Joystiq

Meet basically every game composer ever in Burbank on June 11

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 04 May 2011 01:00:00 EST

Ever wanted to personally thank a video game composer for creating a particularly catchy anthem? Perhaps with a plate of cookies, or a hearty handshake? You'll get your chance next month, provided you live in Southern California -- Sumthing Else Music Works has arranged for a smattering of musicians to speak at a "Maestros of Video Games" panel on June 11 at Dark Delicacies Books and Collectibles in Burbank, CA.

Attendees will be able to listen to and meet composers like Uncharted's Greg Edmonson, Dragon Age's Inon Zur, BioShock's Garry Schyman and a lot more. Check out the full list of participants and event details after the jump! (And we were just kidding about the "plate of cookies" thing. That would be creeptastic.)

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Meet basically every game composer ever in Burbank on June 11 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 04 May 2011 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hans Zimmer puts light touch on Crysis 2 score

James Ransom-Wiley — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 22:30:00 EST

While you might not recognize, let alone be able to pronounce, the names behind the Crysis 2 score -- Borislav Slavov and Tilman Sillescu, anyone? -- EA's got one that might ring a bell: Hans Zimmer.

The Hans has contributed "part of the dramatic score" for Crytek's sequel, the publisher announced today, squeezing in one last plug before the game and soundtrack are released next week. You can sample the introductory track in the audio clip below -- or do it the right way: Wait until next week when you can get the full soundtrack on your iPod, squeeze into a body suit and go bounding up 5th Avenue.

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Hans Zimmer puts light touch on Crysis 2 score originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow wins best original game score from Film Music Critics

Mike Schramm — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 12:00:00 EST

The Oscars still haven't deigned to give awards out to video game creators, but the International Film Music Critics' Association is much more open-minded. In among their awards given out this past week was a "Best Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media." And the winner goes to...

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. Congratulations to composer Óscar Araujo, who got to take home the "Iffy." No, we just made that name up -- we don't really know what it's called. Probably just the IFMCA Award. His score beat out the music in Dark Void (by Bear McCreary!), James Bond 007: Blood Stone, Lego Universe, and the Legend of the Guardians games to win it all.

And apologies to composers Bill Elm and Woody Jackson. Why? Because their Red Dead Redemption score got robbed! Robbed, we say!

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow wins best original game score from Film Music Critics originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 27 Feb 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Medal of Honor soundtracks getting reprinted in eight-disc collection

Griffin McElroy — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 23:15:00 EST

Are you looking for a metric ton of musical accompaniment for ... well, any event that would require you to get super, super pumped up beforehand? La-La Land Records and Electronic Arts have teamed up to create the most potent bundle of inspirational tunes you've ever heard: An eight-disc, ten-hour-long compilation of all the original scores from the Medal of Honor series.

In addition to the almost-half-day of music from composers Michael Giacchino, Christopher Lennertz and Ramin Djawadi, the bundle includes a 40-page book with information on each game and soundtrack, complete with a foreword from the series' creator, Stephen Spielberg. The collection will be available through La-La Land Records on March 1, though a price wasn't included in the announcement. Really, though, can you put a price on inspiration?

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Medal of Honor soundtracks getting reprinted in eight-disc collection originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Feb 2011 23:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Medal of Honor score created by Iron Man composer Ramin Djawadi

Griffin McElroy — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 14:20:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 had a sweeping series of arrangements created by famed composer Hans Zimmer. Earlier today, EA announced that its upcoming military shooter, Medal of Honor, will have a score composed by another Hollywood maestro. Ramin Djawadi, whose musical work has appeared in Iron Man, Prison Break and Clash of the Titans -- the remake, that is -- is the mind behind the game's musical accompaniment.

Djawadi explained in this press release announcement that "the music is designed to dynamically ebb and flow, complementing the big action sequences with thundering electric guitar and bass, and the quiet stealth with haunting strings and hymns." He adds, "it is like a Hollywood action movie score on steroids." So, it's going to be incomprehensibly strong, irrationally angry and covered in weird, plump, ever-shifting veins? We'll be honest -- we're more than a little frightened.

