Finally… an update post…

So it’s February now. As you’ll notice, my last update was in November of last year. Apologies for not updating more often. Although I doubt there are very many, if any, readers of this blog, I really should just keep up with this. I’ve had blogs in the past that all just died, and I don’t want yet another one meeting the same fate.

Let’s just cut to the chase with today’s update.

I’ve been asked about it several times already, and it’s kind of difficult to just ignore the requests with so many obvious signs pointing to it now. But I will announce now that I have attained YouTube Partnership. So yeah, that’s why my videos have ads that appear, I have a custom channel button now, etc.

I do want to explain that having Partnership won’t affect my current and future uploads in anyway. In fact, before I signed up for it, I exchanged e-mails with the rep, specifically asking if I would have to change my channel, content, uploads, etc. in any way. If the answer was yes, I don’t think I would have signed up for it, because I really enjoy having freedom in my uploads, and things like that.

I haven’t been asked about it yet, but I will mention that I have removed several of my older videos. Most of them didn’t have very many views anyway, but some of the more viewed ones I took down because I plan on doing them again some time down the line. Most of those videos were older playthroughs that had no commentary whatsoever. I also took down several videos that contained potential copyright risks due to the music used. Most of the music used are tunes from other games, but I didn’t want to risk anything happening to the uploads or my channel, so I just took ‘em down. I do plan on re-doing several of the older playthroughs I took down, adding commentary and such.

My current playthrough, as you all probably know by now, is Spyro the Dragon. The recording is already done, and has been for about a week now. It’s been a very fun playthrough, and the co-commentary the whole way through with my good friend Brittany was a nice change of pace. There are some possible bonus episodes planned for it, but I’m not 100% sure if I’ll go through with them right now.

My next playthrough is actually about halfway done now. I dislike revealing my projects in advance, if at all possible, so I’m not going to reveal what game it is until it’s uploaded. It is, however, a continuation of a game that I’ve uploaded already…

I actually have several of my next projects mapped out already. I think most of, if not all of them, should be pretty exciting to watch! I also have more collaboration projects in the works.

That’s about it for this entry. Thanks for reading.

November Updatin’

Yeah, I noted I should be posting updates more often, blah blah, I say that a lot, etc. But here’s today’s update! I’m gonna be talking about some of my recordings and such.

First of all, I am finished with recording Kirby’s Epic Yarn. All levels are completed with all treasures collected and all gold medals obtained. The only thing left to do in the game are the extra challenges and mini-games, and I’ll get to those later.

Mario Kart Wii uploads have been really popular on my channel; I never thought they’d be viewed that often, and the views for them actually eclipse my other uploads by a fairly notable margin. I’ve been posting them daily, or at least try to anyway, and I have hours and hours of footage recorded. So these will be uploaded within the next month or so.

I’ve recorded almost the rest of Mario Kart: Double Dash!!; the only thing left in the game to upload is the All Cup Tour. I might do something interesting for that recording. After playing this game again, I realize how rather lackluster it kind of is…

Monster Hunter Portable 3rd: I have a few recordings left in the archives. I would like to have more recordings of this one. Perhaps when there’s extra time…

For this month, I have these two games pre-ordered:
Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii)

I obviously won’t be recording or uploading Super Mario 3D Land, since the 3DS doesn’t have a composite/component output, and I don’t intend on uploading Skyward Sword either. HOWEVER, I do plan on streaming the game. The release week for it will be a busy one, but I’ll try to fit in some streaming times for playing.

Anyway, now that Kirby’s Epic Yarn is done recording, I intend on recording my next playthrough at some point next week!

Thanks for reading.

How do I record? Part 2: Recording older games

As some of you may know, the Hauppauge HD PVR cannot record footage straight from older consoles via composite cables. There is, however, a workaround IS available that allows you to record the footage. The method that’s going to be outlined is what I use. There could be a better way of doing this, but this is what I’ve figured out, and, for the most part, it works pretty well.

