Jump to content

ifirit

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    540

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by ifirit

    So I attended PLAY! for the first time and now I have to rant

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Ultimica's Theme?! Sweet! I would have loved to have heard that.

    The Chicago '06 concert had Angela Aki sing "Kiss Me Goodbye" from FFXII and her version of "Eyes on Me." (These videos weren't from the same show, but the performances were identical.)

    Koji Kondo played a rendition of the theme from The New Super Mario Bros. Akira Yamaoka also

    "Theme of Laura" from Silent Hill 2.

    Just looking back on this and on other

    , makes me appreciate the artistry that these pieces can take on when performed by great live talent.

    Okay, that's it! I'm writing a letter to the local philharmonic to incorporate more VGM.

    So I attended PLAY! for the first time and now I have to rant

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    When I went to the Chicago premiere back in 2006, Koji Kondo was the one who sat directly in front of me. Jeremy Soule and Martin O'Donnell were in the row behind me on my left. And Nobuo Uematsu shook my hand as he walked through the aisles at the beginning of the program. At the end of the night, I managed to get everyone's autographs and had a short conversation with Michael Salvatori.

    Definitely the best $125 I've ever spent.

    Xenogears in the real world.

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    You may not have to wait that long. The reason is because of a discovery made in 2007, which makes it possible to have cells undergo cellular "reprogramming."

    Cellular reprogramming seems almost like science-fiction. You see, by extracting the nucleus of a developed cell and implanting it in another developed cell with the nucleus removed, the cell will revert to the stem-cell state, allowing it to be developed into any other type of cell within the genetic makeup. Cellular reprogramming can be implemented very economically compared to other reprogramming techniques and has a much higher success rate.

    Apparently, cellular reprogramming is such a breakthrough in cellular research that many of the world's universities are switching gears away from cloning and other embryoic stem cell technologies. And according to the Wall Street Journal, even Ian Wilmut, the researcher who lead the development of the first full clone (Dolly), has apparently abondoned his research on cloning in favor of cellular reprogramming.

    However, this is more of an ethical breakthrough compared to a biological one, since embryoic stem cells are no longer needed for regeneration research. This could accellerate genetics research and technology here in the US and, once fully developed, allow for cheaper and safer alternatives to organ and tissue donation.

    Xenogears in the real world.

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    That actually had not occurred to me, and it seems logical unless you have a really good grip on how operating systems actually store data. As I've said before, a hard disk represents 1s and 0s by magnetizing and demagnetizing sectors of the disk surface. Even when you're just copying or moving a file on your hard disk, it's changing its location on the physical disk surface.

    With a hard disk today, when you delete a file, its contents remain on the drive. What you're really doing when you delete a file is earmarking the sectors it's written into for overwriting. Then, the next time you create any type of file whatsoever, new file data is written into the sectors that "deleted" data resides in, wherever they happen to be found on the disk surface. That's why you have to defragment your hard drive, because files are written into whatever empty sectors are found, and don't necessarily get written all in order to one spot on the disk, and as a result, the disk has to spin and search longer to find the whole file. If you etch data permanently into the disk surface, you lose that capability, which means you can never truly delete a file or clean your hard disk.

    Data storage would be like writing a book with a Sharpie pen... you go from the top of the page to the botttom, and you can't change anything. It would, however, mean that you would never have to defragment your hard disk again. But eventually simply using your computer would fill the disk, and you would have to start using a new disk. The question would then become, can you give me an etching surface large enough to allow me to write on it for the standard lifecycle of a computer (3 to 5 years) without having to replace it? If they can get the bible on a .5 mm or whatever it was silicon chip, that may be entirely possible. But scarier yet would be that since you can't delete anything, there is a complete record of every keystroke, click, and command ever given to that computer etched into the surface.

    You make a number of valid points about the incapabilities of using DNA as a mechanical/electrical data-storage-medium. However, you're ignoring the biological logistics of DNA.

    DNA can exist in a static state. When not in the presence of chromatin (a protein within chromosomes that regulates DNA), DNA does not replicate, express, or mutate. Simply having DNA does not mean having life, as our DNA can long exist after our deaths in its original order, e.g. dinosaur DNA preserved in amber. A chain of nucleotides could be used to store a particular sequence of information, yes, but again we come back to the problem of how to modify and revert this sequence of nucleotides. For this, you should consider the process by which DNA replicates itself.

    Within the chromosomes, chromatin proteins trigger various stages of the DNA's replication process, such as unwrapping the DNA, unwinding the helix and pulling the helix apart, in addition to copying the DNA structure and reassembling the helix. Various chemicals control each of these stages and can also repair or "activate" sequences of DNA. So, by monitoring and controlling these stages of DNA replication, the structure of a DNA molecule can be modified and remodified on the molecular level. However, to be able to modify individual base pairs would require incredible amounts of precision and control of the DNA's environment.

