YoshiBlade

I've been wanting to ask this in here for sometime. How does exercise affect your ability to write music? Does it make you more or less creative? Does it improve your focus? Both? Neither? Something else? I'm mostly a runner and I have found that If I do cardio for a week or longer, it saps my ability to be creative, but it makes me slightly more focused. However if I ditch out on my run for a week or so, I feel like I'm losing my mind and my body feels like it's turning to mush, but I generally am able to produce more.

I'm heading to the MAG!!! I'm super stoked to get to meet everyone in person, so you can bump me off that Sub-tier out front! A Big Thank You To VinnyMac For making it possible for me to go to MAGfest. Truly, he is the Patron Saint of Video Game Remixers! I'm really looking forward to meeting all you amazing avatars in person (if I haven't already met you) P.s. If you see me, why not say Hi? I'll be the one wearing the Video Game Themed or Anime Themed article of clothing...........

To my fellow remixers: On behalf of me and the underrated game that is Castlevania 64...Enough talk, you miserable little piles of secrets. Have at you!

Don't forget Resident Evil, Metal Slug and of course the game that brought platforming games in to the third dimension and changed our lives, Bubsy 3D.

I have read through some of the comments and determined that Neblix is kind of right, with regards to the premises ( if Im understanding him correctly) whether the nature of game design its self is artistic. So if I wanted the player to feel a sense of futility, you might make them engage in a futile action i.e die 100 times for no apparent reason, and only then revel the next step, evoking the desired emotion(?). Which I could agree with, Art is a conscious expression, of an unconscious feeling and that certainly fits the bill. At this point the "Games = Art?" discussion, has devolved into how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. Im thinking of Proteus when I tried to figure out if there was any game that utilized both aspects. If you haven't played Proteus no enemies, no deaths however each world is uniquely designed and the win/lose aspect is discovering new worlds to explore, maybe in a way, the art of the game is discovering the art of the game.

I'm excited to dip my toe in this one! I feel like SotC, **spoilers-ahead** is a prime example of the malleability of a game as both "Art"and "Game" the game is the smooth controls, logical human ergonomics while play i.e the Grip meter, dashing, while at the same time the art could be the strange sympathy you feels when slaying a Colossus, which IMO was confirmed by the fact the Colossi weren't an active threat to the world...you stole the ancient sword, you broken into the forbidden area, you entered their domain and killed them for selfish reasons(?) all of which only become apparent after you played or experienced the story, skewing the narrative. You were evil(?)...You were manipulated. You played the game or possibly the game played you, as it did to the Wanderer and what did you sacrifice? A true Greek Tragedy, which is being confirmed by the fact they share some strong commonalities both have explicit Prologues, both have the Hero making unreasonable sacrifices, forfeiture of his/her humanity.

Awww Lemmy...I've shaken my brains many a time to your driving bass lines and grizzled vocals Let us remember the Moles and forget the Nazi memorabilia

Obligatory "Oh you should! It'll be fun and______ is gonna be there.."

1) Castle Center- Castlevania (64) 2) Gears Go Awry-Castlevania PoR (DS) 3) Hail From the Past- Castlevania PoR (DS) 4) Reincarnated Soul- Bloodlines (Gen) I realize Prelude probably would be the Special Theme, but I would like to make the case it is in fact not...My buddy who knows a lot about things and stuff said it's not...so...like ya know...QED

Well....I mean....I've been kicking around the idea of joining, but I want to be sure I can commit........(a moment of pensive reflection)........OK mark me down as in and if I can do it, great! If i can't well then that a victory for the other mixer.

