| Dungeon Runners Interview with NCsoft Audio Director/Composer ...
Tracy W. Bush is an award winning sound designer and composer, and is currently the Audio Director for NCsoft. Prior to joining NCsoft in 2004, he was a composer and sound designer at Blizzard, where he worked on such AAA titles as StarCraft, StarCraft: Brood War, Diablo II, WarCraft III, WarCraft III: The Frozen Throne, and World of WarCraft. Previous to his video game career, he worked in technical support and Information Technology positions in San Francisco, and spent evenings and weekends playing piano for small parties, singing in a cappella groups, and stage acting. M4G caught up with Tracy W. Bush (no relation to current US President George W. Bush) to discuss his eclectic score for the recently released free-to-download and play, MMO Dungeon Runners. M4G: First of all, please tell us about your musical background and how you got started working in the video game industry?
Tracy W.
Home Console Development?
In the last 15 years or so, there has been a boom in the home audio industry brought about by the reduced pricing in high quality recording equipment and affordable computer hardware and software. Every middle class kid and their brother can write, record and market their songs, interviews, monologues, etc. This has been true of the PC gaming industry as well. There are plenty of powerful open source or cheap tools available for the creation of digital game content. This has resulted in a vibrant freeware and shareware game culture on the web. Modding tools are also prevalent and have served as springboards for many a fledgling artist, programmer, level designer into the universe of Triple-A game production. This has not been the case for consoles so much, however.
in the city UPCOMING EVENTS • inthecity@westender.com
Earth-shattering ka-boom! Observe Canada Day as it's meant to be done — with a boatload of fireworks! They'll light up the sky over Burrard Inlet as the city celebrates on Sunday (July 1, natch). The show is set off on two barges, so free viewing will be possible from the Stanley Park seawall, Harbour Green Park, Lonsdale Quay, and in Kitsilano. There are also $10 tickets available (from Ticketmaster) for viewing at Canada Place. The 20-minute show starts at 10.30 p.m. Info: CanadaDayFireworks.ca or 604 925-1912. Eastside story: Also on July 1, a festival celebrating art, music, diversity and history in the Downtown Eastside is being held at, of all places, Pigeon Park (Hastings & Carrall). Singer Michelle Richard — whose repertoire includes jazz, R&B, dance and French music — hosts the free event, called the Vancouver Fearless Festival, running from 3-9 p.m.
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