Charity for Healthcare Workers & New Song?! Oh $5 Albums Too!
Hey Guys,
Hope you are staying safe and healthy. I wrote this new song called “Thinking of You” and it’s inspired by people using Animal Crossing to feel less isolated in these heavy times. I would love for you to check out the links below to purchase this song or my last two albums if you are able. Both of the albums on Bandcamp are discounted to $5 each, the lowest they’ve ever been, and I will donate ALL proceeds that come in for the next 30 days to Mask Our Heroes who are securing and providing much needed supplies to health care workers. You get the albums for cheaper than they've ever been and it helps people directly. What's better than that? Thank you all so much for watching :)
Song on Bandcamp: https://bit.ly/3bPn7Xh
The Bite Vol 3 album on Bandcamp: https://bit.ly/3aK4bsX
Video Game Songs Vol 6 album on Bandcamp: https://bit.ly/2UG81h5
Mask Our Heroes Charity: https://www.gofundme.com/f/maskourheroesnyc
I’ve teamed up with my network to create a new merch store! As a kickoff we are having a FLASH SALE of my first product. This shirt is available for 28 days if you want one. https://shop.studio71us.com/collections/tryhardninja
Hey guys,
I can't go 10 minutes without getting a request to make a song for a specific game. A lot of people have many different favorite titles. While I would love to make songs for every game under the sun, unfortunately there are many games and only one of me, so I have to be selective. This post is to go over my general guide lines when picking a topic to make a song about to hopefully give you better insight as to what games I might be making songs about next. It's simple and there are only 4 things I take in to consideration.
1. I have to like or be interested in the game! If there is a game that's coming out that I am truly looking forward to I will consider making a song about it. If there is a game that I play that I really enjoy I will consider making a song about it. Writing songs to me is very personal. I'm not going to sit and write about something I have no personal connection with.
2. I only make songs about very popular or highly anticipated games. At first this might seem like a weird rule but if you consider it from a creator's point of view it makes sense. Let's say you have 100 people subscribed to your channel. Of course you can't know exactly what all those people want to see you post. When you make a song about a popular game there is a larger chance that a bigger portion of those 100 subscribers will be interested. My music costs money to produce and distribute. For that reason I have to pick topics that are "trending" to make sure they are relevant to most of my audience. I can't please everyone! But I can at least try to make content that a big percentage of my subscribers will statistically be interested in.
3. Songs about triple A titles. Triple A titles are games that have huge development teams and millions of dollars in backing. GTA, Fallout, Mario are all good examples. There have been a few exceptions but I will only make a song about a triple A game that is being released in the near future or that is brand new. You might think of a game like Dying Light as a new game because it came out less than a year ago but in the YouTube world it is no longer a trending topic. Asking me to make a song about Destiny, which came out over a year ago, is futile. :)
4. Songs about indie games! I only make songs about viral indie games. Minecraft, FNAF, Agar.io, Undertale etc that I enjoy. With indies it doesn't matter how old the games are because most indie games become more popular as time passes when people tell their friends about them. Flappy Bird = yes. Bills Random Tennis Game = no. Once again it costs money to produce my music. To be blunt making a song about a random indie game that only a few people have played is a bad idea because it isn’t relevant to most subscribers. It would actually cost me money to make it because no one would watch it. I love making music about games but I can't actually pay money to make YT videos people watch for free.
Hopefully this gives you a better understanding of how I pick my games. Now you know what to expect and what not to expect for future music videos!
Thanks everyone,
TryHardNinja
◢Get the song or album◣
▻iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/video-game-songs-vol.-1/id1054592377&app=itunes
▻Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/music/album/TryHardNinja_Video_Game_Songs_Vol_1?id=Be7muculdhxo5o5algzhrudxpt4
▻Amazon: coming soon
▻Bandcamp: http://tryhardninja.bandcamp.com/album/video-game-songs-vol-1
Hey guys!
I’m doing live streams on Twitch now. I’m currently playing Mad Max but finished up Until Dawn recently. I follow Pacific Standard Time and usually stream for 3 hours. Join me on Twitch :)
I am happy to share that the music video for my single “Pick A Universe” is finally DONE! It took nearly 6 months to complete because I had to switch animators and we had to redo everything from scratch. ALOT of effort and time was spent on this and I hope you guys like it, and if you do please don’t forget to let me know in the comments of the video or leave a like on it :) It’s always nice to hear what your guys’ thoughts are!
The Pick A Universe music video is FULLY ANIMATED and packed full of video game references. The story is about a girl who escapes the stress and bore of every day life by jumping into a video game world filled with adventure. You’ll see references to games such as Minecraft, Five Nights at Freddy’s, Super Mario, Metroid, Portal, Duck Hunt, League of Legends, Zelda and MORE! She’s also joined by her friends and brother. The animated characters that are her friends are based on 8 very REAL PEOPLE who chose the “Be An Animated Character” perk from my Indiegogo campaign last year.
