Namco Bandai's new iTunes sounds will eat up your money

by JC Fletcher on Sep 3rd 2009 12:00AM

Do you like the sound of Pac-Man eating a ghost? Do you like it enough to pay a dollar for it? Namco Bandai announced a new iTunes music label called Namco Sounds, which will add remastered game soundtracks on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month.

The inaugural offerings include a Soul Calibur sampler, called SoulCalibur Suite: The Resonance of Souls and Swords, and sound effect collections from Pac-Man and Xevious. A $3 charge for each "album" isn't terrible -- it's equal to the cost of buying each of the Calibur tracks individually, and it's a fairly small price to pay for the full set of in-game sounds for the other games.

Due to the nature of iTunes, however, individual tracks from the sound collections are spectacular ripoffs. Each sound effect, purchased separately, is 99 cents. We don't need "Special Flag: Get" or the incredibly irritating Xevious theme that badly. Do we?

Source

Tags: Apple, iPod, itunes, music, namco-bandai, namco-sounds, pac-man, retro, soul-calibur, xevious

Reader Comments (63)

$0.99 for a song that last a funking second?!

Don't you see the value in that?!
Listen to it 99 times and bam it pays for it's self.

:/
Seriously songs that short should be free.

*fucking

I really don't know how I misspelled that one...

Hey there's nothing wrong to Funking with a 1 second song. Not at all.

LOL, I actually think funking fits better considering we're talking about tunes here. : D

Freudian Slip then?

I don't think that applies when you're typing, unless your typing really fast stay/night oh GOD DAMMIT.

Namco makes me Lol

Wow not even Nintendo would try to pull a stunt like this! This is the biggest rip-off I have EVER seen.

I do 't think this can really be called a "son" Maybe a sound effect? I totally agree though, there should be a "pick 5 for a dollar" structure here.

*don't think these can really be called "songs"

Jesus christ Joystiq, when are you going to let me edit my comments? When I can write a coherent sentence probably.

And I thought unlocking Vader and Yoda for Soul Calibur 4 was a rip-off.

Can you even call something that lasts 1 second a "song"? Isn't that more like a note?

*Beeeeeeeee* That'll be .99 cents.

I LOLed

Actually, Napalm Death (Grindcore band) holds the world record for shortest song, clocking in at 1 second.

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

The more you know. :P

OH, WHAT THE HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I appreciate the ability to legally obtain video game sounds. I DON'T appreciate paying a buck for stupid crap like the sound of Pac-man eating a cherry. This whole 'album' should've been a dollar, and it will, when Namco sees this NOT selling.

@Everyone that wants any of these: do NOT fucking buy any. Wait it out. We must all be strong.

I'm sure we're lining out the door.

I'm putting my video game workout mix on hold for this.

I think I'll do fine without the credit sound...

@CH3BURASHKA

that's exactly what I said about avatar clothing/props, and look how well that went over. =P

Because it's not like you can get these from Galbadia Hotel or bit torrents. I mean, if things like that existed, this would seem pretty pointless, ya know?

Galbadia Hotel. Thank you. I feel more educated today than yesterday. Lots of music there, and I didn't know about it until just now.

One dollar for one second of sound.....whoa!

Fuck, I thought those 1 and 10 second songs were just samples you could listen to before buying the whole thing. But the 1 second "song" IS the whole thing!

Is Kotick consulting with Namco Bandai?

aren't the song previews 30 seconds? Just saying. I just checked and the previews are there. 3 dollars for all 15 tracks isn't too bad, just don't buy them 1 at a time.

that 80's "hit" pack man fever is only 99 cents...

So, if you want one sound effect, use an audio cable from your headphone port to your microphone port, click record, and play the sample.

Aw hell naw!

Buying these songs is probably what it feels like when you buy a PS3

I dunno, lol.

Have you ever even played a PS3?

@Nerdy: I am trying to resist the urge to say "I see what you did there" ...too late.