Plugging in, for example, a SNES to the Hauppauge via composite cables results in a blue screen showing up on the Total Media Extreme 2 software. When you attempt to record, you’ll sometimes just get sound, but no visuals at all. From what I’ve read about other capture devices, the signal from older consoles is too weak to be detected by them, and I assume this is what’s happening with the Hauppauge.

The workaround here is using a “bridge” of sorts between the Hauppauge and whatever older console you’re attempting to record from. For me, I use an old DVD player/player. Whatever you use, whether its a DVD player or something else, it MUST have a composite input in which you can plug in other devices that use composite cables too.

So here’s what the setup should look like:

Older console –composite cables/input– > DVD player –composite cables/input– > Hauppauge HD PVR

When this is all set up, turn on the console and DVD player, then open up the Total Media Extreme 2 software. If everything is set up right, you’ll see the game footage on it. From there, you can record, then edit it, etc. The main flaw with this set up is that the quality of the recording is not going to be great, but it’s definitely watchable.

The setup is a little complicated to explain, so hopefully that helped out somewhat. I may edit the post with pictures at some point, but for now this should do.

Thanks for reading.

How do I record? Part 1: The Recording Setup

I’ve been asked about my recording methods and such, so I figured I should make a post here to explain in detail. No pictures will be used here, but if completely necessary, I can post some, but the descriptions here should suffice, I think.

My current capture device is the Hauppauge HD PVR (product page here). As seen on the site, it costs about $180. That may be pricey for some, but in terms of ease of use and good quality HD recordings, it’s fantastic. When you buy it, it comes with a set of component cables.

My TV is a Vizio 26″ LED TV (M260VA, product page here. It’s a fairly inexpensive TV that works great. Games look very good played on this. And I also use this as my monitor for my desktop.

My desktop is a Lenovo H405 (product page here. This is a relatively inexpensive desktop that has pretty decent specs. I wasn’t looking to spend an arm and a leg for a new desktop, and from what I’ve read about it, it has the specs I needed, at minimum.

For commentary, I use the Logitech ClearChat Pro USB headset (product page here). This is a relatively inexpensive headset that works well and sounds great.

Now the Hauppauge comes with software, TotalMedia Extreme 2, that has to be installed. No worries though, as the software is easy to use. All you have to do is connect the Hauppauge to your TV via component cables (composite cables can be used too, but your quality of recording will obviously be much lower) and connect it to your desktop (or laptop, but a desktop with better specs will work best) via USB cable. Then, connect your console of choice to the Hauppauge as well (again, preferably via component).

Once you turn it on, start up the TotalMedia Extreme 2 software. Then hit the Record Video button. There’s other stuff you can do with the software, but I really only use the recording feature. Anyway, this will open up the Capture Module. This is where you’ll record and such. The source should be the Hauppauge. You can mess with the settings, but I just have them on default. From here, you can record your gameplay. And that’s pretty much it.

For commentary, I use Audacity. It’s a free, easy-to-use voice recording program. What I do is record gameplay and commentary separately. I first open up Audacity and the Total Media Extreme 2 software. Once everything’s set up to record, I’ll hit the Capture button to start the recording. Once it does (indicated by the glowing blue light on the Hauppauge), I’ll hit the record button in Audacity and start the commentary. Once the two files are done, I combine them in my editing program of choice, Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 10. More on that another time.

I think that goes through everything at least a little bit. I might do a video of this if I feel like it, but this really should be enough.

Now the Hauppauge does not recognize a lot of the older consoles when they’re plugged into it. There IS a workaround to this, and that will be explained in the next entry. Also to be explained is my streaming setup. Yeah, that’ll be a fun one…

Additional questions? Leave them in the comments section.

Thanks for reading.

Updates & junk.

Activity on my YouTube channel has been bustling lately, mainly because I’ve been a little more motivated to post new videos compared to later in the summer.

