We're looking at it from a game audio perspective, but the vast majority of advice in this series will apply to anyone working in audio:
By Jennifer Walden and Asbjoern Andersen
In this first installment, we talk to Damian Kastbauer — a Software Product Manager at Audiokinetic who is currently working to grow Wwise audio authoring with help from the interactive audio community. He spent years as a technical sound designer bridging the gap between content creators and game engines, striving towards a realization of dynamic sound.
He is the co-founder of the Game Audio Podcast and author of a two-volume collection of articles titled “Tales of a Technical Sound Designer”
Here, Kastbauer shares his experience of and advice for surviving a layoff:
Change is Good
You hear it all the time, coupled with the realization that change is also: difficult, stressful, transformative, and ultimately a good thing. When a layoff comes around (as it has for me twice over the last 5 years since making the jump from freelance to in-house), it’s been equal parts frightening and exhilarating. Many of us have felt that “fear of the unknown” and been sent spiraling out-of-control towards dark places where employment and happiness don’t exist.
Meanwhile, the excitement of what challenges await are often enough to send the mind reeling in a million directions all at once towards a choose-your-own-adventure of possibilities that may exist in the real world. How one passes through this maelstrom of mega-meta-heaviness is a personal journey. Here are a few things that have helped me in my time.
Slow Down Time
Every moment counts, but you won’t get through a layoff by counting the moments. Whatever you can do to slow the feeling of time passing will be to your benefit. This doesn’t have to mean idleness and deliberation but you should recognize the opportunity to re-frame the flow of time now that you’ve been forcibly removed from the normalcy of the working-week. Watch the foliage sway for longer than you’d usually feel comfortable; take a prolific walk; build a routine around savoring the moments between being productive at job hunting.
You should recognize the opportunity to re-frame the flow of time now that you’ve been forcibly removed from the normalcy of the working-week
The first layoff I experienced found me rewiring my guitar effects pedalboard. The second afforded some time to give the upstairs bathroom a long-overdue glow-up. These focus-opportunities operate on two levels — they provide a space to work through the thoughts in your head in-between accomplishing a task and, if you’re lucky, the successful completion of said task will help reinforce your feelings of ability and competency.
When you look back at your time in between jobs, there should be some space where you allowed yourself to embrace the change quietly and contemplatively while also feeding a feeling of tiny victories and accomplishments.
Get Outside Your Head
Flooded with ideas, concerns, opportunities, potentials, and fear you might find yourself reaching a saturation point. There is only so much that a one-sided conversation inside your own head can advance these things during the process of finding a new way of life. Find people who can allow for your internal process to unfold in whatever way you’re able to express it.
There is only so much that a one-sided conversation inside your own head can advance these things during the process of finding a new way of life
These conversations might dead-end on a moment’s notice once spoken out-loud or more often be lent a valuable perspective from someone outside of the situation. Within the art of conversation there lies a delicate dance between output and input; make sure you’re spending as much time actively listening as you are translating the words rattling around in your head to speech. Find the right moments to jump off the deep end into these discussions and leave space in between for processing.
Regardless of what you take away from these conversations, be sure to honor the process by bringing your honesty into the equation and valuing the contributions of those you involve both personally and professionally.
Recognize Your Value
It’s difficult not to take a layoff personally. The feeling of rejection and being unneeded by an employer can strike a blow at a person’s vitality. While a business arrives at a layoff for a myriad of reasons, they are not often personally directed — which is to say that their decision to lay people off is not usually a reflection of the persons affected. Find a way to acknowledge and move through the feelings that accompany the change and recognize the contribution you bring to the industry. Take time to catalog your successes and use them as a jumping-off point in the direction of your next endeavor.
While a business arrives at a layoff for a myriad of reasons, they are not often personally directed — which is to say that their decision to lay people off is not usually a reflection of the persons affected
These accomplishments might just lead the way towards the next fulfilling opportunity, or at least help the healing process as you move forward.
A layoff doesn’t change the good work that you’ve done or the path that you’re on professionally; it is a moment of destabilization in a long-running career that stretches out before you.