I’ll be posting it to my YouTube channel this weekend. For more pictures and behind the scenes on my most current projects you can join me on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/tryhardninja?ty=h
I love making music! Because I’m passionate about what I do, I care about the quality of the music I put out. Making professional quality music obviously requires more than just singing into your laptop or computer. I mean at the very basics it is that, but it’s also so much more. I’ve invested a lot of energy, time, and money into setting up my office with the best equipment I can so I can make the best music I can for you guys. It’s literally where the magic happens. So here’s a look into my office and a list of my recording setup.
*Note: These awesome posters of art from my original songs are for sale in my Spreadshirt shop! 15% off from April 7-15 using code SPRING15 at checkout.
Lucas CS-4 microphone attached to the Ultimate Support MC-125 Professional Studio Boom Stand
Focusrite ISA One Preamp and Dbx 160A compressor
KRK 6 Audio Monitors ( I have one of each side of my monitors)
Digidesign MBOX2 preamp with Sony MDR-7506 headphones
2 Samsung LED monitors, Rosewill Mechanical Keyboard, and Razer Naga gaming mouse
My computer is custom built and here are the specs:
A lot of people have asked me about the equipment I use to record. So if you’ve ever wondered about that here’s your answer! Not pictured is my Turtle Beach PX5 headset I use for gaming. This is just my setup at home and I do still go into a professional recording studio from time to time to record vocals. :)
Most of the first songs I ever made and put on my channel were parodies. I made dozens of them. Parodies are hilarious and I loved making them. It's been about 1.5 years since I've stopped making parodies but I still get asked to make them. I don't make parodies anymore and it's on purpose. Here's why.
You guys might remember a song I did with CaptainSparklez called "Minecraft Style" and some of you might remember it was claimed and taken down. You may even recall that CaptainSparklez made a couple videos explaining what was going on and how difficult it is to try and fight these claims. Basically when you make a video and someone else claims it, YouTube takes the proceeds from that video you made and sends it to them. For example, whether you used 15 seconds of a song or 3 minutes of song that person claims to have copyright to YouTube will still send 100% of the proceeds to the person claiming it.
It's really disheartening when you put a lot of money, time, and effort into making something for your fans and then all of a sudden a large music label can come in and claim your work as their own. Not only do they claim it but it is extremely time consuming and can be very costly to fight the claim (which may end up in a court room).
Well, anyway, right after "Minecraft Style" was claimed, not only one, but a bunch of my parodies on MY channel were claimed. After careful consideration of what I should do I finally came to the conclusion that from then on I was going to focus all of my creativity and energy into making original music. This decision has led me to create two full length albums I can proudly call my own and I don't have to worry about any more claims. That's why I've stopped making parodies and thank you for supporting my original music <3
Just letting you guys know that there are now posters of the Pick A Universe cover available NOW! These will be shipped to you from me personally. They'll be packaged in a hard tube so it will make its way safely to you. They measure 18 inches by 24 inches and have a semi-glossy finish. Get them here!
If you couldn't get a CD during the Indiegogo campaign they're now for sale at https://tryhardninja.bandcamp.com/merch/pick-a-universe-cd (Note: Sales tax is included in the price of the CD).
Pick A Universe has been out for about two months now and since it's been out I've been releasing the lyric and music videos for each song on my channel. Last week I released the official Minecraft music video for "With You" feat. Lindee Link and the week before I released the stop motion lyric video. There are many more music videos to come this year and I am so excited to finish them so I can get them to you.
Without the support of the donations from my Indiegogo campaign I wouldn't have been able to finish my album as quickly as I did. Also, I wouldn't have been able to print physical CDs and posters. Thank you to everyone that donated whether it was $1 or $250. Also, thanks to everyone who shared the Indiegogo campaign. I want to take a moment and thank these awesome people again for their significant donations:
Alan Schrock, Areana Rock, Damien Roberts, Edward cornish, Emil Johnsen, Jacob Gouwland, Jared Petruk, Josh Groves, Josh LaBuda (TheOnlyFender), Kamil Bandurka, Kenneth James, Lewis Hanrahan, Liam French, Mitchell "Skullkerful" Hall, Nathaniel Fawley*Nicole Hilstolsky, Philip Deutsch, SkyeSweetSmithyd_201, Stefan Lechner, Stephen Guerrero, TheMidgetOne, Twillen, USS Corsair of STARFLEET International
*Correction: Nathaniel Fawley's name was printed incorrectly as Nathaniel Fowled inside the CD booklets.
So it's 2015 and that means a whole new year of awesome video games. I know there are still a bunch of games with unscheduled release dates and stuff but here are my top 10 most anticipated games of 2015. These are 10 games that I think will hopefully blow my mind. Looking forward to playing them on my gaming channel gamingawesomeyt! Read on for the list :)
10. Until Dawn
Release Date: Summer 2015
9. Dead Island 2
Release Date: Spring 2015
8. The Order: 1886
Release Date: February 20, 2015
7. Minecraft: Story Mode
Release Date: Unscheduled
6. Halo 5
Release Date: Unscheduled
5. Mad Max
Release Date: Unscheduled
4. Dying Light
Release Date: January 30, 2015
3. No Man's Sky
Release Date: Unscheduled
2. Batman: Arkham Night
Release Date: June 2, 2015
1. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
Release Date: Unscheduled
I played A LOT (a bunch, tons, so many, too many) of games in 2014 so narrowing down 10 games to be my favorite took a bit (more like a lot) of time. But I'm going to go over my top 10 games I played in 2014 and which system I played them on. I picked these games because I really enjoyed playing them and overall I feel they are worth the money you pay for them. Here are my top 10 games from 2014 in order starting from #10.