Started uploading Mario Kart Wii again. Those who checked out my channel when I first started uploading (back in 2008) may remember that the game was one of the first uploads I had. I stopped playing it for a while, and also removed those videos, but now they’re back. I’ve been playing the game with friends and with some viewers from my Twitch.TV channel, it’s been really fun… even when I do horribly (which is often!).
You can check the playlist for that here: Mario Kart Wii Online Races

In addition to Mario Kart Wii, I’ve also been recording and uploading Super Smash Bros. Brawl again. This game has appeared on my channel since the beginning; in fact, that game was the very first one that I uploaded footage of on my channel. Like the above game, my friends and I have been playing this on my live stream with some viewers. We use the same rule set that’s been used for quite a while now… 300% damage, 2.0 damage ratio, and crazy items.
You can check the Brawl playlist here. This is playlist 2, as I’ve uploaded a ton of videos for that game: Super Smash Bros. Brawl

I started uploading a new solo playthrough recently: Kirby’s Epic Yarn. A very fun and laid-back platformer, it’s been really fun commentating and uploading this game. Because of the two games above, I haven’t been playing and recording this as much as I would like, so I should probably get on that soon. The good thing is though that my recordings right now are a lot farther ahead then my uploads, so I should be covered for a bit longer.
Anyway, playlist here: Kirby’s Epic Yarn

I haven’t been uploading Monster Hunter Portable 3rd videos lately, although I do have small archive of videos that I saved that just need to be edited/published. Truth be told, I haven’t been motivated enough to upload these videos lately. Compared to the above video series, the videos for Portable 3rd are at the bottom of the barrel in terms of views. I don’t normally care about view counts, but the fact is that most viewers see these videos on the stream already, since all of them are live streamed and THEN uploaded to YouTube, so most probably don’t want to see them a second time. But, regardless, they’ll all be uploaded eventually. There’s still a lot more to upload from that game.
Playlist is here: Monster Hunter Portable 3rd

I’ve noted it to a few people (publicly, too), but after Kirby’s Epic Yarn is over and done with, or perhaps when it gets closer to the end, my next playthrough will be Shadow of the Colossus HD on the PlayStation 3. I have uploaded the game before, the original version on the PS2, but I’ll be uploading this one anyway, and the old one will be deleted. The game is part of a two-game bundle with Ico as well; that one will be streamed instead, with the possibility of an upload later on. But yeah, that’s the plan.

And that’s it for this entry. Thanks for reading.

Hate it when the truth unravels.

OSI – Office of Strategic Influence review

OSI is a progressive metal project headed by Fates Warning guitarist Jim Matheos and Chroma Key keyboardist Kevin Moore. On this album, they’re joined by (now) ex-Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy, Gordian Knot bassist Sean Malone, and, on one track (“shutDOWN”), Porcupine Tree vocalist/guitarist Steven Wilson. Needless to say, that’s quite a lineup for this album.

The music of OSI can best be described as a combination of the music of the two founding members’s projects, featuring the heaviness and complexity of the music of Fates Warning, mixed with the intricacies and ambiance of Chroma Key. A prime example of what OSI is capable of is found right at the beginning of the album, with the one-two combination of the opening tracks, “The New Math (What He Said)”, an instrumental track, and “OSI”, which the former track segues right into. Featuring heavy riffs, electronic elements, and insane drumming, these two tracks are the ones that you want to play for someone interested in hearing the band.

OSI manages to set themselves apart from other progressive metal bands with the experimental nature of the songs. Tracks such as “Head” and “Memory Daydream Lapses” are great examples of this, and it’s mainly due to the influence of Kevin Moore. Speaking of Kevin, he has admitted that his vocal range is not that great, but his vocals are suited perfectly for the project, as the music of OSI often features a sort of dark feel to it, and a wide vocal range is not needed.

