ThaSauce: Misc. Gaming News

New Interview with Alexander Brandon

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 03:04:06 PST

While OCR was interviewing Alexander Brandon for their joint remix with BigGiantCircles, I was searching for some credit information on some of the Unreal and Unreal Tournament tracks on behalf of beyondunreal.com, and Alex graciously agreed to an interview. It got pretty in-depth at times, with questions about individual U/UT songs and Alex's experiences composing the game.
Authorship Identification (AB's notes in parentheses)

UNREAL 1995 TECH DEMO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlbrSfjoZgQ - "UNREAL.S3M", also used as "Undrwrld.umx" in the Unreal 1998 beta version (myself and Michiel, first iteration)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vwr8UUFZ6Uo - "UNREALS.S3M" (me)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ED7eCGfxYc - "UNREALT.S3M" (me, yuck… not bad for the time I guess J)

UNREAL 1998 BETA VERSION

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgcD_YnP0QI "Orchtest.it", Commencement, has same beginning with "Escape from Na Pali" from RTNP but gets really different (yeah this was mine, too “happy” at first so I edited it a bit)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNmLyP0BDPg "Orch3.it", Vantage Point (me, this was one of my favs, but never got in, don’t even think the level made it into Na Pali either)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uR4dLfD-p1A "New3.it", Secret Area (guessing it's Alex from the name/style) You guessed right!

UNREAL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzUbvdaJS54 "WarLord.s3m", Warlord Theme (Michiel)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqlOpwtoegg "Opal.it", ALF (me, borrowing Michiel’s style liberally)

UNREAL - RETURN TO NA PALI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuMPTmz_ZpE "Starseek.s3m", Star Seeker (DAMN I haven’t heard this in ages! Yep, mine… thank heavens for you people for keeping this stuff alive)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1x9HrGFWp8 "Title.it", Return to Na Pali (Michiel and myself)

UNREAL TOURNAMENT BETA VERSION

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z4oFw3TOy4 "menu2.it", "XYZDMenu2.it" (ugh, this was mine)

UNREAL TOURNAMENT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_iPYnVtJ24 "Cannon.s3m", Cannonade (me again)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iI4Ljd-nn34 "Lock.s3m", Lock (me)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTzZSY4REBU "Nether.s3m", Nether Animal (cmon dude, this is clearly Michiel working serious electronic magic. J)

General Q&A

1. How did you first get contacted to work on Unreal? Were you noticed because of your involvement in the MOD community?

I actually approached Tim Sweeney with Michiel Van Den Bos on one of his visits while his team was working on Age of Wonders. We said we wanted to do the music for Unreal, it looked like it was going to be big. He’d worked with us both before and liked our stuff, so he simply said “ok”. Ah, the good old days.

2. Unreal had a medium-long development process, spanning 1995-1998. In what period did you compose most of your songs? Did the development time give you a lot of time for revision, or did it force you to wait for developer input on what you should compose?

I’d say it was off and on throughout that period of time. Not much revision took place at all. We just kept writing music. Around an hour of ambient music at least, but the total including combat and other segments probably goes well over two hours.

Sometimes we would get specific requests, but most of the time we’d look at levels and just write based on what we saw.

3. A lot of people in the community love how your style meshed with that of Michiel van den Bos. How'd your working relationship evolve over the development period?

Michiel had a much more solid command of clean electronic, and he also made more grand steps into using orchestral instrumentation. I was in between, using synths in a sort of fantasy style derived from the graphical inspiration. Sometimes we’d write different patterns and swap the MOD back and forth and sometimes we’d collaborate on the entire thing, adding bits and pieces here and there. It was fun, Michiel is a great composer to work with.

4. A lot of Unreal and UT songs draw on the same samples/soundfont, and this gives both titles a coherent musical aesthetic. Where did those samples come from? (It was fun seeing Andrew Sega's Orchard Street pop up in the samples for Jazz Jackrabbit 3's songs!)

The samples are literally from all over God’s green earth. Some from old Korg synths, some from my Trinity synth, some from old movie soundtracks, some from other MOD files. We unashamedly constructed our sample set but didn’t make a point to rip too much, just here and there. Yeah, I’ve used plenty of Necros samples over the years. I think he MAY have used one of mine at one point. So we’re even. Hah!

5. What was the compositional process like? Were you told by the developers what to make, and shown the level the song would be used for? Or was it a more general process?

As mentioned earlier some level designers would be very specific with their ideas. Inoxx was one (Cedric Fiorentino) and Myscha (T. Eliot Cannon) were two of the most vocal of the designers, and Inoxx’s requests led to one of the most interesting pieces, Ghost.it I think it was called, though I’m not at all sure what level it was for or what the final filename is. Myscha worked very closely with Michiel on the crashed spaceship and it’s multiple levels, and I believe he was very happy with it.

The scene everyone seems to remember from Unreal is when the lights go out and the Skaarj emerges. Gotta give Cliff credit for that, he wanted to increase tension through in-game cinematic sequences, which was pretty advanced for the time. Obviously it was shot into the stratosphere by Half Life’s techniques, but in those cases Cliff requested sound effects, not so much music.