Medal of Honor score created by Iron Man composer Ramin Djawadi originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dark Void soundtrack taking off February 9

Griffin McElroy — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 21:40:00 EST

Though Capcom's jetpack-infused action title Dark Void may be getting universally panned by critics, one element of the game seems to be garnering praise from reviewers: Its Bear McCreary-composed soundtrack. Thanks to an announcement from music publisher Sumthing Else Music Works, we now know when said soundtrack will get its own release: February 9. Unless, of course, that's when Modern Warfare 2's soundtrack gets released, in which case they'll probably push it back a little bit.

Personally, we can't wait to pick up the album, which will be shipped to retailers and available for purchase on Sumthing Else's site. Soon, we'll be able to sit back, close our eyes and listen to McCreary's orchestral jams without worrying about jetpacking into a cliff face.

Dark Void soundtrack taking off February 9 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 21:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ZEN Pinball's Ninja Gaiden table trailer slices and dices

Mike Schramm — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 20:15:00 EST

Wondering what the official Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 table for ZEN Pinball looks like in motion? Wonder no more -- the video above will show you all of the Hayabusa-style bumper action you'll be able to find, complete with ramps, flashing lights, ninja spirits and... burning pagodas? Boy, those ZEN folks aren't really pinball traditionalists, are they? But it does look fun.

The table will bring new gameplay modes and missions along with it to the PlayStation Store on Thursday, January 14, for $2.49 (€1.99). Of course, it's DLC for the original ZEN Pinball game, so you've got to have that, too. Wait, we just rewatched it -- did Ryu just slice the ball in half? That's pretty awesome!

ZEN Pinball's Ninja Gaiden table trailer slices and dices originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 13 Jan 2010 20:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jack Wall scoring Mass Effect 2, score the soundtrack yourself on Jan. 19

Griffin McElroy — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:45:00 EST

The prolific composer Jack Wall will be droppin' mad orchestral beats on the soon-to-be-released Mass Effect 2, according to a recent EA press release. Though you may not be familiar with the name, you're probably familiar with his work -- Wall produced the scores for Jade Empire, Splinter Cell, Myst III and co-composed the accompaniment for the original Mass Effect. So, you know he's already got experience with theremins and other sci-fi synthesizers, which is important for this kind of work.

If you need something ambient to listen to during your daily chamomile bath, the soundtrack will also be available to download from the usual online retailers on January 19. Or you could just, you know, leave the game running in the other room with the volume turned way up. Your choice!

Jack Wall scoring Mass Effect 2, score the soundtrack yourself on Jan. 19 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Battlestar Galactica composer previews music for Dark Void

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:02:00 EST

Hey, guy -- what's the matter? We've noticed you've been looking positively sullen these past few weeks. Has the series departure of Battlestar Galactica got you down in the frakking dumps? There's not much we can do about that, though your spirits may be lifted by checking out a recent blog post from Battlestar composer Bear McCreary, the recently revealed songsmith behind the score of Dark Void. His blog contains a video (posted after the jump) previewing a few clips from the game's soundtrack, which is shaping up to sound just as awesome as the title looks.

If soaring orchestral tunes aren't really your thing, you might still want to check out the preview for a few new Dark Void gameplay clips. Then again, if you've yet to be swept off your feet (and propelled hundreds of feet into the air) by Capcom's jet pack-centric action title, you may be entertained by McCreary's declaration of love for Mega Man -- any composer who creates 8-bit versions of their pieces then saves them on hard drives named after Robot Masters is okay in our books.

Continue reading Battlestar Galactica composer previews music for Dark Void

Battlestar Galactica composer previews music for Dark Void originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steve Wiebe to go for Donkey Kong hi-score at E3

Jason Dobson — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 08:45:00 EST

Amidst the lights, glitz and elbows to the face at this year's E3 will be Steve Wiebe, who will use the spectacle as the backdrop for his latest attempt to reclaim his Donkey Kong arcade scoring title.

Wiebe will take joystick in hand June 2nd at the show, marking his fourth attempt to break the record since he was outscored by fellow quarter jockey Billy Mitchell at the end of manufactured biopic, King of Kong. The undertaking will be nationally televised by G4 as audiences crowd in front of their sets, pining for a chance to catch a glimpse of Wiebe's sweaty palms and maybe, just maybe, the classic's infamous 'kill screen.'

