My E3 2015 Reaction

Something Old, Something New

By Joshua Legarreta

            E3 is an event I hold close to my heart. It’s a midsummer Christmas for people that make games, but something far larger for the people that play them. It is a place where dreams merge with reality to create something unexpected, a place where people go to be amazed and taken aback by the progress our little industry has made within a year’s time. Sure enough there were a lot of things to be interested in for this year’s E3, but unfortunately I was not taken aback, wowed, or even excited. This lack of feeling definitely stems from some base of caution, but whether it’s always been there or if it just so happens to be something watching this year’s E3 let out, I don’t know.

            I will now attempt to explain myself as clearly and thoroughly as possible, but let me preface this piece by saying this: I love video games as more than a medium. Though my experience with them as a whole may be small, I would not give up my time spent with them for the world. That said, it’s important to understand in light of how E3 works that I am not trying to be the anti-hype man of E3. There are plenty of people willing to talk smack about other peoples’ expectations, hopes, and wants, but that isn’t me. More good games simply means more good for an industry that’s ever changing, even as we speak.

            If there were one word I would use to describe to this year’s E3 event thematically, it’d be “resurrection.” This year we saw, more than ever, the resurrection of old ideas past, from The Last Guardian to Rainbow Six. For old and new fans alike, I’m sure the world lit up, if not for a moment, when Sony showed of the Final Fantasy VII Remake trailer. I have to admit: I was impressed with how many things I’ve been hearing about for years now made a debut, including Kindgom Hearts III and Star Fox Zero. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad these projects are seeing the light of day and I do hope they go on to become the stellar experiences I know the creators behind them want them to be.

            That said, I couldn’t help but feel “old.” As a 21-year-old, that’s a pretty stupid thing to say in general, but considering the generation of games I grew up with and how I watched them evolve, I mean to use it in a more relative manner. With every new generation, as games became something more than toys meant for children, I watched this medium grow into a hobby that gave people meaning and I couldn’t be happier for it. Games are now doing things I never would have conceived as a child, from telling engrossing stories to connecting people across the world, but now it feels like we’ve hit a stump in the road.

            Despite all of gaming’s advancements, from one generation to another, leaps were always made to procure progress for the future. From memory cards (thanks PlayStation) to online play (thanks Dreamcast), there was always something to be gained from the “next” generation. And this is where my story starts: with a simple, but grounded worry for the “next” generation of consoles on what was going to be new about them. And so far the only answer I can come to is nothing, not even the games.

            To give some perspective: with the cancellation of Megaman Legends 3, (curse ye who made its coffin), came a new creation to take its place called Mighty No. 9. While it wasn’t the first to succeed, it did become one of the largest funded titles through a popular backing service known as Kickstarter. All while developers were looking with interest at the possibilities Kickstarter offered, something else was happening, again. Games, games that a large part of the gaming community had already enjoyed, were coming back out. While I initially believed this to be part of the transitioning process from the last generation to the current one, the fact that a second Final Fantasy HD remaster came out just last May and a Gears of War collection was announced to be in development at this year’s E3 speaks to me louder than any new game could have at this event.

            Alongside this came the dawning realization that it’s been over five years since the Last Guardian was announced. And while Square Enix has always been bad about announcing games too early, I just can’t help but look at their offerings, alongside any aforementioned titles and think to myself: again? I was excited for a lot of these games at one point, but then years past and now I just want them to be out and done with. Is it crude and cynical to think like that? I think it is, but my initial excitement can’t last forever, and when years pass without word or news of what’s happening to these titles, I have to admit this feeling comes creeping up at the mere drop of a name.

            I want all these titles to be good- hell, I want every game to be good, but for the sake of innovation and moving forward I wish this process of inciting feelings of nostalgia would stop. Whether it be through channeling the spirit of a series that is unlikely to receive a new entry, a la Bloodstained and Mighty No. 9, or by revealing something new way ahead of its development process, such as Kingdom Hearts III and the Final Fantasy VII Remaster, this needs to stop. I look forward to an E3 where what I see is what I get without a six year wait, and if problems arise during development, let the people who want to play your games know that. Transparency goes a long way and there is no person out there that wouldn’t appreciate your company more for it.

            So, what resolution can I propose to this whole debacle? Well, I'd simply recommend that companies begin showing their offerings in a timelier manner. Keep announcements within a two-year release window at most and be more open to long-term and potential fans about the development cycle. Keep them updated with the latest improvements, hiccups, and news on how the game they're interested in is coming along. I know if something like the Last Guardian had done this, I probably would've had the same reaction that everyone else did at E3, and one more fan is always a goal creators should strive for.

"Amiibo" Unveiled

Nintendo Unveils New Product Line: “Amiibo”

            Nintendo came out swinging at this years annual Electronic Entertainment Media Expo in Los, Angeles California, also known as E3, yesterday with a slew of new properties and videogames.