Dream the Big Dream
Unshackled from the day-to-day, let your mind wander in the direction of pure bliss. Entertain the what-if scenarios you may have set aside while gainfully employed. Breathe life into the dreams that have been waiting in the wings for a chance to fly and imagine the possibilities. Build bridges to those desirable futures in whatever way you’re able; talk about potentials with colleagues and find clarity towards paths that might motivate your pursuit of these dreams. A layoff is a moment to employ the concept of radical acceptance; embrace the circumstances, look at your immediate surroundings, quickly come to terms with the current state of affairs, and be ready to meet the road as it rises to meet your feet.
Sometimes knowing the “what” can help shed light on the “how” when it comes to lining up the next thing. The more clarity you have on the question of where you want to end up, the easier it can be to chart a path to it.
Popular on A Sound Effect right now - article continues below:
Latest releases:
-
The Agusta A109 sound fx library features 243 clips in 12.22 gigabytes from an Italian
military helicopter. This collection includes recordings from 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PW206C Turboshaft engines with 418 kW (561 hp) each, recorded during a military exercise.A total of 22 exterior perspectives capture the sound of this helicopter in 14 takes.
Microphones arranged at the front, side, and behind record idling, departing, and
arriving. A range of low to high turbine and rotor RPMs are captured in stationary idles.Each sound is embedded with Soundminer metadata. The collection is also bundled
with Reaper and Pro Tools sessions that arrange each take for easy editing and mixing. -
Ambisonics Surround Sound LAB Complete Collection Play Track 4500+ sounds included, +1000 mins total$1,400$499The Surround Sound LAB Complete Collection is a bundle containing the whole SSL Catalog. We offer it as a perpetual audio one-time subscription, getting you 4500+ files, 240+ GB of audio and free updates as the catalog grows! This one-time bundle purchase gives you access to all the Surround Sound LAB libraries, including new future releases!
64 %OFF -
136 high-quality sound effects specially crafted to help you put sound to your pirate game.
They are divided in:– Battle (Cannon shoots, impacts on ships and water, sword hits and wounds)
– Player sounds (eating, drinking, walking)
– Foleys (map sounds, hoist sail, repairing ship, dig, tavern sounds, chest sounds)
– Voice (emotions like laughs, shouts, affirmations)
– Ambiences (Tavern ambient, ship ambient, ocean waves ambient)
More about the pack:– Intuitive file naming.
– All you’ll ever need regarding pirate game sounds.
– It also contains 2 pieces of music: A tavern song and a fanfare.
[Use them again & again]
Use the sound effects over and over, in any of your projects or productions, forever without any additional fees or royalties. Use the SFX in your game, in your trailer, in a Kickstarter campaign, wherever you need to, as much as you want to.
[Professional audio services]
For custom music, sound design, sound engineering or any other game audio services, please send a mail to: audioalchemiststore@gmail.com
25 %OFF -
Game Audio Packs & Bundles Spooky Halloween Casino Slots Music and SFX Play Track 150 sounds included $297The only audio library of its kind on the market, this massive sound pack is designed to go above and beyond in rewarding our customers, offering unprecedented value to your players! Unlock the forbidden magic of Halloween with this truly unique collection of spooky sound effects and music. Each sound is handcrafted and optimized to be the perfect addition to your slot game and is the only Halloween slots library you’ll ever need!
FOR ANY SCARY THEMED OCCASION
Transform your project with hundreds of incredibly versatile sounds and voice-overs for ZOMBIES, MONSTERS, WITCHES, GHOSTS, DEVILS, DRACULA VAMPIRES, WEREWOLVES, CREEPY CLOCKS, GHOSTS, BATS, and EVIL LAUGHTER! Not to mention the highest quality spooky Halloween music you’ll need, with SOUND AMBIENCE BACKGROUND LOOPS for interior and exterior environments! This pack’s audio covers a diverse collection of themes and styles — for cartoons, blood-curdling horror, upbeat loops, engaging short stings, stripped back background loops, and more!
FOR ANY SLOT GAME SOUNDS
Any sound needed for a slot game user interface is included, such as button sounds, bet high and bet low sounds, minimum and maximum selection sounds, notifications, triggers, reveals, reel spin starts, reel spin loops, hums and whooshes, simple and special anticipation reel stop sounds, win payout tune rollups, coin sounds, spooky symbol sounds, anticipation-building wind-ups, sounds for summaries and transitions, and more! Whether your slot game is physical or online, each asset has been painstakingly optimized to cut through the background chatter and immerse your players in the haunted horrors of Halloween like never before.