In most cases though we just wrote based on inspiration from the beta levels. I submitted a piece for the first outdoor level and its designer, Pancho, responded with “I don’t know but the music just keeps getting better. Dusk.it is awesome.” And that was Dusk Horizon, to this day one of my favorites, but not so much because of the music itself. It fits the level in a way no game music has before or since. I think that’s the most egotistical thing I’ve ever said, but I really believe it’s true, even with its dated sound, it generated something really unique.

6. What was the most frustrating thing about writing music for Unreal and Unreal Tournament?

Hm, tough one. The whole process was great really. I mean, we’d be up against deadlines and since Epic was a newborn babe as far as product development goes, things would get out of hand at times with miscommunication and such. But overall I don’t remember being frustrated. Just inspired with what everyone was doing as a team.

I was amused at one point when Cliff made a request for a piece that was a combination of “Carmina Burana” and “White Zombie”. But that’s part of his style. To this day he’s made bat**** crazy music requests, but regardless he’s still one of the best designers in the business. Jazz Jackrabbit blew the doors off the whole “find the colored key, open the same color door” gameplay mechanic Apogee had driven into the ground, for example, not to mention the cover tactic system in Gears of War.

7. How did the other guys (Andrew Sega, Dan Gardop�e, and the other Scandinavian guys on UT, plus Paul Schultz on Return to Na Pali) get involved? And was there any buzz or anticipation in the MOD community of your work on Unreal?

I brought just about everyone in, except Paul Schultz. Maybe I’ve forgotten but the name is unfamiliar to me. They’re all people I know, except Tero, who Skaven brought aboard. And oddly enough MOD composers really didn’t react much to Unreal, at least that I’m aware of at the time.

8. Did you ever get to play any beta builds of Unreal or Unreal Tournament as a perk?

Well, yeah! We saw builds of Unreal back when it was just a means of displaying customized Silicon Graphics models that James Schmalz created. From day one the window bar title said “Unreal”. It was awesome that it never changed because we all thought it was a great name, even if it also was the name of a PC demo.

9. Unreal has a very dark, mystical, and sometimes electronic feel to it; it's a very atmospheric game. Was this one of your strong-points going in to the writing process, or did you work to build your skill in this kind of music?

I had never written music like that before, and I guess for some reason it came naturally, but again, the game generated most of the inspiration, along with the concept art. Tim had books of Roger Dean and Rodney Matthews in his office, and I’d never seen that artwork before. It was incredible. Plans were under way to make levels that looked like that, but design-wise it was ludicrous. Think of how far you’d walk in quite a few Unreal levels. As something to gawk at its great, but unless you’re planning on skiing like you do in Tribes, not a good idea. Anyway the music was borne out of that style, which found its way into the game.

10. Likewise, Unreal Tournament has a very sleek soundtrack; was this closer to home?

I’m not so sure UT is sleek as much as it is “appropriate”. Music doesn’t match the levels in quite the same way. The music was more or less designed to reflect the action packed nature of the gameplay, with one or two exceptions by Michiel. His more trance-style Nether Animal and Skyward Fire in the vast space-filled levels fit those environments like a glove.

I branched out and desperately tried to make pieces with more guitar, primarily because of how great Razorback was. It kinda worked but it didn’t really approach that level of polish. I think Three Wheels Turning is my favorite piece from that game that I did.

11. Did you have any new thoughts upon seeing the finished Unreal and Unreal Tournament in action, or getting to play through the maps and hear your music?

I didn’t expect UT to win the war with iD. Epic had thrown down the gauntlet with those guys with Unreal vs. Quake 2, and Quake 2 still took the top spot. Then when UT emerged somehow it bested Quake 3, despite Quake 3’s better graphics engine. When I hear the songs I wrote (and the other composers) I’m still pleased with how they sound. They’re just unique. I mean nobody did that style before and really no one’s done it since. Kind of a shame really.

12. What was your reaction when you heard that the Unreal multiplayer add-on was going to be released as a separate game, UT?

I thought it was cool and a good idea. In fact the original plan was to have UT be like Madden, with one released every year. Problem is, you’ve REALLY got to put a lot of people and time into that, and Epic is more of a company that just builds something until its satisfied. Like Valve, I suppose.

13. And how were you retained for Deus Ex?

I sent a demo to Warren Spector and started pestering him and Chris Norden, the lead programmer. Eventually I got the gig. Bless ‘em.

14. Did you get to meet any of the Epic team, or share any good times? (Like a release celebration, maybe)

I lived close to Epic so we spent a good deal of time at the offices. At first it was this little 6 or 7 room space in Rockville with Cliff, Tim, Arjan (programmer for Jazz) all in one room. Cliff was a really funny guy, a lot more humble than he is now that he’s posed for Entertainment Weekly . Tim was quiet and very very intelligent (well, still is of course), not just with engineering but with business. And when he had busy time he’d simply close his door with a sign saying “**** off”. It was appropriate. When you’re a lead engineer as well as the head of a business it’s hard to find time to do both.

I didn’t participate in a release party, but I did see someone at Ion Storm wearing a leather Unreal Tournament jacket which was really, REALLY nice. So I asked Cliff and Tim if I could have one and they said “sure”. I got it, then at GDC that year in an elevator a woman was looking at me suspiciously. She finally asked “where did you get that jacket?” She might as well have had her hands on her hips scolding a thieving teenager. When I responded it turns out the woman was Anne, Epic’s accountant / office manager. We shared a good laugh with that one.