    Still, one method of marking individual base pair for modifying would be to damage that pair and initiate the chromatin to repair the damage. By using the appropriate chromatin proteins, you can utilize the naturally-occurring DNA repair processes to rewrite an A-T pair as a G-C pair or vice-versa. The information could also be modified by undergoing DNA replication to unravel the helix and make changes. Then stored, and even copied, by completing the DNA replication.

    However, these processes are still not completely understood and incredibly complicated. Still, there comes a problem of how to physically store the DNA and its modified chromatin without a cell or nucleus. But, I suppose you could use viruses or other nanomachines for that purpose.

    Yasunori Mitsuda interview @ 1up.com

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Yasunori Mitsuda is someone i want to meet someday...

    Things to Do Before I Die:

    .

    .

    .

    15.) Meet Yasunori Mitsuda, Shake his Hand & Get his Autograph - DONE

    .

    .

    .

    67.) Hear Chrono Trigger/Cross Music on Live Orchestra - DONE

    .

    .

    .

    173.) Live to Experience Next Chrono Trigger sequel - IN PROGRESS

    .

    .

    .

    Silent Hill Discussion

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I finally beat the game for the first time this morning, and I must say I'm really pleased with it. My biggest fear was that it would be too short, but it wasn't. It could have been longer, but it didn't need to be. I really liked the story, the mood, the enemies and locations. It all felt very much like Silent Hill should. Reviewers all complain about the fighting system, but I think it worked really well. Doesn't really matter if a weapon broke, because you always had a shitload of others (it could get a bit ridiculous at times, but that's the way it's always been). The only thing that really bothered me was the great lack of healing items, and the overabundance of ammo as a compensation.

    I'm looking forward to getting all the endings and extras. I can probably play this game over and over and over again!

    I'm really glad to hear that there are still people playing this game, since the discussion here has been waning recently. However, there's been a relatively large amount of discussion on this game over at Silent Hill: Origins' Forums. (How appropriate.) Though the discussion has focused mainly on the relationship between Travis and the Butcher and comparisons between the Butcher and the Red Pyramid Thing, it has been rather fruitful. One of the biggest revelations has been in understanding the Butcher's role in the game and story. This understanding has been key into determining other related connections in the story and ultimately ties a number of story elements surrounding Travis together.

    Since I prefer to leave the discussion open a little, I'll refer you to some interesting threads. But, if anyone wants a deeper explanation of certain aspects, or just want to know what happens in SH0, feel free to ask. As I've said before, I love answering questions about Silent Hill and creating discussion.

    WARNING: Threads Contain Silent Hill 0rigins/Zer0 Spoilers

    Silent Hill: Origins' Forums - Theories - "The Butcher (two new interpretations SPOILERS)"

    Silent Hill: Origins' Forums - Silent Hill 0rigins - "The Butcher and the Pyramid Head"

    Silent Hill: Origins' Forums - Silent Hill 0rigins - "strange things"

    The "strange things" thread is simply a list of strange things that happen or appear in the game. These things range from glitches and programming errors to placements of objects and enemies to things that just creep people out. It's a fun thread to read and then find the numerous strange things in the game. You'll have to forgive a number of repeated entries, but if you have an original observation feel free to contribute to the thread.

    Alternatively, The Escapist has released Ben Croshaw's Zero Punctuation review of Silent Hill 0rigins. Granted the review is harsh, as is to be expected, he does make a number of valid points and basically summerizes what everyone was thinking when they heard Silent Hill was being outsourced. It's still iniquitously amusing.

    The Escapist - Zero Punctuation Reviews - Silent Hill 0rigins

    --------------------------------

    With that said, let's get into some news and updates.

    Silent Hill 0rigins/Zer0 Update:

    SH0 Soundtrack Tracklist Released & Cover Art Unveiled; Additional Special Offer Bonus Announced:

    On December 6, 2007, the tracklist for the Original Soundtrack to SH0 was released by Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. via the KonamiStyle website. The tracklisting features 26 songs on the album.* The tracklisting also notes the four vocal tracks that will feature Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (a.k.a. Melissa Williamson).

    Additionally, the cover art for the soundtrack has been unveiled, featuring artwork by Masahiro Ito (monster designer for SH1-3). The cover art shows an exclusively new picture of the ...Red Pyramid Thing? Masahiro Ito explains via his website.**

    it's Japanese SH zero (silent hill origin) original soundtracks

    with 6pages comic booklet.

    That pyramid head has no connection to "silent hill origin".

    Comic booklet, that story is my another pyramid head world.