INCREDIBLE EASE-OF-USE
Enrich your title in seconds with beautifully mixed, AAA quality sounds brought to you by our team of industry veterans, whose 600 slot games worth of experience have culminated in this extraordinary sound pack!
SPOOKY CASINO SLOT GAME SOUNDS at a Glance:
- 300 Audio Files (150 original sounds) – all in High-Quality WAV and MP3 formats
- 100+ Symbol Sounds, Buttons and other Interface Sounds, Reel Spin and Stops, Trigger Sounds, Selection and Reveal Sounds, and more!
- 30 Music Loops, Stings, Numerous Variations and Edits, Win Tunes, Payouts and other Celebration Tunes + much more!
- Ready to use – requires no editing, labeling or splicing. Categorized, organized and individually labeled files for maximum use efficiency
- FREE Updates to higher versions, FOREVER!
- BUY NOW in time to create an amazing project for Halloween!
-
Destruction & Impact The Eiravaein Collection Play Track 21,000+ sounds included, 3265 mins total$1,129$790The Eiravaein Works total mix.
This auditory omnibus includes all 30 of our individually released SFX libraries. Encompassing a tremendously diverse amount of content, topics, unique sources, designs, recording techniques, and channel formats, our complete collection provides you with over 2.25 days of professional audio assets.
With the Eiravaein Collection, you will receive:
48Kilos, Anarchy, BigBlock, Bunretsu, Burst, Crepitus, Dx, Epona, Flourish, Gravitas, Grit, Helinä, Ilmarinen, Jarred, Kieuk, Latchlocker, Meridian, Mouthy, Nocked, OutwardInversion, Parched, Start Select, Tubular, Unfathomed, Vaeya I, Vaeya II, Vaeya III, Vaeya IV, Wakey Wakey and Yvaine.
30 %OFFEnds 1571954399
Want the chance to win 20 premium sound effects libraries from Sound Ex Machina?
Always be Preparing
Every conversation resonates. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, there is always a value to sharing your experience with other people. If you recognize the value of your contribution to conversations in the community, or within your personal relationships, you begin to build a support system that can help unlock some of the suggestions expressed throughout this article.
If you were at Game Developers Conference this year, there’s a high likelihood that I shared my process with you during a time when the unknown loomed like a cloud over my San Francisco experience
During my last layoff, I called on family, old friends, new friends, colleagues, and strangers to help me understand my career aspirations and job intentions. If you were at Game Developers Conference this year, there’s a high likelihood that I shared my process with you during a time when the unknown loomed like a cloud over my San Francisco experience. I valued being able to share my experience, and folks shared theirs’ in exchange, working towards a better understanding of how to align my dreams with the reality of a paycheck (which isn’t to say that any of these conversations resulted in a paycheck, necessarily). Sometimes timing doesn’t align with a person’s ability to help in a measurable way. Engaging with folks in these kinds of discussions should come with no expectations. It’s sometimes difficult to see the wheels turning behind-the-scenes and it’s important to value every discussion and bring your best self.
Recognize that your professional (and personal) journey with people doesn’t just happen between jobs; it’s a skill that needs to be cultivated throughout your career (and life) towards a better understanding of the world.
• Damian Kastbauer’s blog
• The Game Audio podcast
• Tales of a Technical Sound Designer, Volume 01 & Volume 02
• Game Audio: 4 Golden Rules For Technical Sound Design
Damian Kastbauer has also done a number of excellent guides on how to make the most of GDC over the years – here’s an overview:
• The Bohemian Guide to Game Audio GDC 2019
• The SUPPLEMENTAL Guide to Game Audio GDC 2018
• The Definitive Guide to Game Audio at GDC 2018
• The Grand Guide to Game Audio at GDC 2017
• The Ultimate Guide To Game Audio at GDC 2016
• Are you at GDC ’15? Here are the Game Audio Top Picks from Damian Kastbauer, Jack Menhorn & Frank Bry
Start Right Away
It’s my hope that in years past I’ve been able to help support others on their quest for job security — whether this is by being a good listener, providing honest opinions and encouragement, or by putting folks directly in touch with others who might help them on their personal journey. Building a support system for a future destabilization starts by providing that support to others when they’re in need. Ideally, this support is easier to give during times when the stability of your own situation is well established, but even in the midst of upheaval, there are opportunities to be the quiet in another person’s storm and give them a lift towards their future.