15. Sort of obligatory, but if you can remember, what's your favorite song from Unreal? From UT? What about your favorite Michiel song from Unreal & UT?

Hoo boy. Favorite Unreal song would be Crypt, even if it’s mine I gotta be honest. UT would be tough. Mech 8 and / or Razorback and / or Skyward Fire. Michiel’s best in Unreal would be the Chizra piece. I worked on it with him but he did like 90% of it. His UT tune would be Skyward Fire.

16. If you're still gaming, what kind of games are you into lately?

Still gaming, but when you’ve got a wife and three kids and a full time job (even in gaming), it gets harder to find the time. Halo 3 is still played, along with Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3, Splosion Man. Half Life 2 is probably my favorite game of all time, and the music is stupidly sparse in it. Go figure.

17. Did you hear the reinterpretations of UT songs on Unreal Tournament III, and what did you think? (the Go Down remix is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-r3If2zwEA in case you need a refresher)

I did hear them, and nearly collaborated on it. However I ended up getting way too busy at Midway. I do regret not being able to at least get one song on there. But I was on the phone with Mike Larson at Epic quite a bit. He would wax lyrical for quite some time about the goals of the music, some of which ended up getting used. Overall I like the soundtrack and with utmost respect to Kevin Riepl I think it’s better than UT2003 and UT2004, but all of them since the original lack some of that unique quality that made the originals what they were. I admire Rom and Jespyr for taking the time to remix all those pieces and not turn them into hash.

18. As time goes on, a lot of people feel nostalgia over their first communities. What do you feel looking back on the MOD scene? (I get this awesome sense sometimes when I see all the shout-outs in the sample comments for songs...) Did most of its most competent musicians get in to professional music-making like you did?

I’d say so. The MOD community was a great starting point for learning to write music. It involves far more complexity with understanding composition than using notation. What it doesn’t do is teach instrument skill, and that’s something I’m working on now. I have a huge amount of nostalgic thoughts often about the Amiga world, MODs, and just older gaming in general.

20. Were there any random chance happenings or other fond memories for the Unreal/UT days?

Eh, a ton of stories but those are best told over a beer J I could go on for quite awhile about Mark Rein. Funny stories (“I think Jazz should be a squirrel!”) but that he can also kick ass when it comes to protecting people. A guy was accusing Andy Sega of ripping off Mechanism 8. He had a website that claimed he wrote it and everything. Total fraud. Mark (professionally of course) ripped him a new one. Great to know he had our back.

21. Have you kept up with Michiel, Andrew Sega, Dan, and the others since those days?

Yep, though more with Michiel and Andy than with Dan. Dan is at Kush games I believe working on sports titles for 2K. Michiel is still working with the AoW team on games like Overlord 2. Andy has his own company, Diffusion Games, and is making Flash games for the web.

Song Q&A

22. Organic.umx -- what was it originally intended for in Unreal Tournament? Was it an influence in making "Conspiravision" for Deus Ex and "Jack of Spades" for Jazz Jackrabbit 3?

Good ear, there. It’s influence was in all three and in all three I was still finding footing with this style, stumbling through using similar samples and such. And yeah Organic was written specifically for UT.

23. Who composed the Unreal Euro Dance Mix for the tech demo video/OST?

I did this with Bryan Rudge (Sirrus, in the MOD community).

1. I plan on asking Dan this, but in case you know, what was Cyrene (or Moros - Dark Presence) going to be used for in the Unreal beta? (It's at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1BXL3Ya5JU)

No clue, several pieces would be submitted and then matched to a level. Several would be custom written based on early versions of the level.

2. Dusk Horizon, the beta version, has a really upbeat combat subsong. I'm guessing Epic asked you to make it a little more intense and dangerous sounding, but just curious; which do you ultimately prefer?

I much prefer the ambient segment of Dusk Horizon. The action sequences were intended for fights with Brutes that take place on approach to the elevator to the top of the mesa.

3. Deep Chill, from the Unreal beta, is perfect for that cryogenic ship level that was scrapped. Did you search out any new samples to try and achieve that icy sound, or did the ones you have work well?

Good question, but unfortunately I can't remember where I got those samples. Makes it sound suspicious but in those days samples came from other MODs more often than not, so technically I probably ripped 'em. The piece was written on very specific requests from Cedric (Inoxx).

4. What was Magnus, from the Unreal beta, going to be used for? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymR2D8ApkDM if you need a refresher)

I even remember that it went into a level, but sadly can't remember which one.

5. Ditto for Secret Area (New3.umx).

Once again you got me on this one. I just remember I was on a kick to write tunes like Drew Neumann (Aeon Flux composer, who I eventually exchanged emails with and nearly collaborated with). This got used in a secret area but I don't remember the level or where it was.

6. And the same question for Orchtest (Commencement) and Vantage Point (Orch3). A couple people at BeyondUnreal got really curious about this after they heard you were the composer.

These were VERY early pieces when we were feeling out the game stylistically. Definitely more "Neverending Story" sounding and less edgy. They never ended up going anywhere.

