At present, the application of audio and video technology is more and more popular, which also makes audio and video technology from a relatively small subsystem, more and more attention, and the market demand and the lack of talent has become a contradiction that needs to be solved.
LiveVideoStack specially interviewed Manager Lu Xiaowu, asked him to the perspective of a senior practitioner, about his understanding of audio and video technology.
The lecturer information
Lu Xiao wu, CRI China’s technical manager, it is a 14 years in the game industry veteran, who was involved in a project “Roland DTX” “armored core” the armored force “ZhanJi the DLC skyshatter” “element zen ji” the bride burst “and so on project, has rich experience and deep understanding of the game audio.
The following content is compiled from an interview with LiveVideoStack and Lu Xiaowu.
01 CRI’s goal: Middleware to surprise more people
CRI is a middleware vendor in Japan with considerable expertise.
As early as 1983, CSK Research Institute Co., Ltd was established in Tokyo, Japan. Group of companies. The name of CRI is derived from the C of CSK, R of Research and I of Institute. Artificial intelligence, audio and video technology, and CD-ROM media technology were already being developed.
In the 1990s, CRI began comprehensive research on multi-stream technology and sound compression technology, participated in the development of several well-known SEGA game projects, and provided middleware support for computer audio technology, video technology and lip sync animation technology for the home game console “SEGA Saturn™”. So CRI products CRI ADX, CRI Sofdec, CRI Clipper (the predecessor of CRI ADX LipSync) in the industry reputation.
In 2001, CRI Middleware Co., Ltd was established. Middleware support for “Sony PlayStation®2”, “NINTENDO GAMECUBE®” and “Xbox®”.
In 2005, it began to provide middleware for home video game consoles “PlayStation®3”, “PSP®” and “Xbox 360™”.
In 2006, a new brand, “CRIWARE”, was launched, which displays the generic name of the product group.
In 2010, ADX and Sofdec were fully upgraded to “ADX2” and “Sofdec2”.
In 2019, the company set up a Chinese subsidiary, Shanghai CiAVI Information Technology Co., LTD. Acquired Web Technology and released “OPTPiX ImageStudio 8”, an image optimization tool with high quality texture conversion capabilities. Acquired audio studio TWOFIVE and now has the best team and composer in the industry for game audio production. Introduced CRI ADX LipSync, a speech analysis middleware that automatically converts speech data to produce natural lip movements.
In summary, CRI audio and video technology has three major characteristics: 1) long history, mature technology and abundant accumulation; 2) Diversified products cover a wide range, multi-platform support for easy deployment, good compatibility applicable to all major game engines and even self-developed engines; 3) Excellent technical service team is the strong backing of users.
CRI has been, is, and will continue to innovate and push the envelope based on mature middleware products. Continue to create amazing new technology, so that we in various fields of application more convenient, fast, efficient to achieve the purpose. Now CRI has not only made impressive achievements in the game industry, but also created surprises in the fields of vehicle, security monitoring, network video, medical treatment and so on.
So CRI’s goal is: “Middleware surprises more people.”
02 The Sinicization of CRI
CRI China has been established for a year and a half, which is not a long time. It has stepped on many pits and waded through many waters. Although CRI is well established in The Japanese industry, it is still in its infancy in China. In the game industry, game audio itself has just started and is still in the early stage. It needs to be recognized and recognized by more people.
When we started, we were short staffed, with three bosses. Everyone was wearing multiple hats, and it was really hard for everyone at that time. I remember it as if it was yesterday.
I worked as the technical manager in this team, mainly responsible for after-sale technical support and technical training. Of course, foreign technical exchanges and cooperation should not lag behind. Therefore, IT is my great honor to get in touch with your LiveVideoStack and take this opportunity to share CRI’s excellent products and advanced technologies with everyone.
Development status of game industry at home and abroad
I dare not say anything about the interpretation of the game industry at home and abroad. So far, I am still in the process of learning and improving. Just to give you some ideas.