10. Middle Earth Shadow of Mordor (PS4)
Released: September 30, 2014
First, the games has really cool graphics that are very polished looking. I also enjoyed the fluid combat system, it's a lot of fun! Plus the nemesis trophy system give you your own unique nemesis, a pretty cool feature. Finally, I like that there's a variety of ways to complete the missions.
9. Outlast: Whistleblower DLC (PS4)
Released: May 6, 2014
Ok so this isn't a new game release but the DLC for Outlast. I included this on my top 10 video games for 2014 because I really feel the price and storyline makes the definitely well worth playing. Though technically not a full game this continues the story of Miles being trapped in the asylum from the original outlast. Awesome DLC!
8. Call of Duty Advanced Warfare (PS4)
Released: November 4, 2014
First off, KEVIN SPACEY! Yup, Kevin Spacey is in it do I really need to say more? I guess I do. COD AW is a high energy adrenaline pumping thrill ride with excellent campaign graphics. The developers delivered another ridiculously high end production we come to expect from COD in terms of the campaign. Also, once again, Kevin Spacey.
7. Wolfenstein: The New Order (PS4)
Released: May 20, 2014
This is a great addition to the Wolfenstein series. I love that there's lots of different setting to keep the game from getting boring. Also, the variety of weapons keeps it interesting. The overall fun and over the top attitude the developers took with the story like seriously makes you feel like a badass.
6. The Wolf Among Us (PC)
Episode 1 "Faith" Released: October 11, 2013
Episode 2 "Smoke and Mirrors" Released: February 4, 2014
Episode 3 "A Crooked Mile" Released: April 8, 2014
Episode 4 "In Sheep's Clothing" Released: May 27, 2014
Episode 5 "Cry Wolf" Released: July 8, 2014
The Wolf Among Us is a GREAT murder-mystery with LOTS of plot twists that keeps the story engaging. I had so much fun playing this game. You run into a ton of memorable and familiar fairytale characters that have fell on hard times in the real world. The controls and gameplay are as fluid as I've have grown to expect from all Telltale titles.
5. The Walking Dead: Season Two (PC)
Episode 1 "All That Remains" Released: December 17, 2013
Episode 2 "A House Divided" Released: May 13, 2014
Episode 3 "In Harm's Way" Released: April 8, 2014
Episode 4 "Amid the Ruins" Released: July 22, 2014
Episode 5 "No Going Back" Released: August 26, 2014
Seriously this is an amazing follow up to the first one! Season two continues to provide all the INTENSITY of The Walking Dead with all the next to impossible choices you'll have to make. Also, being able to control Clementine and have her kick some butt is awesome.
4. Far Cry 4 (PS4)
Released: November 18, 2014
Having not played any of the previous games in the Far Cry series, I REALLY ENJOYED THIS! The weapons are so much fun and there's a good variety to choose from. I also like that you can make various choices to complete one mission. The open world Kyrat map is visually INCREDIBLE. When I play the games, it looks as if I'm actually inside a forest on a mountain range. It's so scenic and beautiful, it's ridiculous.
3. Sunset Overdrive (XBO)
Released: October 28, 2014
The hilarious overall attitude of the game makes the game that much more fun. This is a video game that makes fun of video games, it's a game with a sense of humor. I love the awesome colorful graphics and the bold style of characters. Also, the unique combat system requires you to ALWAYS be on the move. You always have to be jumping or grinding there's no sprint button and you can't really stand still or bad things will happen. Super fun and unique!
2. South Park Stick of Truth (PC)
Released: March 4, 2014
South Park is one of my favorite shows so being able to explore South Park is amazing. Going into the buildings and seeing the familiar characters from the show is really fun. Overall the game is creative, fun, and the there are some pretty hilarious weapons and attacks.
1. inFAMOUS Second Son (PS4)
Released: March 21, 2014
inFamous Second Son is my #1 video game from 2014 because it feels like the most complete and satisfying game I've played the entire year. The choices you make and the story all fit together so well. The story is great and the characters are so lovable that you get attached to them. Plus the beautiful digital render of Seattle is awesome. Also, the multiple super powers makes you feel unstoppable. Overall, best game of 2014 in my opinion.
Honorable Mention: Assassin's Creed Unity
Released: November 11, 2014
I really feel like I needed to at least mention AC Unity. AC Unity would've easily been in in the top 5 if not for the many bugs that Ubisoft unfortunately released the game with. I still recommend it though if you're playing it on XBO or PS4. XBO and PS4 will at least run the game while some PC players are still not able to load it for more than a few minutes at a time.
*Note: I didn't include any remastered games because they're not full new releases.
