NPR goes to Video Games Live

I say that because I listen to it music mainly at work, and music without lyrics provids good ambience.

I listen to muic mainly at work, and music without lyrics makes good ambience. Soundstrack music is perfect for that.

Oops, sorry. Browser died on me, thought it hadn't posted.

Thaks to JoyStiq for covering the NPR story! Much appreciated!


I normally try not to respond to such negative type posts but I was compelled to because of the irony and misinformation presented in the post by El Cruzado.

Yo El C.,
To say that we play every arrangement the same way is a very false statement. They are mostly all original arrangements made with the original composers. Everything from Halo, Sonic, Warcraft & Metal Gear Solid are completely original and can only be heard at VGL. Also... to say that we play everything you would expect and is typical is also quite peculiar... Tron?, Beyond Good & Evil?, Myst?, God of War?, EverQuest II?, Civilization IV?, Medal of Honor?, 25 Classic Arcade games?? Please let me know where else you can hear these scores played live. You say you want uniqueness but then you bag on Advent Rising and say it doesn't belong. Doesn't belong? It won 5 major industry awards in 2006 for "Best soundtrack of the year" including IGN, Yahoo & Play Magazine as well as being called "One of the greatest game soundtracks of all time."

And then you say we shouldn't play Final Fantasy VII?? Not play the most requested and worshipped video game song of all time? Hmmm?? Sorry... gotta disagree with you again.

I think what you are failing to realize is that we have created a show for the masses... whether you're into video games or not. The show is having a major impact in the live entertainment world and getting a lot of people who were previously ignorant to video game music... completely interested. So yes... it's important to play the classics such as Mario & Zelda & even Final Fantasy VII (god forbid!!). So although you may be "sick and tired" of hearing these played live (which is also a bit strange to me considering how often in the history of the world it has even happened), maybe you will consider that the concert (and others like it) is helping to raise the awareness of the artform of game music you love so much. Besides... We change the show everytime so we're always adding stuff.

Tommy

I guess I got far too grumpy. Truth is, even though the concert did disappoint me, I still fully appreciate you organizing it in the first place and hope it will be a sign of better things to come in the future. For whatever is worth, if you come again to the area and I get news that it's not going to be the exact same concert I'll be first in the line buying tickets (or, more accurately, first online). And I'll applaud all the parts I like and stay politely silent on the ones I don't ;)

Also, much of the criticism is personal in nature. I fully take the point that you must make a show for the masses, especially since this is kind of a very new thing (well corroborated by the news we're posting these comments to). However, I'm probably one of the most hardcore elements of your audience (I hate the word but I think it's valid to use it in this particular case) and so I'm probably not the kind of guy you need to cater to. I don't really have anything against the Sephiroth theme (and in fact like it) it's just that I've heard it so many times (various arrangement CDs, the Final Fantasy 20022002 concert, and others) that I would love it if someone placated the FFVII fans (I know they are legion and they need to be placated) with something else from the game. The game certainly doesn't lack good pieces. Maybe if someone could come up with a good medley of pieces of the game...

It may well be that the parts where your concert was different didn't, in their majority, say anything to me. I did love the arcade medley at the start, and both the Medal of Honor and Civilization IV pieces were great. But I didn't personally care much for Tron nor Advent Rising (nothing wrong with them, they just didn't resonate with me. Again, I'm insisting much of it is my personal opinions).

The particular complaint about "same old arrangement" is mostly about Zelda and Mario, which I guess I should have stated clearly. I'm not familiar enough with the others you mention (Halo and Sonic in particular) to know how similar they are to the ones I've heard before.

I didn't hear anything from Beyond Good & Evil in VGL DC. If you play something from that game in other venues (you seem to imply so), then I'm really sad that you didn't in your DC concert.

Also I stand by my criticism that I'd rather have less show and more concert. Other people may disagree and anyway it's your decision to make. Or maybe I'm just pissed that I didn't get a chance to get that Alienware ;)

All in all, I hope you don't think of me as an internet boor (although I seem to play one on TV every once in a while). Maybe I just wanted it to be perfect but it wasn't made for me.

P.S.: the guys behind me in the concert hate you because you didn't play anything from neither Castlevania nor FFVI (the medley not counting). Make them happy too the next time you come ;)

Actually- they've done Castlevania music. It depends on if they have the ability to do it at the venue they're performing at.

However, they had Martin Leung perform a big Castlevania medley on the pipe organ at the Yale concert hall. That was pretty spectacular. :D