Media Could Careless About Seattle Sports
The baseball season has started! But you probably don’t know that since it appears that no one cares outside of Japan or Seattle. Nationally all they can talk about is how Cardinals and Marlins open the 2012 MLB Season, but the Mariners and Athletics will have played two games. Watching shows on ESPN today, you wouldn’t even know that the Mariners played, let alone played in Japan, or technically opened the season. It just reenforces that ESPN and the national sports media could care less about Seattle sports teams.
Either it be the Mariners, the Seahawks in the SuperBowl, the lack of any real attention or outcry of the Sonics be relocated. Could you imagine if Houston, New Orleans, or Indiana were stolen and the national attention ESPN would put on a story like that? Skip Bayless would have to take a second away from his man crush on Tim Tebow to tell everyone what a travesty it is. SportsCenter will open with a live report from Ed Werder how the Dallas Cowboys practice field hasn’t been mowed, but won’t even mention that Seattle signs someone like Matt Flynn, Red Bryant, or Marshawn Lynch. ESPN will dedicate 20 or more minutes to the loss of to the loss of people like Chick Hearn, but hardly even mention a Hall of Famer like Dave Niehaus passes.
As a Seattle sports fan who loves his teams, it is sad to see outlets like ESPN continue to ignore the teams up here, and I’m talking the whole region. Portland, Vancouver, and Seattle. We might as well be in a different country.
New Music Tuesday – Best Coast
I’m doubling up here! I love Best Coast! I have a huge crush on Bethany Cosentino. Listening to their music reminds me how much of a West Coast people I am and how much I love being on the best coast. Best Coast does have a new album coming out, and the first single is out, The Only Place. Again it reminds you that if you aren’t living on the West Coast, you are doing it wrong.
New Music Tuesday – Japandroids – The House That Heaven Built
Japandroids will be releasing their new album Celebration Rock on 6/5 and everyone should go buy it, because they freaking will melt your face off! They did release the first single, The House That Heaven Built. It is freaking awesome!! Sadly they don’t allow an embed widget, so head over to Soundcloud to check it out!!
Indie Game: The Movie
As long as I’ve worked in games, I’ve always enjoy hearing stories from other developers on what drives them to make games, what makes them tick. Sadly most videos on this are marketing driven and are washed of any substance, but I was thrilled to see a small documentary called Indie Game: The Movie on Vimeo a couple years ago. It isn’t very often you get a real look at the ups and downs of game development and Indie Game: The Movie handles it perfectly following Phil Fish designer of Fez, Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes of Team Meat makers of Super Meat Boy, and Jonathan Blow designer of Braid.
In the movie you get a perfect look inside the development of each game and the struggles of being an independent game developer. These are the stories I’ve always wanted to see and to have it filmed in such a way was truly amazing to watch. Much of the movie follows Fish and his struggles on Fez, either it be funding, bugs, staff limitations, or a lawsuit with a former partner of Polytron. Fish comes off narcissistic, but you can’t help but feel bad for the guy who appears to have awful luck. On the other hand Team Meat are lovable losers. Both McMillen and Refenes remind me of myself as just waiting to stay home and play video games as a kid, being alienated, and growing up with one single goal, to make video games. Watching them go through things like Certification and press embargos, and marketing efforts was painful as I’ve gone through it all myself on various games. It was exciting watching a movie that I could really relate too.
In the end, Indie Game: The Movie is extremely well done and tells three amazing stories. If you work in video games I recommend you go see it, and even if you don’t you will experience a great film with characters you pull for in the end.
New Music Tuesday – Now, Now
I’m a fan of Tegan & Sara and female singers, and happened to stumble across Now, Now a couple days ago. I listed to their new album Threads and hear School Friends and thought it was a pretty cool song. Super emo cheese, but still a good song worth checking out.
New Music Tuesday – Gus Gus
Even after well over a decade, Gus Gus continues to make great music. Polydistortion back in 1997 was one of my favorites and still makes it way into my album rotation once in a while. While checking out the amazing KEXP YouTube Channel, I stumbled across this gem of Gus Gus doing Over at the KEXP Hostel during Iceland Airwaves ’11. Check it out, the vibe is great!
GDC 2012 Wrap Up
GDC is over and my feet are thankful. Game Developers Conference is when thousands of video game developer from around the world take over the Moscone Center in Downtown San Francisco for a week and share secrets, drink, pitch new games, and have a great time.
While I love going to GDC and catching up with friends and past co-workers, but this year was a little disappointing when it comes to the actual panels. Overall the panels fell into common sense, and there really wasn’t anything actionable to take away that will change the way you do business. While most panels content and presentations were excellent, you left thinking I already know that and are doing it or I’ve heard/seen this and I can’t afford to do it. There is always going to be a number of panels that are telling you things you already know, but this year seemed to be full of them. Additionally the amount of sponsored panels seemed to have increase. While watching a demo of some new tech is great, they seemed to be all over the place this year.
This year was the year that really made me think I should attempt to a panel next year. I’d be in a panel and think “Doesn’t every know this already?”. It wasn’t that the panel was bad, it just felt old or dated. It was also disappointing to see the limited number of social media or community panels this year. They don’t even have the Community Managers Roundtable anymore. I know that GDC Austin Online is where a lot of the online discussion is happening, but I’d like to see a little more next year.
Even with all of that, GDC 2012 was still a blast. Great time seeing old friends and making new ones. Looking forward to going next year and who knows you might be seeing me on stage.
New Music Tuesday – Nick Waterhouse
I’m need something to blog about more frequently, so I’m going to attempt to do New Music Tuesday (NMT). Each Tuesday I’ll post a song that strikes my fancy. To start out NMT I picked Nick Waterhouse. I can thank being a nightowl and watching Carson Daly for introducing me. Nick Waterhouse is straightup old school rhythm and blues and soul, even going as far as releasing most of his music on 45′s.
The sound is great, the hooks are excellent, and the whole soul revival going on right now. Check it out and tell me what you think and what you are listening to these days.