Steve Wiebe to go for Donkey Kong hi-score at E3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Apr 2009 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The VC Advantage: Treasurevania

JC Fletcher — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: The VC Advantage

The internet has made it easy to find cheats for games, but we miss the tips pages from game magazines, when the discovery of a new code could inspire you to go back to an old game. These codes aren't exactly new, but oldness is the essence of the Virtual Console! We're bringing back the classic codes every week on The VC Advantage.

Score used to be important in video games. With the rise of Guitar Hero and the Xbox Live Achievement system, it's coming back, but it went out of style for a long time. High scores made a lot of sense in the arcade (which has also gone out of style) since other people played the machines and could thus compete to overtake your three-letter tag as that machine's leader. Home games adopted scoring for two reasons: first, in the older games, there was no other way to determine progression. After twenty minutes of Asteroids, without a score there'd be no evidence that you'd done any better than someone playing for thirty seconds. The game never changes, never reveals new content, and never ends. Score was a very simple way to allow you to progress. Of course, competitive sport-based games like Pong required scoring as a basic gameplay mechanic.

Later (NES and beyond) games adopted scoring mostly as a holdover from classic arcade games. Games like Super Mario Bros. were more about experience than performance, and progress could be tracked by ... actual progress. You moved from place to place, and didn't need some arbitrary number to tell you how far along you were. Even the first Mega Man game had a score display.

The first Castlevania arguably didn't need a score counter at all. Not dying was more than enough of an achievement to wear as a badge of honor. Besides, it already featured another counter in the game (hearts) that also incremented by picking up items. Later Castlevania games adopted experience points, which are exactly like points except that their accrual actually improves your avatar's abilities, but pre-Symphony of the Night games all awarded points for killing enemies and collecting items.

Some of the items, in fact, did nothing but improve your score.

Continue reading The VC Advantage: Treasurevania

The VC Advantage: Treasurevania originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 12 Dec 2007 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DS Daily: 20

Alisha Karabinus — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: DS Daily

Did you ever make it? We mean the optimal score in Brain Age, of course. Tragically, the lowest this blogger ever hit was the low-to-mid twenties, but surely that comes from being a drooling, Castlevania-obsessed blogging type (and also, apparently, old-brained). Did you get all the way down to twenty? Did you pump your fists in the air and cheer? That can be embarrassing when you happen to be in public. Or are you more like me, sad and pathetic, staring through the glass at all the younger, smarter, better people? It's okay. It's not too bad here on the outside.

DS Daily: 20 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Nov 2007 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wii Warm Up: Enter initials

JC Fletcher — Mon, 14 May 2007 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Virtual Console, Wii Warm Up

Dude, so we were playing some Alien Crush, and we killed the bonus stage with the dragons over and over again. We totally scored like five billion points and it was so AWESOME that we had to call everyone we knew and tell them about it.

Okay, we're embellishing a bit. When we say we "totally scored like five billion points," we mean that we "continue to be awful at Alien Crush despite playing and loving it for eighteen years." But without our humble admission, you'd have no reason to doubt us! And that leads into our discussion.

Simply put, we want leaderboards. We aren't going to get online play in VC games any time soon (or ever,) so we'll ask for the next best thing. We want to be able to see the high scores for games that, you know, have scores. We don't need prizes or anything. We'd be motivated enough by the idea that we could put our three-letter tag (mine: JC!) at the top of a nationwide or worldwide list if we were any good, which we aren't.

Are high score leaderboards worth doing? Do you see value in friendly competition like this? Or did you always flip right past the high score page in old gaming magazines? Perhaps most importantly, what are your high score initials?

Wii Warm Up: Enter initials originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 May 2007 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Off the charts in Wii Sports [update 1]

Alisha Karabinus — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 16:25:00 EST

Filed under: Fan stuff

Last week, we ~~bragged~~ chatted about our Wii Sports accomplishments, and suddenly our e-mail blew up with stories of folks screaming off the charts in their favorite sports. Here we were, feeling good about being mid-range pro in tennis, and there are folks with rankings that make us feel like we might just be the noobiest noobs who've never noobed.

We'll be comforting ourselves with chocolate while you check out the pics.

[Update 1: Fixing an error both heinous and gratuitous.]

