged food, soup and sandwiches, that kind of thing, you can stock up on here. The price is slightly above-average, but not bad unless you plan on doing a month's worth of shopping here. I prefer just having the soups/sandwiches if I need a quick lunch from here (you can get an ok lunch for under $7 from here). Stonewall Kitchen This is not a place for buying food. It's just a cookware place (like Dean & Deluca or Sur La Table). Bubble Bounce This is not a restaurant. It is an indoor playground where you can drop off your kids. For some reason the National Harbor guide lists it under their restaurants on some maps. Don't be fooled unless you want an uncomfortable conversation. Capital Teas And this is a tea store I really don't like. The tea is of really poor quality yet they charge a ton for it. The Awakening Baja Fresh, Freshii, and Nature's Table are gone, but this thing is still here...

Hey, everyone, we're participating in an official Reddit AMA on Tue., Feb. 23rd in celebration of Fair Use Week! We hope you'll join djpretzel, myself, and the legal eagles from intellectual property & open Internet non-profit Public Knowledge for the AMA! Feel free to check out our 2013 self-AMA if you're already in the AMA mood, and we hope to field more questions later this month. It starts at 12PM Eastern US time, and goes until we're done answering every question. I'll keep checking back every few hours for a few days, so you're not too later if you ask a Q a little later in the day or week as well! ASK US ANYTHING about VGM, copyright issues with arranging game music and putting it out for free, how OCR is run, what you want to see or improve with the site, and any other important questions you have!

Space Megaforce aka Super Aleste. I find it hard to believe there are zero remixes of this game. The entire soundtrack is filled with super-memorable melodies that are dying to be remastered. Even the title music has style! The only tracks I'd say that aren't worthy of a remix are: - Space Cruiser - The boss battles Anything else you really can't go wrong with. The ending Credit music is just beautiful. Axelay. Another game with some great melodies to play with. Big thanks to Jeremy Johnson, Midee and prozax for their 'Unkai' remix. And while 'City Lights' by posu yan isn't really my style, I find myself listening to it often because it's just done well. The songs at the top of the list would have to be: - Mother - Silence - Burning Super R-Type. 'Blast Rock'. Crazy awesome solo. Need I say more? I may be pushing my quota of requests here, =0 but hey, I'm a child of space shooters so I need to do them justice by giving some honorable mentions: U.N. Squadron aka Area 88. Only 1 remix on the site. Sad really. Not the song, I mean the fact that it's the only remix there. This music is very engaging, heavy even. Something RPG's and adventure games can't give you ;1 Good stuff: - Project 4 Fortress - Enemy Airforce - Final Boss - The Canyon - Front Line Base The Gradiuses. Well done. More please

Somehow didn't see this before today. I'll see if I can cook something up in time.

I don't know if any of my stuff fits the bill, but if so I have no objections. How does one get certified to be a personal trainer anyway?

Eh the differences between most any digital EQ simply comes down to functionality rather than sonic qualities. For the most part you can emulate any digital EQ with a fully parametric EQ. Just how it goes. Though there is something to be said for the speed at which you can use an EQ to do what you need. For the most part I don't use fully Parametric EQs when I mix, I typically use Nomad Factory's NEQ-1972 which is like a Neve 1081 EQ. I just like how fast I can dial in what I need with it rather than to get all fiddly with the various settings of a fully parametric EQ. Though I do use Parametric EQs when I need to get in and do something cleanly or surgically. For those situations I use ReaEQ for more general stuff and Pro-Q for the more advanced stuff. Just find something you're comfortable using and go from there. If you like to be speedy with EQ then perhaps looking at an EQ that isn't fully parametric may be beneficial. Something free would be BootEQ from VoS. It isn't a surgical EQ by any means, but it has a good overall sound and surprisingly flexible. If you like the way it flows over using a fully parametric EQ then you should try and explore different EQ plugins. But sonically? I've never noticed a big difference between EQs except in the bands and how they react to the sound. Compressors on the other hand I have a lot more to say, but that isn't the question at hand. Use the digital EQ that sounds good to you and jive with.

Anything of mine is fair game, and I think a lot of it might actually be good for the workouts!

Hey, have you guys heard of my new business OverClocked ReMix? It's a pretty damn big thing over in Europe. We specialize in mixing paint for use on old clocks.

Seeing as composers didn't have a choice in the matter when originally composing for the hardware, it's pretty safe to say that the interpolation is part of the artistic intent. I think with module-based music from Amiga and PC games the interpolation condundrum becomes more up in the air. Players from that era usually lacked any sort of filtering, but it's a standard feature today. Thus modern recordings of soundtracks (Like official OST releases or YouTube uploads) in those formats often end up with some form of interpolation active, which in many cases filters off the rough edges to a serious degree. I find this kind of aggravating since it often feels apparent to me that the aliasing is an intended part of the sound and not just a byproduct. One of the biggest examples I can think of is Isotoxin from Unreal. Here is a video of it with interpolation enabled: And here is a recording I made from the original module without any interpolation: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/66640537/isotoxin.mp3 You can clearly hear just how excessively subdued the main distorted synth line becomes once you start filtering it. The aliasing adds so much brightness to it that it simply feels evident to me that this is how it was meant to sound in the mix, since you can at times barely even hear it in the full mix if all that aliasing is cut off.

At least back in the good old days, sham artists traced other people's works instead of just copypasting in Photoshop.