ok...I feel very exposed posting this, it rambles a bit, but here goes... So a friend of mine, ran a VGM radio show out of WRUW Case-Westeren Reserve, back in 2009 and every Sunday I would drive to my Dad’s house and stay till 3/4am and drink coffee and play video games, I was about to go to Basic Training and I wanted to spend as much time with my dad as possible. I loved every it of playing those game and I loved playing them with my dad even more. Well, One night I was heading back home and I usually left the radio off ( comm’on it’s 3am on a monday well the hell are you gonna find?)……**This next scene hold fast in my memory as clear as crystal**….I was really wired and went was flipping throughout the radio stations, and I heard..(Chip,Bit,Pop, Bleep) and I said that sounds like a Mario game, but it’s….different…My hand went to change the dial, but it couldn’t move…it’s rare in life that we can consciously remember moments that will shift the courses of our lives in such huge magnitudes, but if I would have changed that Dial….I don’t know where I would be….I really don’t where. So the Radio host came on and confirmed my suspicions that this was a VGM,VGM remix, Bitpop, and Chiptune radio show. He would regularly play OCR music and the name never rally resonated with me…it was just good music. So it came to pass every Sunday I would drive to my Dad’s play video games near all night and then drive home and listen to “Power Up” Hosted by Vince Torre. So I would listen each week and one week I decide to call in and request a song, SotC- A Power Revived, He played it and we got to talking and each week I would call in and talk for a good portion of the show while he spun all VGM related music. I’ve always loved VGM music and spent a good amount of time listing to them on YouTube (SupraDarky, silvagunner anyone?) So, my time as a civilian was running down and it was time for me to head out to Lakeland Air Force Base. I was subject to all the anxieties and fears one might feel, but I said I gotta do this. Well I spare the details, but my 3rd night at Basic, they woke me up and took me into and office and looked me in the eye and said "Theres no easy way I can say this so I’m just going to…your father is dead” I lost it. I just lost every semblance or control and I just lost it…they sent me home…I was over…I lost my chance to go to Japan, I lost my hope of being solider, I lost the chance to help my Dad and I lost my dad…I lost it So I was sent back home and I am a mess, I didn’t eat, I didn’t leave my room, I didn’t sleep( and when I did I’d have horrible dreams about seeing my dad and it all being a mistake), I looked for anything that was something I could stand on…nothing. I needed something to grab hold of or this was going to be the end of me…it was the lowest point thus far in my life…and it was a gif that saved me. I saw a GIF with someone named Brian Peppers, the person isn’t important, but that music that was played was “Burn! Bobonga!” I remembered how much I loved playing games with my dad, but he was gone…but I also remembered how much I really did love VGM and I started listening to Power-Up again and talking to Vince. Then that word Overclocked Remix came up again…I went to see what it was, people talk about love at first sight and I always felt that was a copout, but seeing a place where you were asked to stand and deliver excellence, where you could discuss something as esoteric as a game character's name, I was in love. It kept me busy, it enveloped me with all the music I heard from games I loved. It was about then I resolved to be a contributor, I had no idea how to remix or even what to do…I’d played guitar from around 14, but I hadn’t played in about 2-3 years, but I set out and started just trying anything and everything, just kept going, don’t stop to think about anything that seeks to pull you back downwards, forward only. So it was 2013 that I became a member and started using the workshop 2014 after I drove to MAGfest and met some of the remixers in person ( Thank you for the encouragement BliNd!) and that when I kicked it into high gear, culminated with a Post after 2 years of membership and 1 year of diligent remixing. Do I spend too much time on the OCR? Probably. Does it interfere with some of my obligations? Occasionally.For me OCR is more than a website, it's a place where I meet people from all walks of life…I strive to be what many remixers here are, true Superheroes with secret identities, by day students, programmers, office workers, cooks with names and different lives…by night they’re KingTiger, timaeus222, Jorito and many others. I worked hard to earn my place and even though it’s not a degree or trophy, to me it’s a place of refugee, a place where sanctuary was given from the forces that sought to end me. I’ve worked hard at to hone my skill and I hope I never cease to sharpen my skills, though they may never play the bills. On the OCR I am a part of something bigger than myself, a community that has survived and thrived for 16 years, because people were willing to offer up time, effort, energy, money you name it for something larger than themselves…and now I’ve contributed something as small as one track, but for me it feels like one drop of rain joining with a great flowing river with unyielding energy…and it feels good. Thank You OCR...

The first error, with regards to the judges decisions not working, was 1S160/2 The second error I'm seeing, when I try and click on the PDF file i'm trying to view, is 2C171/1

I keep getting this when I click on Judge's Decision from a song Hell's bells, the link to the pdf isn't working, The error code on the PDF, of the screenshot I took is 1S160/2. Screen Shot 2015-12-13 at 8.09.25 PM.pdf

Hear, Hear! Is there something that could be done to get this back up and running? Maybe a thread with a petition sort of format? Saturdays are so lonely and the Talkback is a great way to hear the voice of the OCR community and It would be a treat to have it back up and running!

Could you elucidate via PM? I really don't want to tie up the thread any more with back and forth, but I am interested in your thoughts on the matter.