Beginning their conference with a digital event showing, Nintendo revealed “Amiibo.” Through the use of near field communication (NFC), the wireless transfer of data between the Nintendo Wii U and an outside source, “Amiibo” is a new line of Nintendo product that takes the form of a figure.

Embedded into each of the many figurines, crafted in the images of famous Nintendo characters like Mario, is a chip that stores, saves and transfers data back to the Wii U’s tablet-controller.

“When you touch an ‘Amiibo’ to the gamepad, the character’s data is downloaded into the game you’re playing, and it’s also a two way street. We can send information back to the figure… Figures data changes as you play, which opens the door for various new gameplay possibilities,” Reggie Fils-Aime, President of Nintendo of America, stated through the digital event showing.

It has only been revealed to be working in conjunction with a few select of Nintendo’s hardest-hitting franchises including “Super Smash Bros. for Wii U,” “Mario Kart 8,” and “Mario Party 10.” Nintendo is hoping to extend this line of product to their other famous franchises, such as “The Super Mario Bros.” and “The Legend of Zelda.”

Nintendo first hinted at its plans to expand on the NFC development field at the release of their most recent home videogame console, the Wii U. Serving as a successor to Nintendo’s latest venture, the Nintendo Wii, the Wii U is an all-new videogame console that was first released in 2012.

Upon release, outlets praised Nintendo’s innovation in terms of controller design, stronger emphasis on online and digital ventures, and their first steps into the world of high-definition rendering for games.

But lack of clarity on what the Wii U is, and poor marketing have left this system behind competitors Sony and Microsoft’s home consoles.

President of Nintendo Japan, Satoru Iwata lamented earlier at their Corporate Management Policy Briefing for their fiscal year, “…In addition, the GamePad is the only video game platform with an NFC (near-field communication) reader/writer function. ‘Pokémon Rumble U’ has already taken advantage of this function, but aside from this title, Wii U has failed to make use of the full potential of this function so far, despite it being a built-in feature.”

Nintendo is hoping to turn the tides though, having shown off a strong return to their fundamental properties at this year’s E3 with a batch of new intellectual properties and concepts, including an expansion to Nintendo’s portable console, the Nintendo 3DS.

“Combining Amiibo with our games opens up a whole range of potential gameplay experiences,” stated Bill Trinen, a representative of Nintendo of America, “It’s one of the most exciting things Nintendo is debuting at E3.”

From Across the World

From Across the World

            Reverberating strings and echoes fill the Voertman Recital Hall in the College of Music building. Donned in a slim, black dress and heels, a woman recites Ludwig van Beethoven’s sonata in e-flat major. Amongst the crowd people are watching and pointing, noting how there is no sheet music before her. She is reciting all four movements that make up the piece from memory.

            It is only mere minutes later that she bewilders the crowd, playing Franz Schubert’s sonata in A minor, once again, all from memory.

            The pianist, Xiaojie Nina Sun, then steps up to the applause of the crowd, inviting the various guests to come on stage and speak to her about her performance, a reception of sorts.

            “This is a very big and positive moment in my life,” Sun said, “I want to thank you all for coming out and seeing me.”

            Sun was performing as a featured guest artist yesterday, demonstrating to fans and faculty alike her plethora of musical expertise and executions. Sun is an assistant professor at the Music School of Harbin Normal University in China as well as a vie-secretary general of the Russian branch of the Heilongjiang International Exchange Scholars.

            She is well versed in Russian, English, and Chinese. With these skills, she has hosted and translated many Chinese-Russian and Chinese-American concerts and conferences, 11 journals, and written three books.  She has also performed in Harbin, Beijing, Moscow, and Texas.

Budget Cuts for the College of Music

Cuts to College of Music Budget

            The College of Music is looking to face a $500,000 cut to its overall budget come this fall semester.

            While no specific reason has been listed for the cut, the College of Music is looking into alternatives to help refocus financial efforts. Shifting one-on-one lessons with music mentors to class oriented teaching is just one example of what previous reforms have changed.

            Despite the negative impacts linked with cuts, Jon C. Nelson, Associate Dean for Operations, is keeping an optimistic mindset regarding how the College of Music will be handling the cuts. This is in correlation with the constant increases and decreases in budget that the University of North Texas has come to see over the years.

            “We all realize we’re in this together,” said Nelson, “We’re very good at thinking outside the box.”

            Though this has not been the first cut the College of Music has seen, cuts have become harder to work under in recent years. While UNT tries to keep up with technological advances regarding the replacement of older items, the College of Music is currently facing troubles in personal computer department. For the past two years, the College of Music has resorted to only replacing PC’s under the most dire of situations to help alleviate costs.

            In regards to the present $14 million budget, 12 million is reserved for faculty payments and salaries, 1.5 million for course fees and services, while the last .5 million is used for MNO’s, or Maintenance and Operations.

