GDC08: Jonathan Coulton scores 95% vocals on Rock Band's Still Alive

by Michael Zenke { Feb 22nd 2008 at 2:00PM }

It's hard not to love Jonathan Coulton (or JoCo), especially if you're a fan of Valve's Portal. The recent news that Still Alive will be coming to Rock Band as downloadable content was accompanied by JoCo's appearance at Valve's party on Wednesday. Mr. Coulton posted to his personal blog about the experience yesterday, noting that he 'only' got 95% vocals on the song he created. The question we've been asking ourselves is: who is singing the song on the track - Coulton or GLaDOS?

He also noted that Portal snagged the Game of the Year, Best Game Design, and the Innovation Award nods from the GDCAs. Coulton observed that BioShock had won the GDCA award for Best Writing, a merit he thinks should have gone to Chet Faliszek and Erik Wolpaw's work on that quirky game about tests, thinking, and cake. Luckily for Wolpaw and Faliszek, they're the first winners of the (soon to be coveted) Jonathan Coulton award; maybe the GDCAs should rename the prize for Best Audio?

Tags: gdc08, gdca, glados, joco, jonathan-coulton, portal, still-alive

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Intentless @ Feb 22nd 2008 2:08PM

When and how much will I already be willing to pay?

Intentless @ Feb 22nd 2008 2:12PM

As in name the price because I'm paying it... whatever it is...

Cirrus @ Feb 22nd 2008 2:15PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXkNkFLiRQ8

Looks like GLaDOS will be singing the song. This from the youtube video posted on the JoCo blog.

CB @ Feb 22nd 2008 4:01PM

Awesome how the audience got into it!

Anth @ Feb 22nd 2008 2:17PM

I thought they used vocaloid for "Still Alive"

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Feb 22nd 2008 3:18PM

I thought it was a famous soprano with a filter.

Benny @ Feb 22nd 2008 2:18PM

95%? This is why I welcome our android overlords.

FOXHOUND @ Feb 22nd 2008 2:22PM

Hellyeah, Adrienne Barbeau-bots for everyone!

zelderman @ Feb 22nd 2008 3:17PM

foxhound, is that a sealab reference? if so my overlord is Sparkimus Prime.

Kumar @ Feb 22nd 2008 2:22PM

I watched the video. He was singing on easy. 95% is not too impressive on easy.

copa @ Feb 22nd 2008 2:32PM

No, it isn't, but Harmonix has noted in the past that performers who have their songs in the game often score poorly when they try and sing the vocal parts.

This is because the system does a pitch-match, and this penalizes when you introduce vibrato, or any of the creative techniques that make for a great singing performance.

Now, the important part here is that the video opens with a scroll through some other tracks. Somebody use their CSI technology and identify the other songs in the list!

Matt @ Feb 22nd 2008 2:23PM

Listen to the developer commentary...GLaDOS' background as a singer is actually what put her over the top to land the role.

TheOverlord#2 @ Feb 22nd 2008 2:48PM

Just gotta wait for Portal 2(it's official)
although I think the title should be "Portal 2.0"

Scott @ Feb 22nd 2008 2:52PM

I thought we already knew it was going to be GLaDOS on vocals...

From the Harmonix post:

"Earlier we had turned the backing vocals all the way down and the microphone vocals all the way up so we could actually hear his voice instead of GLaDOS."

http://www.rockband.com/rockers_blog_entry/hmxsean/216671?redir=1

Seifer @ Feb 22nd 2008 3:13PM

Obligatory "This was a triumph" post.

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Feb 22nd 2008 3:20PM

Obligatory "Huge Success" and "Cake" post.

Curtis the Claw Game Master @ Feb 22nd 2008 3:46PM

Obligatory "still have science to do" and "overstate my satisfaction". Seriously though, we need to get in the obligatory comments before everyone else gets in their comment referencing the song. I think I'm going to copy and paste the song onto every single portal article as fast as I can.

REFERENCING THE SONG DOES NOT MAKE YOU FUNNY.

CB @ Feb 22nd 2008 4:04PM

Obligatory C-C-C-COMBO BREAKER

Farseer (GDI) @ Feb 22nd 2008 4:11PM

Except the ones who are dead.

fischju @ Feb 22nd 2008 5:54PM

Black Mesa something

Where is that image from (in the post) looks like something that would be on a Threadless.com t-shirt

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Feb 22nd 2008 3:20PM

I still want "Number One" from the Bleach soundtrack. That would be totally badass to rockband out to.

billychaos @ Feb 22nd 2008 3:57PM

He can also be using a Vocoder. I myself have a Vocoder. You sing through it and it processes the notes with a different frequencey (or keyobard sound) and you push the keys to control the note melody as you say the words.

Vocoders are a part of the more expensive synthesizers (including the microkorg and yamaha motif)

OldKingCole @ Feb 22nd 2008 4:16PM

If they charge anything for this, forget it, I'm not paying anything for a joke song.

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Feb 22nd 2008 4:28PM

It'll probably be on the dollar menu, in which case I'm totally buying it, because its a wonderful song. And if you actually listen and think about it, its got some pretty good beats and guitar also.

Nothing uber challenging, but fun and entertaining none the less.