Continue reading Off the charts in Wii Sports [update 1]

Off the charts in Wii Sports [update 1] originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 05 Feb 2007 16:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EGM so-so over Phoenix Wright, anoints Hotel Dusk

Alisha Karabinus — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: News, Reviews

While we haven't seen it, word is that the upcoming issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly has some very interesting scores (and reviews) for a pair of upcoming DS titles. The March issue takes a look at both Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All and Hotel Dusk: Room 215 (it's long title month around here), and offers a lackluster-to-good range of scores for one, and great scores to the other ... and it's not the way that you may think.

Word on the ~~street~~ forums is that the scores for the two games in the issue are as follows:

Justice for All: 6.0, 7.0, 8.0
Hotel Dusk: 8.0, 8.0, 10 (yeah, that's a ten)

Now, it's true that this edition of Phoenix Wright is not judged to be the best by those who've played deeper into the series, and those are decent and respectable scores (which mean nothing, since we're all playing it anyway, and probably twice). But the scores for Hotel Dusk are surprising, and something of a relief as well. Whether or not you're a fan of EGM, it's nice to see such enthusiastic review scores. As a point of comparison, Trace Memory (often invoked when mentioning Hotel Dusk) scored much lower with EGM -- that game posted an average score of 6.17.

[Via Go Nintendo]

EGM so-so over Phoenix Wright, anoints Hotel Dusk originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Jan 2007 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Two UMD cases, one winner

Andrew Yoon — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 07:30:00 EST

Filed under: Peripherals

A reader at the PlayStation forums took the time and money to buy two different UMD cases, one from Sony and another from a third party called Score. The Sony one retails for $12, while the third party alternative saves you $3. Both cases hold 8 UMDs. After some thorough use, it appears that the Sony case is the winner. "The Sony case is worth the extra $3 by its design and is much more durable then the Score."

You can read the surprisingly thorough review at the PlayStation forums.

Two UMD cases, one winner originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 16 Nov 2006 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mario Hoops is just that good

Alisha Karabinus — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 13:57:00 EST

Filed under: Reviews

We here at DS Fanboy can tell you with authority that 2006 is the year of the threesome. Of course, it's with GameBrink's authority, but who's keeping track? The site recently put up a review of Mario Hoops 3 on 3 that is so hot it burns -- on their rating system, it pulled a 95, outscoring such DS classics as Phoenix Wright and Trauma Center. In fact, the only game to score higher with their reviews was Mario Kart.

What makes this more interesting than it otherwise might be is that Mario Hoops has only local Wi-Fi capability -- if you've a friend with a DS nearby, you can go head-to-head. The game does not, however, feature the open online play that many expected. Imagine if it did. Why ... Mario Hoops might take over the world, then. See? They left out online play to save us. Mario is here for you.

But, y'know ... sometimes we like to suffer. In this case, it might have been a worthy tradeoff.

[Thanks, Zuko!]

Mario Hoops is just that good originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 Aug 2006 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MTV VMAs to recognize best game soundtrack & score

James Ransom-Wiley — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 14:40:00 EST

Filed under: Culture

During this year's Video Music Awards, MTV will present two new coveted 'Moon Men' for "Best Video Game Soundtrack" and "Best Video Game Score."

Not to take anything away from the (actual) composers who were nominated, but we were pleased to see that Electroplankton got a nod for best score. As for 'best game soundtrack?' No clue. We haven't listened to one of those since Microsoft introduced the built-in custom soundtrack back in 2001. Oh snap!

The complete list of nominees follows...

Continue reading MTV VMAs to recognize best game soundtrack & score

MTV VMAs to recognize best game soundtrack & score originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Aug 2006 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Activision hires Goldsmith for CoD3

Ken Weeks — Mon, 31 Jul 2006 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: News

Activision has hired Emmy nominated composer Joel Goldsmith, son of the late great Jerry Goldsmith, to score the upcoming Call of Duty 3. Anbody who listened to Major Nelson's interview with Xbox audio expert Scott Selfron got a fresh reminder about the importance of music in games. Hopefully, picking up some name talent for CoD3 will add to that "cinematic experience" developers are always talking about.

Activision hires Goldsmith for CoD3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 31 Jul 2006 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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