7. What was Skycity going to be used for? (Can't find a youtube link for this, so let me know if I should upload it)

There was a level that was called Sky City and Michiel started writing for it. I think there was a level that someone started designing but it didn't make it into beta.

8. Same question for Starship One (StarOne.umx).

I think that Michiel and I had a sort of competition for who would write the theme for ISV-KRAN. Michiel won over Myscha. No bitterness, Michiel did a whole slew of pieces all related to each other in a neat little "Kran Pack" that sounded brilliant.

9. And again for Unreal Suspense (Suspense.umx; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hy-7OjdIuAU, sounds like it's got some of the Bluff Eversmoking sound going on)

And here's where I get mine. Unreal Suspense was the second song ever written for Unreal. I still like it a lot, but it was used EVERYWHERE. Cliff got so tired of hearing it he asked for it to be replaced. Stupid in hindsight but it kinda lived on in Bluff Eversmoking. Glad that Michiel got inspired in that way. A lot of these samples are from my Korg Triton, so thankfully not ripped.

10. Unbab.umx, Black Wind - Unreal '96, shows up in RTNP as Bounds of Foundry, but we've always been curious why the pitch is so much lower for this Unreal beta version. Did you compose it with this pitch originally?

Ho boy, wish I could answer that. No clue whatsoever why that is. Weird!

11. What was Underworld going to be used for?

I think it was used in some extremely early levels not even in any videos or alpha versions. It got taken out because it really was kinda random and didn't work that well as a contiguous piece. We really should have polished it, it had some great ideas and was a very successful collaboration.

12. Unreal2.umx turned into the action subsong for Bounds of Foundry in RTNP, but was it always planned for this?

Yep, I'm pretty sure it was.

UNREAL

1. For Flightcastle, did they show you that beautiful introduction flyby and say, "compose something for this"?

Yep! Took a lot of cues from Michiel's Age of Wonder comping style, but I timed it out fairly roughly.

2. IIRC, Nightvision was an original tracker scene composition of yours, so was it easy to cut up the relevant parts for inclusion in Unreal?

Yes. Inoxx liked it and it went well into one of his spaceship interior levels.

3. Did you compose Surfacing after getting to see the skybox used for those sky levels? (Those amazing purple skies, the other Nali floating islands in the distance...) Like Dusk Horizon, it's one of Unreal's most awesome feelings to step out of the lift and see that atmosphere.

I'd say so but again this is a case where I wish I could remember what the inspiration was.

4. How did you and Michiel work together to make the main title?

I did that entirely, except as mentioned I remember taking a few samples and stylistic cues from Michiel's Age of Wonders title theme, which was sweeeeet.

RETURN TO NA PALI

1. Twilight Horizon has a subsong called "Aftermath" that's new. Did you originally compose that with Dusk Horizon, and did you have to come back and make it for RTNP? (it must have been cool adding something new to one of your favorites)

David Kelvin, the designer on Na Pali, asked for this. It took several revisions but I finally got it where he wanted it, and it worked out great I think.

2. In my experiences discussing these soundtracks, a few people have agreed that Foundry, and Bounds of Foundry sound the most like "new" Alexander Brandon, ca. 1999 or 2000, compared to your other work on the games. Is it true that these were composed later than most of your work, or are we just sort of assuming they're new since there are a few similarities with the Deus Ex style?

Kind of. Foundry, which I believe is Black Wind, was written after Andrew Sega (Necros) wrote Babylon, a piece that I took some samples from to form the basis of this piece.

3. Interlude II and Intermission always come up in "favorite songs from the Unreal series" polls; any notes on these?

For Interlude II, I did this one and had no idea they put it in. At the end of it you can hear a tribute to the Wing Commander theme (by Dave Govett at Team Fat).

UNREAL TOURNAMENT

1. Credits.umx (Trophy, Room of Champions) was left unused; instead the trophy sequence gets Ending.umx (Into the Darkness). Was this an accident or just style change by Epic, who left in Credits.umx in the music folder?

Good question, it was probably one of the designers. We just sent the songs in and they used 'em or didn't.

2. Ending.umx is perfect for the trophy sequence; did you compose it after first seeing that beautiful, dark trophy map, or before?

Cliff sent a lot of requests for this and it was a lot of back and forth until they got something they liked. So no, we didn't see the trophy map as far as I can remember, it was written beforehand.

3. Go Down is one of the most enduring UT songs; did you compose it with any map in mind, like DM-Hyperblast? And how did the hook come to you?

Cliff again specifically requested a song like the one in The Matrix where Neo and Trinity bust in and rescue Morpheus. I wrote Go Down, and Michiel wrote something that sounded SO MUCH like the Propellerhead song that people laughed and said "BOY are we gonna get sued!".

4. Lock and Phantom both have a sort of tribal feel from the samples; was this based on the maps or your own inspiration?

Own inspiration.

5. I plan on asking Andrew Sega a few questions about Mechanism Eight, but damn, what a fantastic track; what was your reaction when you first heard it?

"This ****ing rocks".

6. Phantom.umx has been exposed to most players through its use in CTF-Thornsv2, a really popular fan-made CTF map. What did you originally compose it for, and what did you and Michiel have in mind?