    Coming in Jan.25 of 2008

    サイレントヒルゼロ・サントラのジャケット、6ページコミック（小冊子）、担当

    2008年1月25日発売予定

    The comic details reveal that the story about the comic features a backstory for the Red Pyramid Thing set in an alternate Silent Hill universe. (A detail that really brings up the issue of "how canon is SH0?", since Masahiro Ito has now set up the idea of an alternate universe for the series to be accompanied with this game's soundtrack.)

    Again, the album will release on January 25, 2008 and retail exclusively from KonamiStyle of Japan. Also, the production is limited with no schedule for reproduction, so get it while you can.

    lc1627.jpg

    SH0 Soundtrack Tracklist:

    1. Shot Down in Flames (featuring Mary Elizabeth McGlynn)
    2. Meltdown
    3. Evil Appetite
    4. Wrong Is Right
    5. Not Tomorrow 3
    6. Monster Daddy
    7. King Of Adiemus
    8. Don't Abuse Me
    9. Underworld 4
    10. Acid Horse
    11. O.R.T. (featuring Mary Elizabeth McGlynn)
    12. Insecticide
    13. Raw Power
    14. A Million Miles
    15. Battle Drums
    16. The Wicked End
    17. Blow Back (featuring Mary Elizabeth McGlynn)
    18. Real Solution
    19. The Healer
    20. Snowblind
    21. Behind the Wall of Sleep
    22. Drowning
    23. Murder Song ”S”
    24. Not Tomorrow 4
    25. Theme of Sabre Dance
    26. Hole In The Sky (featuring Mary Elizabeth McGlynn)

    On December 19, 2007, Konami announced that as an added bonus for orders placed online through the KonamiStyle website, a limited edition Silent Hill Zer0 portable media player pouch will be given on a first come, first serve basis. As of January 17, 2008, an image of the pouch was finally revealed.*** The pouch has a crimson and white design with a dual zipper running along two sides of the pouch (connected as a single zipper by an arc). The design features the Silent Hill Zer0 logo with an image of the SH0 nurse holding an over-sized syringe. A little tag with the Konami logo hangs from the bottom (or right, depending on your orientation) of the pouch.

    SH0pouch.jpg

    Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. - Silent Hill Zer0

    Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. - Silent Hill Zer0 - Silent Hill Zer0 Original Soundtracks

    *Footnote: KonamiStyle originally stated that the album would feature 30 tracks from the game, but it seems that this number was trimmed slightly for currently unknown reasons, though most likely because of production issues.

    **Footnote: Masahiro Ito was not involved in the development of Silent Hill 0rigins/Zer0, as he is now a freelance artist. So, his commission for the soundtrack apparently did not privy him to details about the game. (Personal Note: So, it seems he made one up.) Additionally, because Masahiro Ito is drawing the six page manga for this release, it seems a safe enough assumption that the comic will be presented in A6 format and that the "tall case" featured with the CD will be formatted to the same size.

    ***Footnote: Konami has stated that the image shown above may not be the final product image, as it is still subject to change.

    --------------------------------

    Silent Hill Mobile Update:

    "SILENT HILL The Escape" Released; Website and Media Posted:

    As was previously reported from the Tokyo Game Show 2007, Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. had announced the production of another Silent Hill game for mobile gaming devices (i.e. cellular phones) that would feature a gameplay mechanic called "gesture technology,"**** titled コナミネット DX SILENT HILL The Escape. As of December 19, 2007, the game has since been launched online to Japanese subscribers.

    The game itself has shifted from the puzzle/adventure-horror genre of previous installments to a complete fear first-person-shooter game. By no means was this change unintentional, since the game is both presented and marketed as such, as is seen on the website, and in the artwork and screenshots.

    The gameplay consists of exploration of various hallways littered with monsters and other targetable objects. Players will recognize various familiar creatures from previous titles as well as new creatures. The screen features a mini-map that shows the player their relative position on the map. There is also a small image of a revolver's loading chamber depicting the number of bullets remaining. Aiming appears as a small set of crosshairs which is used to target monsters, but no distinction of whether the target is in range is given.

    The game is available from Konami's i-MODE distributor for various mobile devices, shown below. A subscription fee of 315円 (YEN), which includes sales tax, is applied for monthly usage, but subscribers are given access to premium content. (Konami says to check the game for details about the premium content.) The game can be accessed on the appropriate device models as follows: FOMA menu -> Menu/search -> Game -> Game Pack -> コナミネット DX.

    The currently supported mobile devices are:

    P904i

    SH904i

    D905i

    F905i

    N905i

    P905i

    SH905i

    SO905i

    N905i μ

    basic.jpg

    Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. - SILENT HILL The Escape

    ****Footnote: Konami's Online Contents executive producer Kazuya Takahashi had previously explained that "gesture technology" is a method of controlling the actions in the game via image feedback from the mobile device's built-in camera. While the website simply says to refer to the game itself about the exact details of this technology, it was previously stated that the aiming and on-screen interactions responded to the players' motion of the mobile device itself. (Personal Note: While the technology sounds great in theory, the actual implementation of this would appear to me as being very clunky and ackward to play. Also, since Japanese players have a tendency to get motion-sickness from videogames that require concentration for precision shooting I don't see this game being very popular.)