First of all, video games are an alien thing, and I’ve always been in awe of them in my mind. It is no exaggeration to say that it is a science. Our modern video games, of course, include the design concepts of mobile games, and of course the seeds were buried in our hearts in the early years. Imperceptably, whether it is Japanese, European and American, post-80s, post-90s or post-00s, the world view of video games deep in their childhood memories, is now shining brilliantly for this country and this industry. I would say that the people in the game industry today are pioneers of east and West, and they are on a new road.
I’ve been in the industry since 2006, moving from PC to page to mobile. In particular, the six years from 2013 to 2019 are a period of rapid development for China’s game industry. To tell you the truth, many things develop in a very similar way. For example, it has taken several generations of efforts to develop China’s manufacturing industry from crude and low value-added products to automated, standardized and high value-added products by relying on high-density labor force.
The iteration speed of The Chinese game industry is already many times faster than that of the manufacturing industry, but there is a certain gap with foreign teams in some aspects, such as motion capture, automatic mouth-shape animation generation, facial expression animation capture, audio and video coding and decoding, etc. While we’re enjoying the benefits of Unity, Unreal, Cocos, and so on, let’s not forget that these are the underlying areas of game science that we don’t have. Similarly, due to the advantages of a high-density workforce and demographic dividend, their lives will soon come to an end. We have a long way to go.
Domestic audio and video technology ecology
At present, I am not very familiar with the domestic video industry, so LET me talk about the audio industry first.
There are many people in China’s traditional audio circle, both inside and outside the system. The majority of game audio practitioners are from within the system, and a small number are from outside the system (known as “outliers” within the system). I fall into this category. I am not a graduate, but I still love music and audio technology. I am one of the lucky ones who can do what I love. The domestic game audio community is much smaller, but of course when game audio started, there were a lot of people who moved from the traditional audio industry. In recent years, with the booming development of the game industry, the requirements and quantity of game music production are also increasing rapidly. In addition to the original traditional audio circle of the old drivers, there are universities, vocational colleges, social training institutions to transport supplies. Some of them become audio team leaders of game manufacturers, some set up audio studios to provide outsourcing services such as audio production for game manufacturers, and some are engaged in audio education and training, even game audio. From the current scale and personnel structure of the industry, the audio industry is still in the early stage. Most audio technicians are active in the application technology level, while few people develop the underlying technology (such as coding, compression, DSP, etc.), or even related industries. So technically, we’re only half audio technicians.
I think the video industry is also facing such problems.
Now we are facing a very clear situation, not only to maintain a high level of application technology, but also to make up for the lack of basic science. I think this is a huge challenge for the entire audio industry.
CRI China always holds an open attitude to welcome the friends running together on the road of audio and video technology, and constantly provides a good environment for them to improve, learn and discuss related technologies. At present, our official website can provide CRI technology related learning and discussion content, friends can easily find the knowledge they want.
The future development prospect of audio and video technology
Beyond games, the use of audio and video in online learning, remote work, online meetings, and live streaming is also growing. Some people say that now is a good time for the development of audio and video technology.
I quite agree with this point of view. Good opportunities, good market environment and good times should be linked together.
China is a country full of opportunities, in just a few years to create a number of industry tycoons. China’s market environment is very good. There is no other environment in the world with such high comprehensive quality (including population base, consumption capacity and business environment). So this era can have more brilliant, or by the industry to create.
The future may not be too far away. Audio and video technology is actually to solve the digital technology problems on people’s senses. What middleware manufacturers are still pursuing is how to integrate them into the environment dominated by the Internet business model in an efficient and diversified way. It’s a comprehensive consideration, and it’s also a consideration of how to survive. Live first, live better, live long.
06 Some Suggestions
It is true that I have been working for 15 years and I have known hundreds of colleagues. I think it’s almost impossible for a person to be in a company where everyone says hello, but just have a clear conscience. What kind of people are likable, or of high quality? I may like this kind of people: complacent not forget oneself, frustrated not lose oneself.
For young people, you have to respect science and be in awe of it, no matter what industry you’re in. Just recognize a little fur and then feel invincible that is absolutely not. One final word of advice: you can learn a lot, but you will feel more and more unknown. The attitude towards the unknown determines how far we can see and how far we can go.
Editor: Cindy Chen