Michiel threw it out there, we collaborated as we had before. People compared it to the Macarena a lot, but really it stands well on its own.

7. In Phantom, at 3:55, the song breaks to this different part, with that airy sample going in the background. Just curious; was this part of Michiel's basic track or your suggestion?

Michiel and I collaborated on that one. I believe he started it off and I added the insane cacophony that starts at :50 or so, then he brings it back to reality later in the piece J

8. The music folder has Save Me (used in DM-Morpheus) and Save Me G, which has a different intro and doesn't appear in the game. What was Save Me G originally composed for?

Hah. Another stumper. Can't remember.

9. Underworld II, your Egyptian track for UT, has a really awesome transition when it's looped. What kind of considerations go in to deciding whether and how to loop certain songs, especially with tracker?

I did a lot of work to loop things in certain ways by using varied pattern lengths as well as instruments that would continue playing in an open channel when the song loops. You learn a lot of tricks in the tracker trade.

10. UT Menu has probably been heard more than any other track in the game; what did you have in mind while composing it?

Just the visuals, the gameplay, the same kind of feel as the original Unreal because originally it was written for something called the Unreal Bot Pack, a glorified multiplayer version of the original game. When it broke into UT, the music style just went with it.

11. How did you and Michiel mesh for the Unreal intro flyby?

The UT flyby? We just wrote it together before seeing anything, and the song was meshed into it fairly well timing-wise.

12. Three Wheels Turning was used in, IIRC, a volcano map in the ChaosUT map, and it sounded perfect given that voice sample that sounds like a Polynesian tribal yell. What did you have in mind while composing it?

Can't remember, but the breath was that of an ex-girlfriend's. This remains one of my favorites.

13. This is more a question for Teque and Nitro, but it might be hard to track them down and ask. Their original version of FireBr.umx has this high-pitched synth going over the "chorus", but this is missing in the UT version. A few fans are just wondering if that was just a judgment call by Epic.

It was. And Tero was rightfully very upset about it, but unfortunately that's the nature of the game biz. Your tunes go through revisions. The difference here was that I took the synth out and told him after the fact. I feel bad about it but lesson learned. He's a great musician and I hope he isn't still fuming about it.

~

Huge, massive thanks to AB! As you can see, I asked a ton of questions, and it's great Alex got to them (while doing an interview for another site at the same time, even!).

The Complete History of Nintendo.

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 16:01:57 PDT

From slashdot:

"Gameplayer are running a comprehensive feature on the history of Nintendo that runs through all 119 years of their existence, from humble card maker to gaming powerhouse. It is documented in chronological order and includes a stack of trivia about the company that will be thoroughly enjoyed by all Nintendo fans. As an interesting side note, it links to a sister article that explores how Mario can improve your sex life."

Free 1-year Subscription to EGM

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 07:44:36 PST

I usually do this about once a year. I actually started getting my free issues of EGM and Gaming for Windows just the other day. It may a take a few weeks to get there, but you WILL get your magazines. Definitely not a scam :o

From joystiq:

Surely you leave the house and/or office? And perhaps if your phone doesn't support our lovely, lightweight mobile page, you find yourself reaching for the comfortable contours of a print magazine. Something familiar. Something that reminds you of the days when you had little more to worry about than remembering to grab your lunchbox out of the fridge before catching the bus. Something like ... EGM, which has always been there for you.

To make sure you're comforted in those dark times, we've buddied up with the good folks at Ziff once again to give away ~~22,000~~ 45,000 (we went ahead and added some more for y'all) free 1-year subscriptions (US readers only, alas!) to their flagship gaming mag. How free? You won't need to provide your credit card information; your subscription won't be automatically renewed at the end of the year; and you'll need to "opt-in" to renew your subscription before receiving any bill for the magazine. Free. Our way of saying thanks for spending your computer time with us.

PS3 Does Well In Japan, X-box 360 Left Out...

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 15:14:54 PST

...in the cold, apparently.

I have been doing a lot of reading lately on news articles such as these mainly because I look for perspective on the gaming industry. Well, I found an interesting one in this article. Apparently Sony's PS3 has, for the first time since launch, sold more in Japan than Nintendo's Wii. I thought that was pretty amazing considering PS3's launch was a horrible, horrible lesson in supply and demand, as well as proper pricing, as you have seen from the more recent $100 price drop on the PS3.
Also, and probably more importantly, X-box 360 is having compatibility issues with Halo 3, according to the article, gamers are complaining that it's not fully compatible with the hardware. As if that wasn't bad enough, there is also a class-action lawsuit that has been filed by said gamers. On top of console "meltdowns", literally, as well as breakdowns, Microsoft has put aside somewhere in the neighborhood of $1 billion to address the issue.

Also, for you investors out there, EA and Activision stock is up. Huzzah!

For more information, please read the article itself, as well as check out the forum thread I've started over at OverClocked Remix for discussion.