    --------------------------------

    Xbox 360

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    That article was an interesting read. Mostly because, according to the numbers, the cost for creating a game for multiple consoles can increase the programming and engineering costs, which accounts for 20% of the game cost. Additionally, for each console version of the game, another portion of the cost has to be attributed to the console owner's fee, which accounts for 11.5% of the game cost. Yet, if developers choose to make a title exclusively for a single console, they can waive the console owner's fee.

    So, although it may seem like developing a game for multiple consoles seems like a safe and conservative route to take in order to ensure sales of said game, the added costs of developing for multiple consoles can exceed the $1 profit margin for sales over 500,000 units (according to the article). And since marketting only accounts for about 4% of the game costs, it seems to me that console exclusivity would play a bigger role in game development, from a business prospective.

    Honestly, I'd prefer to see greater console exclusivity as it appears to correlate with better quality, functionality and individuality. Besides, don't most people own multiple consoles anyway? And aren't exclusives the real reason why people choose one console over another?

    Chrono Trigger Remix

    in Post Your Game ReMixes!

    Posted

    Nice arrangement, especially the flairs near the end of the piece. However, there seems to be more of a juxtaposition of the two themes rather than an integration, as the title of the thread would suggest. Still, the arrangement has a good level of reinterpretation, though I'd prefer more.

    The piece is panned way too far to the right, as that is where your leads and the majority of the instruments are. The overall volume level is too low for my preferences. While Finale is very good sequencer, especially for orchestral and instrumental compositions, it isn't a good tool for sound production, which is clear in the instrumentation. You'll likely need to obtain another program that will allow you to modify the texture and positioning of your instruments to be more organic, as that seems to be the intention.

    I really like the expressions used throughout the piece, particularly on the piano. However, the structure of the song is still too similar to the original, going back to the issue of juxtaposition. If you're looking for more of an integration, I would suggest leading into the theme of Chrono Trigger more slowly by introducing the percussion section into the End of Time section and building up from there, i.e. the main melody of Chrono Trigger. If you're looking to follow the advise about adding more of a "punch" to the song, I really suggest that you work on the contrast between the two pieces, such as making one piece gentler or the other more aggressive, or both. Still, I think the use of additional instrumentation would help, specifically in terms of percussion and second chair instruments. I'd particularly like to see more individualization and personalization of the string and horn sections.

    As for the problem of getting back to the End of Time theme, I might suggest something a bit cliche'd, but appropriate, such as stripping the piece down to simply the most identifiable melody of Chrono Trigger to be played by a solo instrument in a pianissimo manner that changes back to the End of Time melody and then rebuilds the supporting instrumentation to complete the theme. Though, I'd prefer to see more of an integration of the two themes with sections or elements from each used intermittently. I think it would add a little more variation and personality to the mix.

    Good luck.

    Martial Arts

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    The only time I've ever had a problem with that statement is when the time comes when you have to defend yourself. IMO there's nothing not allowed when it comes to life & death situations. In example, I'll more likely use my fists in self-defense but I'm not gonna let m,y own style hinder my chances of surviving, expecially if I can expand my skills. :)!!

    Well, I have to agree with you on that statement, because the truth is, I couldn't fight my way out of a cardboard box. Seriously, that stuff is hard to break.

    I should say that the emphasis that they make is on the artform; the classes emphasize that you should never reach a situation where you have to fight.

    I believe it was Bruce Lee himself that stated how he hated the rigid fighting styles back then and how he came about creating his own style which he tried to emphasis on creativity with practicality.

    The same could be said of any artform today. It really becomes more of an issue of whether or not you wish to follow a predetermined style of fighting or your own. But, as you say, it's be better to learn to enhance your skills if your purpose is to learn self-defense.

    Martial Arts

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I used to practiced Shaolin-Do martial arts, though I originally thought it was Karate. I only made it up to a second degree brown belt, having moved away at that time. I was so close to getting my black belt. I really wish I had.

    While this is technically considered a mixed-martial art, it does remain true to spirit of learning proper form and technique over learning to simply fight for fighting's sake. The techniques are very broad utilizing a variety of open-hand and armed katas. It's a really great martial art for beginning because of it's variety.

    The major drawback to it though is the amount of money that you have to spend on it, each month you're either having to buy a new weapon, pay for your testing, or for participation in seminars or trips, on top of having to pay for lessons. It's the martial art for capitalists.

    However, I gotta say that the first day we used sais I had fulfilled my ninja turtle fantasy.

×
×
  • Create New...