Exactly. Being charged for a 1 second song is EXACTLY what is must be like to buy a PS3. It's such a simple (and blatantly obvious) analogy, and I'm frankly stunned that it took so long for it to be recognized. You are a credit to bridge-dwellers everywhere. Here, have a cookie. I've been advised not to feed you, but you've earned it.

aww, leave him alone, he has a really sad, pathetic life.

I approve of the Death Note name tag, though.

Hey geniuses, it's 3 bucks for the entire collection of Pac-Man sounds. It's because of how iTunes does pricing for individual tracks that it costs $.99 per sound effect. Read the article before you start whining.

What makes you think we didn't?

People are complaining about the content of the article.

An explanation isn't an excuse.

I don't give a rats ass about the reason.
Only thing I care is that they want me to give them 99(ninety nine) cents for 1 second of sound.

Imagine iTunes minimum price was 10 dollars and individual tracks costed that much.
People would go:
A) "Oh, those songs aren't stupidily overpriced, it's just how iTunes charges things."
B) "WTF?! 10 dollars for one song????"

Ohhhh, I get it. You guys did actually read the article but just lack simple reading comprehension skills and common sense, which makes sense.

Here, I'll break it down for the mentally handicapped readers of Joystiq:

Namco does not want you to buy one second sound effects for one dollar. They want you to buy the album that has all the sound effects for three dollars. Because of iTunes pricing model, individual songs are almost always priced at 99 cents each. Therefore, Namco has no choice but to offer each sound effect for 99 cents each if they want to offer the album of all of the sound effects for 3 dollars. Then again, if you're stupid enough to purchase a sound effect for a dollar (which wouldn't be a surprise), I'm sure they won't complain.

The only way the Namco's iTunes sounds will eat up your money is if you only have 3 dollars to your name.

I can't wait to see this get downvoted because I know how much gamers (read: morons) fear logic and common sense.

The Pac-Man sounds are clearly intended to be ringtones for the iPhone. In the screenshot you can see a little bell next to each file.

Does that give them the right to charge a dollar for a second?

It's their store, I suppose they can charge whatever the hell they want for ringtones.

I got the inFamous soundtrack off iTunes. And it's very good. The Uncharted soundtrack is there too, but as good as it sounds in-game, I'm not sure I'd want to listen to it any other time.

I have the Metroid Prime, Fusion and Prime 2 soundtracks on disc too. the Prime soundtrack is amazing, the other two are okay.

You know what's hilarious -- you might as well just listen to the preview every time because they are 30 seconds long.

iTunes does allow 69 cent pricing...or free. 69 cents is a little better than 99.
Sounds like a money grab to me.

If this seems absurd (and if you're wondering, it should), blame Apple, not Namco, for iTunes rigid pricing structure.

How is it Apple's fault? Namco has the option of 69cents pricing, free, or make everything into Album only tracks.

Funny thing is, you can listen to some of the tracks in full thru the preview. Just record them, and voila.

who's the target market for these?

Unless these sounds are royalty free (which i doubt), I don't see many people buying them...

unless there are people out there that actually fil up their ipods/mp3 players with sound effects for their morning jog.

As I wake up I play Start Music.
I go downstairs to get breakfast, where I have 'PAC-MAN Eating Cookie' on repeat, followed by 'PAC-MAN Eating Fruit'.
I go for a run, where I alternate between 'Ghost Normal Move' and 'Ghost Spurt #1-4' depending on how fast I am running.
I go to work, there is no soundtrack for work.
As I leave work, however, I put 'Ghost Return To Home' on repeat.
I eat dinner, again playing 'PAC-MAN Eating Cookie'
I choke a little, and play 'Ghost Turn to Blue' before trying to cough up the food.

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Namco Bandai's new iTunes sounds will eat up your money

Reader Comments (63)

Posted: Sep 3rd 2009 12:03AM ArchiGamer said

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