LOLZ PHOTOSHOP. Besides the copyright angle, this is just sad. Someone with at least a modicum of ability actually sat there and performed these minor alterations. How do they sleep at night? What were they thinking?

Oh man. This takes me back to the good ol' days of beta. Wonderful piece!

Yes, I'm still among the living, just haven't had much time to partake in the thread...Its funny since working overtime on this remix I found myself emulating the Count's habits. Sleeping all day, up all night, avoiding all daylight, leaving my dwelling only to feed and terrorizing the illiterate peasants of Walachia in the late 1890's. I'll swing by tomorrow and see how everyone's doing, Night.

The thing about albums is that if you really like a game and its soundtrack, you should commit to doing the album for that game.. not asking if people are interested and posting a few different album ideas, etc etc... because people will start to see a pattern of stuff not happening and they'll question the validity of the project you eventually decide on.. what's to stop you from being like "Undertale is old hat now.. hey this new game just dropped, wow this song is cool! hey you guys wanna do an album for this!?" I also disagree on choosing something popular to do 'just because'. Even if you choose something that isn't really popular, you can still find people who care about that music as much as you should (if you're doing an album for it).. pick something that really appeals to you on a personal level, and follow it through. That's more important than gauging interest in a bunch of things and deciding to do what other people like the most. but what do I know, I'm crazy!

Maybe I'm missing something, Meteo, but where did you formally agree with them that all assets you produced were your IP, to be used at your discretion, and that you retained full control over your work? Do you actually have something in writing saying this? Or, do they have something in writing saying that all IP produced for the project is retained by the project and can be used as the project team sees fit? Or do you have nothing at all? It seems to me that in the absence of a written agreement saying otherwise, you breaking ties with them doesn't mean that they have to stop using music that you produced specifically for the project, even if you request that they do. Breaking a 'contract' (again, what did you have in writing besides an NDA, which, unless it was more than a standard NDA, would only be related to you revealing their IP to the outside world) doesn't automatically imply they have to stop using your work. If I were to leave my job, my employer isn't required to delete all the code I've contributed to the codebase; is your situation different, and why? If you have a good, previously-agreed-upon, reason to be sure they have no legal right to use your title theme, you could go after them legally, or not, but you're not going to gain much by going out of your way to slam them other than tarnishing your reputation as well as theirs. I know I wouldn't take a stranger's account of 'they phased me out and wasted my time' as 100% true without strong evidence to back it up; if I was hiring and someone complained in the interview or on the Internet about a previous employer, that would be an immediate red flag and they'd have to have seriously impressive skills, and be able to adequately explain why they complained publicly, in order for me to want to hire them. And if you don't have a strong reason to go after them legally, you have even less to gain by complaining. I'd say that if you want to vent anonymously in public, without naming yourself OR the company or giving any details that could really tie them to you, then do so (or, perhaps this thread is all the venting you need). But I think you stand to lose more than you stand to gain by taking things public.

Then you take Nabeel's advice and move on. Save the kvetching for MAGFest, GDC, or other networking events. It doesn't sound like they're any thing impressive from your description and probably not even a formalized company. Feel free to threaten them with legal action if they use any of your work, but have teeth when you attack, not just bark. I had a problem with an indie dev once when he and I had been sort of off-and-on working on this project of his since 2007--he was really slow moving--so I gave him time when he asked for it. Then time went on and he decided to do a Kickstarter, I crunched a bit for his trailer, fixed a lot of his mistakes, etc. and let him handle the Kickstarter after launch. He didn't get funding, of course, because he was terrible at marketing and he went quiet after that. Some time later I find out that he's working on the project with some other composer with no explanation at all. I eviscerated him in an email while simultaneously warning the incoming composer that the project floundered because of the main dev sitting on his ass most of the time not knowing what he's doing--my language was strong enough to scare him from using any of my assets and all the online promotional stuff with my music and sound was taken down within a day or so. I'm happy to burn that bridge, that guy was an ass to pull the crap he pulled and then I move on. If my stuff shows up on the project, you can be sure I'll send a C&D. But unless you're willing to take legal action, there is NO RECOURSE. The Internet is too much of an infinite void of rage and complaints, you just become part of the noise. Complaining does nothing. Sharpen your teeth and get serious or move on and accept that there will be people out there that will roll over the easy.

This may be more like something someone just noticed because that person just passed away, which is understandable, more so because - obviously - 70's R&B and disco could be at the very far end of music lovers' consciousness in the general Internet. Someone like me who's lived through it is more aware. Another reason is that this is not the first time White has worked in animation. Earth, Wind and Fire's "Dance, Dance, Dance" was written by White for the soundtrack to Nelvana's "Rock & Rule". One more reason is that, for myself, anytime I see an English name appear in Japanese music credits for a Japanese program, it's something to be paid attention to. Two examples: one of my favorite soundtracks to one of my favorite animes is from "Riding Bean", created mostly by David Garfield, who's been involved with a ton of soul and jazz artists, featuring vocals from Phil Perry, another 70's soul artist; the kinda-sorta followup anime, "Gunsmith Cats", was composed by Peter Erskine, who's performed as a drummer with Weather Report and Steely Dan.

man, i want to hop in here and say how much i appreciate the kind words coming from everyone in this thread. thanks for giving me your ears, your time, and your thoughts; they're humbling gifts to receive. and thanks to dave and all of the ocr staff for toiling over this site, to give video game music the platform it truly deserves, as well as the constructive criticism and undue praise you all have given to me over the years. much love everyone, and hope you all have a merry Christmas. - peter/melody