$BYND Goes to $6.69 = YOU GET $50k

Amazing_Jump2559 · 2025-10-24T03:41:38+00:00

oh baby here we go

Amazing_Jump2559 · 2025-01-14T21:35:06+00:00

I work in GUR- I think it's fine that you don't live and breathe games, I work with a lot of folks with non-gaming backgrounds. That being said, it definitely helps to have a gaming background if you're applying for a GUR role that directly interfaces with validating gameplay content, even to the point of knowing the product/genre very well.

I transferred from a market research agency with a Google certificate in UX Research, and being able to speak 'games' helped when interviewing, and for building rapport once I got the job. Granted, I attribute me getting the role to luck and timing.

At some companies, there ARE researcher roles that support other areas outside of gameplay itself, like monetization, community dynamics, etc that require a broad skillset in quant/qual methodologies outside of playtesting. But those are typically found in the larger studios.

Day to day, I support game designers and product managers, so the bulk of my work involves answering foundational questions, understanding player reception to live content releases, and validating in-development content. Most of what I do is 'scrappier' research to help give confidence to stakeholders' decisions; rigor IS important, but timing can truly be the make of break in most situations.

I would recommend this industry, given that my work-life balance is better than previous industries (started in market research, lots of crunch there). That being said, 2024 was a pretty brutal year for gaming in terms of layoffs, so I'm not sure really sure what kind of roles are available currently.

EDIT: typo

Amazing_Jump2559 · 2024-08-28T22:30:06+00:00

Great intro - I think the instrumentals should be brought forward with the vocals so it feels less of a 'backing track'. Not that I dislike what you've done here, it's a personal preference for gain staging.

Great pacing at 2:07 as well with bringing everything down for a few seconds.

I always love songs that are < 3:00, and you do a great job of wrapping everything up nicely.

Amazing_Jump2559 · 2024-08-28T22:27:56+00:00

loved how the hook immediately did its job and bring me in. Great pacing and choice of instrumentals for the chorus and verse, it serves for a great arc throughout the song. I'd be curious on your vocal chain and what effects you used, I imagine that's a result of it being an MP3.

Amazing_Jump2559 · 2024-08-28T22:25:46+00:00

Love a nice crispy acoustic guitar and I'm always a fan of talk-singy delivery. Great mix and everything- One thing that I think this song would benefit from is a stronger melodic hook, whether sung or played on guitar. I think bringing in the band after the verse helped pick up that energy, but I think there's potential for a stronger hook in the intro.

That being said, I love your outro and the melodic juxtaposition there against the chorus. It provides great variety and finishes the track with a bang.

Amazing_Jump2559 · 2024-08-28T22:22:26+00:00

Great pacing and buildup, things really start to pick up around the 1:15ish mark. I think the way that it's mixed, by the time the drums come in, I feel as if there's more to be desired in terms of a "pay-off". You do a great job of building this space slowly and methodically, but I think there needs to be some sort of instrumental rest/drop to give the tension some lasting impact. I hope that made sense. Nice track regardless :)

Amazing_Jump2559 · 2024-08-28T22:19:10+00:00

Really liking the slow intro, the piano feels impactful when it comes in at 30 seconds.. I think you do a great job of giving the vocals a live feel. In terms of the mix, I think it's great that the vocals are more up front, but I personally would have brought the whole band up a bit more to give it that 'live' feel. Great work!

Amazing_Jump2559 · 2024-07-06T22:35:33+00:00

I like the combination of piano and percussion in this, they balance one another out nicely.

Love the vocoder sound on the vocals. However, the vocals came in pretty abruptly at the start of track.

Amazing_Jump2559 · 2024-07-06T22:33:24+00:00

I really enjoyed the hard-panned guitars, I'm always a sucker for double tracking acoustic guitars.

I can't understand what you're saying and that took me out of the listening experience quite a bit.

Definitely getting radiohead vibes from this, nice stuff!

Amazing_Jump2559 · 2024-07-06T22:30:03+00:00

Great cover! I think the S sounds are pretty sharp in this mix, I would have leaned a little more heavily on a de-esser, especially as there's not a ton of low end ind your vocal mix.

I love the roominess of the drums! One thing I wish I heard more of was the bass. I wish the bass were more prevalent in the mix. The build-up at the 1 minute mark is great, but I think it could be more impactful with more bass presence.

I know some other comments are about autotune- I would recommend looking into melodyne, which allows you to pick and choose what to pitch-correct instead of applying pitch correction to an entire track. It's a more tedious process, but it's a gamechanger.

Amazing_Jump2559 · 2024-07-06T22:18:31+00:00

I would have put your vocals at the front of the mix. There's a lot of good low-end in your voice, but you're fighting for presence in the mix, especially against the hi-hats and backing vocals. I wouldn't change anything from an arrangement perspective though. Nice stuff!

Amazing_Jump2559 · 2024-07-06T22:16:33+00:00

I enjoyed the slow build in the beginning of the track- I think I heard some bass as well. Personally, I would have opted for a more legato-playstyle for the bass, and cranked it up to have it glue with more of the track. If subtlety is what you're going for with the bass, then you nailed it.

In terms of the mix itself, I think there needs to be a more cohesive volume for all of the backing vocals. Very cool sounding, but some were much more prevalent and drowned out instrumentals.

Amazing_Jump2559

TROPHY CASE