            MNO’s generally include the maintenance, replacing, and purchasing of new music equipment, from instruments to speakers, which can impact student events, such as the number of guest artist concerts held at the university. Amongst the costs, however, MNO’s tend to be the first item considered for evaluation when budget cuts are made.

            While a financial budget has not been finalized for the next fiscal year, the College of Music has made requests for additional funding.

With Time Comes Change

With Time Comes Change

            The University of North Texas will see changes to its faculty for the College of Music beginning this fall in light of staff retirements.

            Retirees include Mezzo-Soprano and Regents Professor Linda Di Fiore; Regents Professor of trumpet J. Keith Johnson; and Music Theory Professor Graham H. Phipps.

            Phipps has dedicated 30 years to teaching music theory at UNT, including seven as a coordinator and 10 years as director of graduate studies. He has presented papers at national conferences and has lectured in eight different countries. Earlier this year, the Division of Music History, Theory, and Ethnomusicology, the UNT Music Library, and the Graduate Association of Musicologists und Theorists held a concert recital and music theory symposium in his honor.

            “I decided to apply for this position at UNT because I wished to be able to specialize in some specific areas of music and to teach doctoral students in my specialties,” said Phipps on his history with UNT. “I hope to have provided a good foundation for my students so that they can go on to further advanced studies in music and to become successful college or university professors in the field.”

            Fiore, a professional soloist in opera, recital and musical theater, joined the College of Music as a faculty member 18 years ago. Her honors include the Citation for Distinguished Service to International Education, the President’s Council Teaching Award and the designation of Master Teacher by the National Association of Teachers of Singing. She was appointed Regents Professor in 2005.

            Johnson has performed with the Fort Worth Symphony, Dallas Opera, the Mexico City Philharmonic, and many, many more. He has written over 40 articles on brass playing, and has authored two books, The Art of Trumpet Playing. and Brass Performance and Pedagogy. He was appointed Regents Professor in 1994 and in 2011 he became a Distinguished Teaching Professor.

            UNT is also set to bring aboard some new faces to the College of Music for the fall semester. These include Senior Lecturer Diego Cubero, Professor Molly Fillmore, lecturer Samantha M. Inman, Visiting Assistant Professor William H. Joyner, Assistant Professor Sean Powell, and Visiting Associate Professor Allen Vizzutti.

            “Everyone brings a unique set of experiences to the table,” said Powell. “One of the advantages to being in a large learning community like UNT is that everyone, students and faculty alike, can learn from a broad array of perspectives. I look forward to learning just as much, or more, than I look forward to teaching.”

Ending on a High Note

Ending on a High Note

            A conductor walks across a stage, leading the students before him into song. Another man steps in soon after the conductor begins, declaring the students can sing a piece by Johann Sebastian Bach while using solfège, hand symbols that depict the pitches being sung.

            The conductor stares for a while, shaking his head in doubt as he expresses his concern. If it is a Texan choir, it is possible, he reassures the conductor as the audience applauds him. The conductor, Dr. Alan McClung, finally agrees to this proposal. He raises his hands to signal a start and then leads the students into song.

            This was but only a small portion of what took place at the All-State High School Choir Camp’s annual concert on Saturday, July 11, at the Winspear Performance Hall of the Murchison Performance Arts Center, meant to showcase the progress of students enrolled in the program.

The annual camp brings together students from various high schools in order to train them in reading, understanding, and performing pieces used in auditions for the upcoming year. Beyond this, it also serves as a learning opportunity for all involved, including counselors, teachers and students from the University of North Texas.

Section leaders learn from a selected clinician, Dr. Steve Zilke of Oregon State University this year, while counselors learn from choir teachers, and administrative assistants gain experience in organizing and running camps from their conception.

“I work this camp because it continues to teach me a whirlwind of life lessons! Time management, organization, leadership, professionalism, parent-teacher relationships, finances, confidence, and the importance of always being three steps ahead of every situation, the list could go on forever,” said Camp Registrar Cody Alarcon, who is also serving his first term as Head Counselor after three years of working with UNT camps.

Despite the title of a choir camp, other events are held within the program to boost team-building skills and display the diversity of the students, including dances, talent shows, and scavenger hunts.

To further help the streamlining of this camp, the staff is comprised entirely of musically oriented individuals. Choir teachers and professors join music theory and music education major students from UNT to ensure the music remains top priority.

“They’re really involved with the campers and want to make it fun for all the high schoolers who’re coming in. It provides a personal experience for the camper. Students work very hard learning all the music, so they have a pretty good head start on other students who don’t go to camp at all,” said Sienna Riehle, a third-year counselor, and former attendee of the camp.

Information on next year’s camp is available through the Denton ISD homepage, www.DentonISD.org, including information on dates, fees, contact information, and an application for those who wish to attend.