The First Person Shooter Formula

As many fans of current first person shooter (fps) games are probably aware, the model and formula of the genre is pretty well set at this point. Objects and themes have become extremely familiar, and a person playing a new fps has no issue jumping into the action if they’ve played another. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3 recently were released to the public, and developers of both games have touted record-breaking sales. My question for all the fps players out there: are you getting sick of it yet?

When I received my copy of BF3, I was content with its formulation, look, and feel. I was unfamiliar with the Battlefield franchise until this release, so customizing classes during gameplay and using vehicles was a very welcome change. I have found the game fun, complicated, and addictive. I am forcing myself to avoid playing the game constantly, because I don’t want to get tired of such a great title so quickly after purchasing.

I bought the MW3 Hardened Edition so I wouldn’t have to pay for future downloadable content and try out the new Call of Duty Elite application. The first thing I noticed when playing MW3 was that the look and feel were extremely familiar. The gameplay is the same, but the graphics are slightly better. After playing BF3 for a couple weeks before I received MW3, it was a disappointing return to the most popular franchise. I simply feel as though all the content for MW3 should’ve been download packages for MW2.

Every year, fps fans are duped into purchasing an ‘almost exact’ copy of the previous years’ title. In many cases, the developers are taking a game engine and adding simple changes. The storyline stays the same, plots are used repeatedly, and the feel never changes. Even though sales are at an all time high, there has to be a point when people want change. For those of you who want to changes made the fps games, stop purchasing the same game every year; you’re only prolonging the life of the genre.

For your enjoyment, watch the following video that depicts the future of fps games in a humorous fashion.

An Excellent Presentation

For my Business Storytelling and Brand Development class at Full Sail University, they wanted us to find an inspirational speaker. The criteria were that we had to use a speech from TED.com in the “best of the web” section. After looking through four or five videos, ranging in time from three minutes to an hour, I found the speaker I truly believed had a way of connecting with their audience. There are many reasons why I believed this speaker was the best, but the most important was that they did it within three minutes.

Musician Bobby McFerrin steps in front of the stage and instructs the crowd to mouth a musical note when he steps on a specific location. He then steps to the audience’s right and instructs them to mouth the next note in the pentatonic scale. He begins jumping around the stage, producing music from the crowd’s vocals, while adding variations with his own. After producing the song with the audience, Bobby sits down and explains that no matter where he does the example, the audience gets it. The crowd did not miss a single note.

There are a couple reasons that this performance stuck with me. First, the audience automatically caught onto what Bobby was presenting. The minds automatically clicked and conformed to the rules. Second, everyone was able to understand the notes and vocalize them without mistakes. The human mind is wired in such a way that we understand the pentatonic scale internally, almost as if it were an innate ability.

This speech was important to me because it proves the universal language of our planet is music. It doesn’t matter who you are, what culture you come from, or how deep your involvement with music is. When presented with the pentatonic scale, you will understand. I appreciate Bobby McFerrin’s presentation because it showed that you could connect with anyone through music. This means, regardless of threats to the music industry, music will always be within us and important enough to be a part of diverse cultures forever.

To see the video on TED.com and check out other excellent presentations, click here.

MusiCares: Helping Music Industry Employees

I wanted to find an association related to the business I am starting. I own a 5.1 recording studio that is capable of recording, editing, mixing, and mastering music or film projects. The Grammy’s came to mind because of its large impact on the music industry and popularity due to its award ceremonies. The Grammy’s has created an organization called The Recording Academy (TRA). It is the purpose of the TRA to advocate the arts and create outreach organizations in the United States.

While researching TRA and its objectives, I ran into the MusiCares foundation, implemented by the Grammy’s The Recording Academy to help those working in the music industry with health related items that aren’t usually provided. The music industry is very appealing to many artists as it shows the glitz and glamor of those who are famous. Many artists end up working as audio engineers or find themselves in a position related to the music industry. The problem that they usually encounter is the lack of benefits, especially health care. Audio engineers employed by a studio may find it hard to save money, which becomes a situation when health issues arise.

MusiCares primary program is the Emergency Financial Assistance Program (EFAP). When people that are employed in the music industry face problems that are caused by medical, personal, or financial issues, they can apply for assistance from MusiCares. The services are available to those who have documented proof of employment in the music industry for at least five years, or have made contributions to six commercially released recordings or videos. Proof of contributions can be made through stubs, contracts, and numerous other documents that usually arise during the film or music creation process. MusiCares also provides resources for relief organization and those affected by addiction.

MusiCares In The Rooms is an online recovery community that connects people in the music industry who are struggling with addiction. Through social networking, addicts can interact and share stories of recovery, seek guidance from others, and provide assistance to other addicts. MusiCares In The Rooms is a great place to find resources to assist in the recovery process and gain insight into addiction and how to break the cycle.

It is amazing to see an organization exists that assists audio engineers and anyone else related to the music industry. When I entered this industry, it was made very clear to me that I would probably never have health, dental, or life insurance provided to me. I have known many people in this industry who have encountered life-changing experiences and fell to rock bottom. It is great to know that The Recording Academy has decided to fight against this issue.

Check it out at: http://www.grammy.org/musicares