I wouldn't say it's the only one,that require a "Heavy amount of Mathematical implementation" per-se, but the dev kit used should be considered separate from the art that is born of it. The biological pathways that allow a person to contract or release the muscles used in typing a book are complex or the computations required for my computer to run my DAW are complex, but the art that is born of that complexity is what is being judged, not the machinations that allowed it. But I think we've hit an impasse with regards to the concept of a remake and I actually do have some points related to the possible ways FF7 could be made better, I'd love to continue, but maybe under a new thread. One thing I would like to see is a more personalized use of summons, I remember the summons being mind blowing the first time you used them and afterwards becoming, more tedious to sit through. Maybe a use outside the battles? Another would be utilization of the surrounding terrain. Maybe a water move would be more effective near a body of water or when raining? Maybe Fire is less effective during the rain? Or maybe muddy terrain will slow everyone down...They've toyed with it before, but something more substantive. Oh and one more thing, Gold Saucer in HD......must...not buy.......must......stick to....beliefs

I agree, art is born of art. TS Eliot said "Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal." The limiting factor of Grimm"s Fairy Tales made it ripe for reproduction i.e. foreign language, obscurity, difficultly transmiting through societies. Disney synthesized something fresh, from a relatively unknown source and added some elements and removed others, presto, good art. FF7 was not culturally locked, it is not obscure, and was not released and then forgotten. Great as it was, you remake things that had strong qualities, but fell victim to a limiting factor, but should be known. Otherwise we just get games, devoid of art, just toys really, leading to my next point This is almost certainly going to be a success, and keeping mind SE vision is based mostly on sales, there is almost no reason to not then focus on FF8 Remake, then FF9, then take your pick which game they're going to remake/release, in place of a more risky new IP, possibly what might have been an FF7 for a new generation . An FF7 Remake is not a bad thing I'm just trying to point out it may set a dangerous precedent, one we should be fully aware of and the direction we're consciously choosing to take our pastime. Video Games are Art, they should be given due diligence by it's patrons, us. "Entertainment gives you a predicable pleasure...Art leads to transformation"

"YoshiBlade" a new comer to the OCR brings us a his rendition of SMW Castle Theme mixed with Castlevania. I suppose he thinks himself pretty clever with his write up? Using words not doubt gleaned from his Webster's word of the day calendar, throw about with the same grace as a dog who's gotten hold of a dictionary tearing it to shreds! But on to the music, if it can even be called that. We start with a simple expansive pad, almost certainly purchased from a reputable musician, ( I find it rather dubious this young man is capable of that kind of synth design), before we're introduced to a obnoxiously repetitive bass and a small sample of The Castle Center Theme from Castlevania...I bet he seems to think he can hide his hobbled musicianship by playing a small snippet of actual music, rather than utilizing MIDI flies to hide his naked failure as even the most amateur pianist. The voices are actually sampled quite well...were it 1994. As to his use of lead instrument, I'm curious if here is even aware of the difference between a square wave or a sine wave? Or to the proper use of either one?! Then he introduces some more glitchy aspects, though I am having a hard time determining if this is intentional or a product of his total lack of understanding of even the most basic production techniques...Upon hearing these I was granted a small amount of relief, as I thought I received a corrupted copy and thus would have a reason to NOT review this utter swill, however it seems these glitchy aspects are intentional. Or I'm sure he likes to think. I may seem like I'm droning on, but not nearly as droning as his choice of loop, an obvious loop as even the most basic beat structure is as foreign to his ears, this track is to decent taste ...I wonder Mr. YoshiBlade, how much did you spend to on loops to prop up your obvious failings as a musician and human being, hmm? and then we approach a vocal sample Oh-Ho, Yes indeed Mr.YoshiBlade you know how to sample a voice, bravo, Im sure you sat smugly at your computer when you made this, no doubt stroking your overblown ego, with your own brand of praise. Pray Tell, was it difficult to press record than play? Or perhaps you kept forgetting which in which order to do so,hmm? I shan't even waste my time with his piddling ending, no doubt a portent of his career on the OCR short, lackluster and lazy! Let us hope this is the last we hear of this Mr. YoshiBlade. I return to my warm Bree and Burgundian Chablis, disgusted with the depth at which Video Game Remixes have stooped to!