A special mention should be given to the track “shutDOWN”, which is the longest track on the album, clocking in at over 10 minutes. Steven Wilson not only performed vocals on this track, he wrote the lyrics too. The song is a highlight of the album, with all of the contributing performers showing what they can do.

OSI’s debut manages to thoroughly impress and keep interest throughout it entirety. Highly recommended for progressive metal fans.

Favorite tracks: “The New Math (What He Said)”, “OSI”, “shutDOWN”, “Dirt from a Holy Place”, “Memory Daydream Lapses”

5 out of 5.

Long time.

You know, I really should be writing on this more often. Even if no one reads it, writing helps brain functions. It’s true!

Anyway, not much to update on really. Work, college, gaming, etc. Same old stuff, really.

I did start on a project where I’m playing through cups in the Mario Kart series in 100cc. You can find the playlists on my YouTube channel. I just finished recording the last of Mario Kart: Super Circuit this morning. After that, it’s onto Mario Kart: Double Dash!! on the GameCube. Even though I said I’d be going through all of the Mario Kart games, I get bugged about that title in particular. It’s usually things like that which make me not want to record/upload it. But I digress, it kind of has to be uploaded.

I’ve already begun recording my next playthrough (it’s a Wii game). I can’t quite upload it just yet, so I might record another filler playthrough of a short game to hopefully pass the time until I’m ready to post this one.

I should mention that the site that myself and my friends are involved in, The Gamer’s Bench, has a new, work-in-progress layout. And it has forums! Check ‘em out!

That pretty much wraps up this entry, I don’t really have anything else to note. Any suggestions on entry topics are (mostly) welcome.

Games!

In the last post, I noted some upcoming music releases I’m looking forward to. For this one, I’ll note what game releases for the rest of the year that I’ll be interested in. This is also a good reference for me for the release dates of these games, heh. Maybe it’ll help you remember the dates too.

Just note, I may not buy ALL of these games, at least when they’re initially released anyway, but these are ones that I’m most interested in…

Street Fighter III: Third Strike – Online Edition [PS3] — August 23rd
Star Fox 64 3D [3DS] — September 9th
God of War Origins [PS3] — September 13th
The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection [PS3] — September 27th
Dead Rising 2: Off the Record [PS3] — October 11th
Batman: Arkham City [PS3] — October 18th
Super Mario 3D Land [3DS] — November
Metal Gear Solid HD Collection [PS3] — November
Tekken Hybrid [PS3] — November
Kirby: Return to Dreamland [Wii] — Fall
Mario Kart 7 [3DS] — December
Kid Icarus Uprising [3DS] — Winter
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword [Wii] — Winter

Release dates are always subject to change. If I missed any, I’ll add them in later.

Musica.

I was checking out some new albums from some of my favorite bands, and I noticed a good amount of them are going to be released in September…

Dream Theater – A Dramatic Turn of Events — September 13th
Opeth – Heritage — September 16th
Thrice – Major/Minor — September 20th
Mastodon – The Hunter — September 26th
Steven Wilson – Grace for Drowning — September 26th

It’s a good time to be a fan of progressive rock and metal. =)

3rd.

Started Monster Hunter Portable 3rd on Thursday. My initial impressions are really positive; it’s about as addicting as its predecessors. The new monsters are really interesting; looking forward to fighting more of them. I’ll be highlighting the vids from my Twitch.TV stream and sending them to YouTube. Only thing is that they’ll be in a lower quality, but from what I’ve uploaded, they’re still certainly watchable.

I will be going on vacation starting on Sunday. Heading to Ocean City, Maryland for about four days. As noted in a previous entry, I won’t have internet access over there, except on my phone. And internet access on my phone is currently limited, so I can really only check messages on Twitter and such. So what I’m going to try to do before I head to bed shortly, and in the morning when I get up, is upload my current video queue. That should give viewers something to watch while I’m gone.

I might post an entry before leaving, but until then, thanks for reading.