Chrono Trigger Retranslation Patch Released

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 13:38:44 PDT

After a long month of grueling work by ZeaLitY and others, a patch for KWhazit’s Chrono Compendium Chrono Trigger Retranslation is out. In addition to inserting the entire script, the hack uses a fix to mimic Ayla’s nickname for Crono, adds in Sky / Dark elemental icons to replace Lightning / Shadow, and restores the Japanese ending art for the Marle searching for Crono with the Epoch ending. The only external changes are a pre-title screen and changes in the ASCII credits; there are no easter eggs. The linked page also connects to a “making-of / how-to” feature and a pack of three patches allowing users to implement the changes described above on personal projects. So, surprise! And have fun.

Retranslation Patch (7zip)
Retranslation Patch (zip)

National Video Games Day

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 17:44:03 PDT

From kotaku:

"Happy National Video Games Day! I know you've all been eagerly awaiting this day, reserving a day off of work or school to spend a lazy afternoon participating in our favorite hobby. I am sure you've got some massive parties planned, so be sure to send us photos of how you celebrate the holiday with your friends and loved ones! Yeah, we had no idea either, but Holiday Insights and American Greetings indicate that September 12th is NVGD. You'd think someone would have mentioned it to us."

Celebrate National Video Games Day by playing video games. If you are off from school (or if you are a big kid off from work), make this a marathon day for video games. Better still, invite a few friends and hold a competition. Just make certain that you have enough controllers.

That's the blurb from Holiday Insights, which goes on to state that they have no record of the origin of the holiday or that indeed it even exists. Whatever. American Greetings needs gamer money too you know.

National Video Games Day [Holiday Insights]

Console Digest: Modchip Raid, PS3 gets Recording Capabilities

Thu, 02 Aug 2007 08:29:03 PDT

U.S. Customs agents raid 32 homes and businesses in an attempt to curb illegal console modding, and Sony announces an expansion of the PS3's capabilities.The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency served search warrants on 32 homes and businesses which were involved in creating and distributing methods of circumventing copyright protection on game consoles. Although no details were released with regard to arrests or seizures, the raids were related to the sale of mod chips and swap discs for the PS2, Xbox, Xbox 360, and Wii.

Source: PC World

Sony announced a new feature due out in March 2008 that will allow the PS3 to be used as a digital TV recorder, much like other DVRs like TiVo. This continues Sony's trend of marketing the PS3 as more than just a gaming device, which has been sold in some markets primarily as a Blu-ray player and not as a console.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

PS3 Price Cut, 360 Policy Change, Wii Still Winning - Update 2

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 09:02:53 PDT

Sony first denied, then confirmed a planned $100 price cut for the PS3 after retailers leaked the information. The price cut is part of a plan by Sony to boost the console's poor sales, after strategies based on exclusive software failed to differentiate the console enough to spur sales. The announcement comes alongside plans for an 80GB model to be sold at the old price point of $600, and a yet-unannounced UK price cut, where the console currently sells for £425 (over $800 US).Microsoft has their own plans to please customers, announcing a grandfathered upgrade to the warranty, giving full repair coverage for three years from date of purchase for the "three red lights" failure, at a cost of about $1.1 billion US. Since the console has yet to hit its second birthday, the three-year plan covers every console sold to date, and MS will be issuing refunds to those who have already paid for repairs.

Meanwhile, the Wii's strategy of a low price point and unique features have kept it on top of the console war. Wii sales are continuing to grow and are outpacing supply in Japan, outselling the PS3 by a factor of six, where the console was "only" selling four times as many units three months ago. The robust sales of the latest Nintendo console are probably the reason for their relative silence in relation to Sony and Microsoft, but we'll probably see a lot of action in the next few weeks as E3 rolls into town.

Sources:
TimesOnline
The Inquirer (UK)

PS3 Update

It seems the PS3 price cut is just a ploy to make room for a cheaper-to-produce model to come back at the original $599 price point. A lot of interviews and confusion later, and the unfolding story is that the 80GB model is cheaper to produce for Sony since, rather than having hardware support for PS2 games, it will rely on software emulation like the European models. So in the end Sony's taking less of a loss on each of the new units, by taking more of a loss on each of the old ones. Confused yet?

Source: salon.com

StarCraft 2 Announced.

Sat, 19 May 2007 14:16:55 PDT

That's right, Blizzard's big announcement is StarCraft 2. Blizzard even admits: "Hell, it's about time." Now seriously, need I say more?

http://www.starcraft2.com/
http://www.blizzard.com

DDR used to combat obesity in HS gym class

Wed, 02 May 2007 11:20:37 PDT

Reported on ArsTechnica, the niché market aerobic arcade game is being pioneered as a bridge between sedentary gaming habits of the American youth and traditional gym class activities, such as basketball, which require a pre-existing level of fitness for participation. In the studies reported most students were found to have halted weight gain and increased fitness (although no guaranteed weight loss).

Go to www.arstechnica.com for the full article.

RomHacks: Super Demo World

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 17:50:54 PDT

For as long as there have been ROMs, there have been RomHacks. Most of them are terrible, just making Mario blue, Sonic brown, or breaking the game entirely.

But amidst all the piles of what we will call 'donkey dung' for the sake of self-censorship, a few gems shine brightly. This is the first of a series of articles on some of the better ones.