I'll let you decide if you want to dredge up my old posts....I claim no objective superiority over the Pro-FF7 remake individuals, but here are some interesting tie bits to consider. Some more serious than others... They don't have the full episode, but the episode makes a good point. http://southpark.cc.com/clips/153556/re-release-of-episode-1-south-park#source=473fef35-48a7-434c-afc6-207874c7f1a3:eda80b2a-ed00-11e0-aca6-0026b9414f30&position=8&sort=playlist https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_of_Theseus Basically we shouldn't reward nostalgia, because you can get caught in a feedback loop of rehashes/redo/revisions...Can you deny were now encroaching a tipping point in nostalgia driven media where will reach a point where a new idea, that one day could be something we look back on fondly, will be denied existence? I fear a cultural feedback loop, one where fresh ideas will be given no time to be shiny in our rose colored glasses.

The only reason I'm reticent about embracing FF7 2.0 is for a reason you point out. This is game has fostered expectations that, I'm my opinion, can not be met. Will it do 1 Billion in revenue? Yes. So from a business point of view this game will be one of there greatest accomplishments. It's true I'm using mostly movies to justify my concerns, but this isn't about Film vs Video Games, it's about the nature of art and when it should or should not be revisited/revised/remade/reworked/rewritten however it's labeled. Star War Re-releases, The Star Wars Prequels, The Hobbit, Most Reboots( with rare exception). With film we have a rich history of venerated characters and stories, video games are still comparatively nascent, really only gaining artistic acceptance in the last few years, so it's hard to draw a 1to1 comparison. I'm just trying to point out that Companies like SE only know Sales...It doesn't matter if Vagrant Story was amazing or that it was relatively unknown or that it should not be left on the ash heap of history...they know Sales and when FF7 releases and prints money, that's what they'll know and respond to Nostalgia = Cash, and not Fresh Ideas = Cash...I just can't shake the Feeling this is going to be FF13, but with a FF7 skin. I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade, I just hope I have a valid point, if it this is more about FF7 enthusiasm I'll quietly sit back and join up with the fun....and for the record I do concede this game does look very entertaining, However I will always ruminate on the motivations, the means and the ends.

SoUnDoLe, I will comment on every site you post on YouTube is for praise, but here I want to be more aggressive! I've said it in the past, but I'll say it again! Let's hear that EWI in a remix. These have been great covers with my new favorite instrument, the EWI ( I even love saying it) but now is the time to Submit....please You've got the talent. You've got the networking. You've got ideas...I want to hear you with a more personalized use of that miracle machine! Now over to YouTube for my enthusing....

Well, I mean they will. They try and encourage the impulse buy of the individual games, at a slightly higher overall cost and then release the GotY editions latter on to appeal anyone who was on the fence, for slightly cheaper. Here's a petition I found, but let's not be naive, unlikely to change much https://www.change.org/p/square-enix-petition-to-release-final-fantasy-7-remake-under-one-release-and-not-episodic

I believe the episodic nature was more due to memory limitations than choice. I'm not trying to demonize Squre-Enix for doing episodic distribution, They have tactfully handled FF7's legacy and now have an even larger market to sell to, older gamers looking for their nostalgia fix and younger looking for an newer experience, but as a consumer of video games, I see a concerted effort to stretch out the FF7 money train as long as possible. I guess there's nothing in the Squire-Enix playbook that predicts this will happen, but rather just a concern. This has happened before when there is an IP that has demonstrable money making potential, The Hobbit, Star Wars Episode 1-3 ( Yes those are are films, but think for a moment consider that SE has an accounting department that needs to justify it's existence and this is coming from a business point of view not an artistic one). Episodic story telling by nature, has to be fulling and leave the story open to progress. Truncating the game, creating jerking starts and stops, could happen, but I feel like SE's more artistic departments puts story above all other things and they would not allow that. So I guess, I'm not offering a play by play, but just what I've seen in the past with bankable IPs. For Example The Hobbit was the First written and then afterwards JRR Tolkien decide to expand the realm of middle earth into 3 books to better serve his artistic view, it worked. However when the first films came out it was not know if they were going to be profitable, so they're was more focus on telling one book at a time, less profitable, but also less costly. Now when the studio saw what a juggernaut the series was, their eyes natural fell on The Hobbit and it's meager one book, stretching it too thin. I see that as a possibility with FF7, SE would like to expand it as much as they can, but I'm not convinced that FF7 can remain true to it's great story and have satisfying episodic content that isn't fitful story telling.