• Polygon: What it’s like to be laid off from your video game studio
• Lifehacker: What To Do Before and After Being Laid Off
• Facebook Group: Survival Skills for Creatives (remember to answer the questions when requesting to join)
Nothing about these suggestions suggests that any of this is easy; as they say, nothing worth doing ever is. In the long campaign of any career, the successes are measured by a single step in the right direction arriving eventually at one’s goal. Taking the time to understand where you’re headed when life gives you an opportunity to slow down, check-in with yourself, and read the signs will make the journey more pleasant and hopefully land you on-target. The people you involve along the way, how you engage, and how you honor and respect their perspectives can make all the difference.
If you’ve got any input on how to cope with layoffs in game audio (or audio in general), please share your thoughts in the comments below:
Succeed in sound:
• How to Set (and Get) the Right Price for Your Audio Work
• 10 Essential Tips for Game Audio Freelancers
• How to be a successful sound designer – with Scott Gershin
• 5 Useful Tips for Upcoming Sound Designers and Sound Editors
• Sound Opinions: How to get game audio pricing right
• Building a successful audio post studio – with Kate Finan and Jeff Shiffman
• Rebuilding your studio: Goals, tips and lessons learned
• Creating audio for games – with Martin Stig Andersen
• A life in sound: How to foster creativity and protect yourself from burning out – with Chance Thomas
• Tips and thoughts on running your own audio post production house – with William McGuigan
• 7 Sound Alternatives to Working For Free
• Audio Outsourcing Success: Essential Tips, Thoughts and Working Practices from Adele Cutting
• How to succeed in UI/UX Sound Design, ADR Recording, & Audio Programming
• How to succeed in sound design for Film, Documentaries, and Trailers
• How to succeed in sound design for Games, Animation, and Television
• How to succeed in Field Recording, Foley, and Teaching Sound
• How to succeed in Audio Branding, Music Editing, and sound for VR
• How to succeed in Sound Editing, Sound for Advertising, and Production Sound
• The ‘Quit Aspiring’ book – by Adam Croft
• 4 Effective Ways to Break into Game Audio
• Tips for Creating a Perfect Resume for Audio Industry Jobs
• Yet Another Game Audio Hiring Article – by Ariel Gross
• 5 Tips for Getting a Job in the Audio Industry
• Applying for a job in game audio – by Matthew Florianz
• Freelance Game Audio: Getting Started and finding work – by Ashton Morris
• How to get started (and make it) in game audio – 10+ fundamental questions answered by Akash Thakkar
• Courses: How to network and get paid for your work in the game industry – by Akash Thakkar
• How to Craft a Perfect Cover Letter for Audio Industry Jobs
• Get the weekly Audio Jobs newsletter
• Join the Audio Jobs Facebook group
• Upload your demos to Soundcloud
• Upload your demos to ReelCrafter
• Find interesting audio events around the world
• Find other audio pros around the world
• How to prepare for – and power through – a layoff in the game audio industry, with Brian Schmidt:
• How to Survive a Game Audio Layoff – insights from Damian Kastbauer
• What it’s like to be laid off from your video game studio
• What To Do Before and After Being Laid Off
• Facebook Group: Survival Skills for Creatives
• How To Learn Game Audio Online – A talk with Game Audio Educator Leonard Paul
• Read the 100s of sound stories and guides on the A Sound Effect blog (search for stories here)
• Browse Industry Data: Game Music and Sound Design Salary Survey Results
• Browse 100+ Sound Design Guides
• Get tips and ideas for making your own sound effects
• Discover 1000s of sound libraries from the independent sound community
• Take online courses in Wwise, FMOD Studio, Unity, Pure Data & Unreal at the School of Video Game Audio
• Sound effects survey results: Here are 90+ ideas for new SFX libraries
• How to create an indie sound bundle
• The quick-start guide to adding sound FX library metadata
Please share this:
-
This unique SFX library gets you the close-up engine/rotor sounds of the DJI Phantom 2 multirotor quadcopter. And whether you are working on project that needs the engine sounds of an actual quadcopter drone, or intend to use the recordings as source material for sound design of all kinds of machines – this collection will come in handy:
We recorded static sound perspectives at different speeds, intensities and rotor combinations. The collection includes long recordings at constant speeds, variations on accelerating and decelerating, various maneuvers and random rotor movements.