This week, we cover Super Demo World. From the hack's site:

"Demo World is a hack to demonstrate how well Lunar Magic can modify Super Mario World. [...] The third version of Demo World was released on September 21, 2003. Called "Demo World : The Legend Continues" (DW:TLC), it's a full hack of Mario World that's complete right to the end. It showcases many of the features in Lunar Magic, including the new tile and palette animation feature included in version 1.60. And as with the original Demo World, it has new custom blocks such as screen-scrolling type pipes that are similar to what you'd see in Mario 3. A version 1.1 update was released about a month later to fix a few bugs.

I was introduced to this hack from a thread on SomethingAwful, where I was treated to a commentated attempt to beat the game, not without frustration or error. Intrigued, I tracked down a copy and started playing myself.

Being a romhack, they definitely had the full features of an emulator in mind when designing the levels. I certainly wouldn't have reached as far as the second world without savestate abuse.

To complete the presentation, here's a tool-assisted speedrun of the game from Google Video.

Ken Kutarugi: RETIRED!

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 22:14:31 PDT

Who even saw this coming? Anyone? According to an article linked to on OCR by SilverStar, this article from Kotaku.com says it all. Finally, we can all breathe a breath of fresh air and hope that within the coming months Sony will have been shocked to the core enough to lower the price on their latest console, the PS3.

Only time will tell.

Disabled Gamers: We want to play, too!

Tue, 10 Apr 2007 15:17:33 PDT

For a nation that promotes equal accessability in nearly every aspect of modern life, the United States is severely lacking in one aspect: Handicapped accessable gaming. The blind, the deaf, and para/quadriplegics have few choices when it comes to gaming. So much so that the standard "disabled friendly" game is a boring "happy, fluffy" game. What the balls is this?!

So read this Chicago Tribune article and let me know what you think.

Cheers.

Starsiege: 2845 Project Cancelled

Tue, 03 Apr 2007 22:27:49 PDT

"Let me preface this by saying this is NOT a late April fools day joke.

After much discussion with various people on the staff, and looking at potential timelines and where we currently are, Tsa and I (being the primary legal agreement contacts with VU) have made the difficult decision that it's time to put a bullet in this project and move on. This month (April) will mark 4 solid years of time and substantial monetary investment that he and I and a bunch of other people have into the project, and as we're looking at at least another years worth of development with questionable outcome, we've decided the game has reached the point of diminishing returns and it's time to say good night gracie."

Full announcement here.

For those unaware this project even existed, Starsiege: 2845 was going to be the direct sequel to Starsiege, the third game in an underdog mech sim series called Earthsiege. Most gamers will likely recognize the spinoff series "Tribes." While the Earthsiege games are not as popular as Battletech/MechWarrior, it still has a handful of devoted followers, enough to start a grand project like 2845. The Alpha Tech Release [ATR] was released on October 18, 2006, and is available to download for free. There are a handful of maps and vehicles to pilot, including a fullly-functional flyer. The ATR was also notably of professional caliber, unlike numerous fanmade game projects found elsewhere on the Internet.

Anyone interested in playing the ATR will find the download here. It's still just an Alpha so there will be a few bugs, but personally I didn't have many crashes when I ran the game.

Chrono Trigger Retranslated (scripts only for now)

Sat, 31 Mar 2007 11:02:29 PDT

Chrono Trigger has been completely retranslated by KWhazit. After a bunch of work, we've got two spreadsheets, HTML for people without Microsoft Office, a big name guide, and an even bigger article highlighting the important differences lost in the original translation for those who don't want to read the entire thing.

Differences Article - All the rest of the crap

We're debating whether to try and rush out a playable patch with Temporal Flux right now.

DOSBox 0.70 Released

Wed, 14 Mar 2007 03:25:50 PDT

The fine folks who put their blood, sweat and tears into creating the famous DOS emulator have recently released a new version! It has been a bit of a wait for this new release but lots of stuff has been added in this installment. If you find you can't enjoy those old DOS classics on your computer, then this just might be the answer you've been looking for.(taken from DOSBox official website)

Speed up the dynamic cpu core (certain games get much faster).

Added a dynamic fpu on x86 hosts.

Improved the cycle guessing code (and make it default).

Better and more configurable joystick support.

Improved the image and fat drives.

Added nullmodem emulation.

Various win 3.x enhanchments (video/audio/ems/win32s).

Improved CDROM detection and support.

Speed up the screen drawing code.

Added support for different keyboard layouts.

Various fixes to the (C/E/V)GA emulation.

Extended and improved all types of emulated memory. (umb/ems/xms)

Dynamic core should work on Intel Macs.

Various timer related fixes.

Added a few more graphic scalers.

Some default settings have been changed in this one so be sure to update your configfiles and read the readme.

Check it out here!

New Spore Videos

Sun, 11 Mar 2007 11:20:57 PDT

About a year ago, we took a look at Will Wright's latest project, "Spore" - and this video was already a year old. At one point we were hearing release dates as early as Fall 2006; six months later, we're still no closer to seeing an actual release date.However, at GDC 2007, there's at least some new video. The following is a compilation of six short gameplay segments demonstrated recently.