For even more variety we recorded all of the above with a mix of contact and coil microphones giving you a less realistic, more futuristic sound perspective to the drone’s engine itself, rather than the air movement caused by the rotors. Mix those recordings with the MKH 8040 recordings to create your own blend of engine sounds: be it a drone, spaceship or other types of futuristic vehicles.
-
Ultrasonic Dry Ice is a library containing over 600 sounds themed metal resonances, scrapes and all sorts of weird.
All the content has been recorded at 192KHz with a Sanken CO100K, a couple of Sennheiser MKH8040 and a MKH416.
The resulting ultrasonic spectrum is rich and allows for truly extreme manipulation of the content.Bonus: Two extra libraries included for free: This library also includes two additional releases from Mattia Cellotto - for free: Crunch Mode delivers 230 crunchy sounds made with a variety of vegetables, fresh bread, pizza crust and a selection of frozen goods. The Borax Experiment gets you 158 squishy, gory, slimy and gooey sounds. -
'South India' is a unique collection of 55 sounds recorded and produced with high quality equipment. This collection provides authentic and interesting sounds from the southwest to the southeastern part of the country! Recorded over many months and different seasons with DPA, Neumann and Audio Technica mics powered by an Aeta Mixy, this collection includes:
• Cities: Mumbai, Chennai and Madurai, hyperactive Indian cities
• Countryside and villages in Karnakata, entry of the desert
• Forests and jungles from tropical south mountains
• Markets: from small to big, outdoor and indoor
• Rice and tea fields
• Public spaces and train stations
-
The Agusta A109 sound fx library features 243 clips in 12.22 gigabytes from an Italian
military helicopter. This collection includes recordings from 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PW206C Turboshaft engines with 418 kW (561 hp) each, recorded during a military exercise.A total of 22 exterior perspectives capture the sound of this helicopter in 14 takes.
Microphones arranged at the front, side, and behind record idling, departing, and
arriving. A range of low to high turbine and rotor RPMs are captured in stationary idles.Each sound is embedded with Soundminer metadata. The collection is also bundled
with Reaper and Pro Tools sessions that arrange each take for easy editing and mixing. -
Ambisonics Surround Sound LAB Complete Collection Play Track 4500+ sounds included, +1000 mins total
$1,400$499The Surround Sound LAB Complete Collection is a bundle containing the whole SSL Catalog. We offer it as a perpetual audio one-time subscription, getting you 4500+ files, 240+ GB of audio and free updates as the catalog grows! This one-time bundle purchase gives you access to all the Surround Sound LAB libraries, including new future releases!
64 %OFF -
136 high-quality sound effects specially crafted to help you put sound to your pirate game.
They are divided in:– Battle (Cannon shoots, impacts on ships and water, sword hits and wounds)
– Player sounds (eating, drinking, walking)
– Foleys (map sounds, hoist sail, repairing ship, dig, tavern sounds, chest sounds)
– Voice (emotions like laughs, shouts, affirmations)
– Ambiences (Tavern ambient, ship ambient, ocean waves ambient)
More about the pack:– Intuitive file naming.
– All you’ll ever need regarding pirate game sounds.
– It also contains 2 pieces of music: A tavern song and a fanfare.
[Use them again & again]
Use the sound effects over and over, in any of your projects or productions, forever without any additional fees or royalties. Use the SFX in your game, in your trailer, in a Kickstarter campaign, wherever you need to, as much as you want to.
[Professional audio services]
For custom music, sound design, sound engineering or any other game audio services, please send a mail to: audioalchemiststore@gmail.com
25 %OFF -
Game Audio Packs & Bundles Spooky Halloween Casino Slots Music and SFX Play Track 150 sounds included $297
The only audio library of its kind on the market, this massive sound pack is designed to go above and beyond in rewarding our customers, offering unprecedented value to your players! Unlock the forbidden magic of Halloween with this truly unique collection of spooky sound effects and music. Each sound is handcrafted and optimized to be the perfect addition to your slot game and is the only Halloween slots library you’ll ever need!