Miyamoto: Violence is Killing Video Games

Fri, 09 Mar 2007 12:34:09 PST

During the GDC in San Francisco, the venerable Shigeru Miyamoto said that developers should resist the temptation to rely on shock content such as extreme violence, revenge, or simply just horror, and the sequels which are a direct result of the big sales such games create.
"I always want that first reaction to be emotion, to be positive - to give a sense of satisfaction, glee," Miyamoto said. "Certain obstacles may temporarily raise feelings of suspense, competition, even frustration. But we always want that final result, that final emotion, to be a positive one."

The respected game maker's comments are seemingly at odds with an industry that seems to sell itself to what would seem to be a niche market, yet the increasingly violent games only gain more popularity as they are villified by the "outsiders:" politicians, pundits, and parents.

I'm not certain what exactly Miyamoto is trying to say, whether violent games are inherently bad (no more Metal Gear Solid?), or whether it's the proliferation of violence as the medium for which games are to be sold. Certainly, the Metal Gear series is quite violent, but the violence is not rewarded; indeed, the player is chastised later in the game for killing people needlessly. To contrast this, many games designed and developed in the United States tend to reward needless killing: in Mortal Kombat the player is awarded with a gory graphics fest when he performed a Fatality death move, in the Grand Theft Auto series players could kill pedestrians and steal the money they drop. Is this a strictly cultural argument, or is there something a bit deeper to the problem? Or is there a problem at all?

Read on The Australian.

Acclaim wants YOU!

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 12:26:50 PST

Press release from Acclaim Games:

Acclaim Games and video game industry superstar David Perry have partnered to present the ground-breaking “Top Secret” project. In this project, players actually get an opportunity to participate in the entire video game development process from start to finish.
In an unprecedented move for the game industry, these players will be given a chance to have their work featured in a massively multiplayer PC game that will be published by Acclaim and directed by David Perry. Perry will choose a winner from the contributors, and Acclaim will be giving them a breath-taking prize, ‘A Video Game Industry Directorship’, working on a new fully-funded massively multiplayer online PC game. David Perry will be their Executive Producer to help them as needed on their game, and once they complete their project, they will even earn royalties from the game sales!

“I’ve always loved the idea that someone, from their bedroom, reveals their passion and talent, then suddenly can have an absolutely stunning career explosion, becoming a famous Game Director with a pre-built fan base. We’re going to make it happen!” says David Perry who is a Game Director and Chief Creative Officer for Acclaim Games.

David Perry will be building the new online game from scratch and is offering members of the Acclaim player community a rare opportunity to help him develop this video game in a collaborative effort with some of the industry’s best talent. “We will bring in some surprise guests along the way to inspire and mentor the contributors,” says Perry.

One lucky winner who shines the most during the development process will be given the top prize. “This is the only chance I know of to jumpstart a directorship career in the video game industry,” continues Perry. “Everyone wins. They get to learn how to make professional games, and if they get anything in, they get a real professional credit on their resume.” Perry finishes, “But, if they win, well then they get their life changed.”

Interestingly, applicants don’t need any prior game development experience. In fact, Perry refuses to look at resumes. “We only care about the pure, focused, passionate talent they show up with,” he says.

“Top Secret is like ‘The Apprentice’ meets ‘American Idol’ meets ‘The Video Game Industry’. We’re giving our players a chance to work on an online game that we will actually develop and publish. Our community really loves these games and knows what it takes to make a hit. And it will be a dream come true for one lucky star that shines the most throughout the project,” says Acclaim CEO Howard Marks.

This is a first-of-its-kind project from the new Acclaim, a resurrected company with a very well known name. The new Acclaim will focus entirely on providing quality multiplayer online games for free. The games will be supported with a mix of advertising and virtual item stores. Acclaim has already partnered with IGA Worldwide to provide in-game advertising for its other online game titles.

The entry period will be limited, and so will the number of people allowed in to see the project, so sign up now to become a team member on Top Secret. To register for a free account and find out more about Top Secret, visit http://topsecret.acclaim.com.

Found on Gaming.hexus.net.

Game Designers out of touch with Minorities

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 13:20:00 PST

In a recent blog post on the Black Voice News website, Richard O. Jones expressed concern about the trend in video game design to make characters who of racial minority (most notably black and Latino characters) either criminals or helpless victims who die easily. Mr. Jones' arguement is that prolonged exposure to these stimuli lead minority youths to get the impression that their life should mirror that of what the media sells them, leading to more violence and crime.
Mr. Jones defended his claim with studies by psychologists.

From the blog:
"'If Blacks and Latinos are always portrayed as the villains, or as the victims who get killed often and easily, that is code for powerlessness,' said Kansas State University psychologist John Murray, who's studied violence and stereotypes in the media for the past 30 years. 'These image persist because too few minorities are in the industry. Roughly 80% of video game programmers are white, about four percent of designers are Latino, and less than three percent are Black according to preliminary results of an International Game Developers Association survey. Some in the industry believe race in games is a serious issue that has been ignored for too long. The video industry claims that educated, young white males create games for other educated, young white males and not minorities. Regardless, games are an expressive medium. They are an art form, just like movies, theater and literature. We're seeing, to a large extent, that the games that are being designed unconsciously include the biases, opinions and reflections of their creators.'"

Mr. Jones is careful to note that while the medium is a form of art, it is also a consumer commodity that is driven by money.

sources: gamepro.com, black voice news