FOR ANY SCARY THEMED OCCASION
Transform your project with hundreds of incredibly versatile sounds and voice-overs for ZOMBIES, MONSTERS, WITCHES, GHOSTS, DEVILS, DRACULA VAMPIRES, WEREWOLVES, CREEPY CLOCKS, GHOSTS, BATS, and EVIL LAUGHTER! Not to mention the highest quality spooky Halloween music you’ll need, with SOUND AMBIENCE BACKGROUND LOOPS for interior and exterior environments! This pack’s audio covers a diverse collection of themes and styles — for cartoons, blood-curdling horror, upbeat loops, engaging short stings, stripped back background loops, and more!
FOR ANY SLOT GAME SOUNDS
Any sound needed for a slot game user interface is included, such as button sounds, bet high and bet low sounds, minimum and maximum selection sounds, notifications, triggers, reveals, reel spin starts, reel spin loops, hums and whooshes, simple and special anticipation reel stop sounds, win payout tune rollups, coin sounds, spooky symbol sounds, anticipation-building wind-ups, sounds for summaries and transitions, and more! Whether your slot game is physical or online, each asset has been painstakingly optimized to cut through the background chatter and immerse your players in the haunted horrors of Halloween like never before.
INCREDIBLE EASE-OF-USE
Enrich your title in seconds with beautifully mixed, AAA quality sounds brought to you by our team of industry veterans, whose 600 slot games worth of experience have culminated in this extraordinary sound pack!
SPOOKY CASINO SLOT GAME SOUNDS at a Glance:
- 300 Audio Files (150 original sounds) – all in High-Quality WAV and MP3 formats
- 100+ Symbol Sounds, Buttons and other Interface Sounds, Reel Spin and Stops, Trigger Sounds, Selection and Reveal Sounds, and more!
- 30 Music Loops, Stings, Numerous Variations and Edits, Win Tunes, Payouts and other Celebration Tunes + much more!
- Ready to use – requires no editing, labeling or splicing. Categorized, organized and individually labeled files for maximum use efficiency
- FREE Updates to higher versions, FOREVER!
- BUY NOW in time to create an amazing project for Halloween!
-
Destruction & Impact The Eiravaein Collection Play Track 21,000+ sounds included, 3265 mins total
$1,129$790The Eiravaein Works total mix.
This auditory omnibus includes all 30 of our individually released SFX libraries. Encompassing a tremendously diverse amount of content, topics, unique sources, designs, recording techniques, and channel formats, our complete collection provides you with over 2.25 days of professional audio assets.
With the Eiravaein Collection, you will receive:
48Kilos, Anarchy, BigBlock, Bunretsu, Burst, Crepitus, Dx, Epona, Flourish, Gravitas, Grit, Helinä, Ilmarinen, Jarred, Kieuk, Latchlocker, Meridian, Mouthy, Nocked, OutwardInversion, Parched, Start Select, Tubular, Unfathomed, Vaeya I, Vaeya II, Vaeya III, Vaeya IV, Wakey Wakey and Yvaine.
30 %OFFEnds 1571954399
+ free sounds with every issue:
Thank you for sharing this Damian, that was a refreshing outlook on a difficult situation that many of us can relate to. If anyone reading this has never gone through it then especially take this guidance to heart.
Thanks again, Damian.
There are two kinds of people, and I don’t like to finish this sentence. Nonetheless, you, Damian, are distinguished by your willingness to offer a heart as well as an ear, and even sometimes a hand, and this lovely article is an illustration of that.
My favorite bit:
True and happy news that the layoffs aren’t often personal. Time the Great Healer shows that over and over, and we can waste energy on bitter and ungrateful thoughts. We’re actually very likely in an excellent position, with Life taking care of us in ways we can’t possibly understand. But something inside fights the recognition of that; some lurking idea as kooky as it is that we “ought to have kept that job.” And probably every job we’ve ever had. And car. And significant other. And pet. And guitar. And t-shirt. And think of what a mess our houses would be _then!_
“Acceptance of insecurity is Wisdom.” –Alan Watts
“May they be healthy, happy, joyous, and free” –a nice little prayer to free you from any lingering anger at “Those People!”
Thanks, Sir.
-George (having a little moment of asking myself if I am actually telling the truth when I click in the “I’m not a robot” box…) :D
Thanks y’all! I’m glad it landed well!
Dōmo arigatō, Mr. Roboto