Mature Gaming » music

We Sing to hit up the 80′s

gazzara — Thu, 03 May 2012 10:03:24 +0000

The 80s will be remembered for many things – big hair, fluorescent socks and Cabbage Patch Kids, to name but three – but perhaps its most famous export is the music.
Fans of the decade which gave us power ballads, soft rock and some of the most memorable songs ever written are in for a treat this October, as Nordic Games Publishing announces We Sing 80s.

We Sing 80s will feature 30 nostalgic favourites, covering the unforgettable decade’s cult hits and dazzling disco tracks, all of which include the original videos. Each song has its own difficulty rating and can be played in short or full length song modes.

“This addition to the We Sing collection will replicate everything that the 80s was adored for,” says Nik Blower, Sales and Marketing Director, Nordic Games. “The game’s customisable interface means that it will be packed full of flamboyance, big hair and disco colours as we continue to provide fans and new friends of the series with a fresh singing experience.”

Fun for all the family, the singing series will continue to support up to four players together simultaneously using four separate microphones in any of the eight multiplayer modes.

Party mode includes We Sing, Versus, Group Battle, Pass The Mic, First to X, Marathon, Blind and Expert. There’s also Solo mode, which can also be played in Blind and Expert mode. Karaoke mode strips the track of vocals to really challenge players, or those that fancy an authentic karaoke experience.

Other features include Singing Lessons to help singers fine tune their voices and a Jukebox to queue up songs like their own personal music channel.

In-game awards come from playing either single or multiplayer modes, adding further depth and replay value to We Sing 80s. Plus, once a track has been sung, players can replay performances and add cool effects to their voice.

More points come thanks to Star Notes which provides extra points for hitting hard notes and Player Statistics give a detailed breakdown on performance on notes hit and missed with a comment on your performance at the end.

New studio formed, partnering with music industry talent

gazzara — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 13:01:52 +0000

Announcing today, Echo Peak is a specialist games developer focusing on collaborative projects with top creative talent from the music industry and beyond.

Led by the creative duo behind the critically acclaimed “Chime” – Game Director Ciaran Walsh and Creative Director Ste Curran – in partnership with Tenshi Ventures and former Zoe Mode Studio Head Ed Daly, the team brings together talent from doublesix, EA and Freestyle Games to create games for consoles and emerging digital platforms.

“We are passionate about working with talent outside our industry in ways that are smarter, more interesting and more audience-focused than just plugging songs into well-worn templates”, says Ciaran Walsh. “Our experience in music games led us to this point, and music seems a natural place to start — bringing these two worlds closer makes so much sense — which is why we’re working with leading artists and labels to develop a number of concepts.”

Echo Peak’s first title, a collaboration with a major global music star, is in development now.

Would “by proxy” help the ratings debate?

Help get video games music into the Classic FM hall of fame

gazzara — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:30:40 +0000

Video games music has an inspired place in all of our hearts. Whether it be the big musical score of Bungie’s Halo series or the classical vibrance of Final Fantasy titles to even retroing it up with remixes of Commodore 64′s SID chip in early video games there is no doubt that the music we love is as important and memorable as the visual styling displayed in the games we play.

What we’ve never had though, in games as a media format as well the musical talent that graces our pastime, is recognition of the talent involved in creating an atmosphere that stands up to the best of the best in other media formats, including film and music. There is, however, a group who wants to change that very thing and as some music in games can be considered classical, this ever growing group have endeavoured to try and get video games music into the Classic FM hall of fame and with your help they may well achieve it.

Voting for the Classic FM 2012 Hall of Fame is now open – every year this run down of the 300 greatest pieces of classical music features amazing compositions from the greatest composers in history along with fantastic movie scores, BUT, to anybody’s knowledge it’s never featured any orchestral tracks from video games.

This MUST change!!

From now until voting closes on Feb 29th I’m asking all fans of video games and video games music to visit the voting site at http://www.classicfmhalloffame.co.uk/ and vote for classical interpretations of their favourite bits of video game music.

To make a real splash though, I’m hoping that everybody who does vote chooses Nobuo Uematsu’s “Aerith’s Theme” from Final Fantasy VII for at least one of their choices so we can really push it up the chart – and for anybody who wants a reminder of what that sounds like, here’s a link http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003TXO5CO/ref=dm_dp_trk3

This is a UK radio station, but voting appears to be open worldwide so please let everybody you know who loves video game music to come “like” this page and vote. Let’s get video game music the recognition it deserves.

For more information, please head across to their official Facebook page or follow @ClassicVGMusic and keep up to date with what’s going on.

Rockstar announce the release of L.A. Noire soundtracks

gazzara — Mon, 09 May 2011 08:44:12 +0000

We are proud to announce two official L.A. Noire soundtrack releases, the L.A. Noire Official Soundtrack and L.A. Noire: Remixed.
The L.A. Noire Official Soundtrack was inspired by the sweeping orchestral scores of the great films of the 1940s. This all-original score was recorded in London’s legendary Abbey Road Studios and composed by Andrew Hale, of the band Sade and Sweetback and whose credits include scores for such films as Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. The soundtrack also features modern takes on the classic torch songs of the period. Three original vocal recordings were created for the soundtrack, all produced and written by Stephen Coates (of The Real Tuesday Weld) and featuring the guest vocals of Claudia Brucken (of Propaganda). Additional music was composed for the score by Woody Jackson, who won multiple awards for his work with Bill Elm on the original score of Red Dead Redemption.

Players will also hear over 30 classic licensed jazz tracks in the game itself, including songs from such greats as Billie Holiday, Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and Thelonious Monk.

L.A. Noire Remixed is the fruit of a partnership with Verve Records that provides a modern take on the music found throughout the world of L.A. Noire. This unique EP is a collection of six jazz standards re-interpreted by some of today’s most acclaimed DJs, producers and remixers, including Dave Sitek, DJ Premier and Truth & Soul.

L.A. Noire Remixed and the L.A. Noire Official Soundtrack will be available for purchase on iTunes on May 17th, and look for song previews and additional information to be released at www.rockstargames.com/lanoire next week.

Ubisoft announce new addition to the music genre with Rocksmith

gazzara — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 11:41:19 +0000

Today, Ubisoft announced the development of Rocksmith, a new video game franchise that is set to revolutionize the music genre.

Rocksmith is the first and only game where players can plug any real guitar with a standard quarter-inch input jack into an Xbox 360, a PS3 or PC, and play through an in-depth library of music including everything from the latest hits to classic rock songs.

Featuring gameplay that automatically adjusts to the player’s skill level and innovative game design that makes reading music visually fun and intuitive, Rocksmith engages experienced musicians and those who are picking up a guitar for the first time. The game includes a sizeable library of music from classic rock bands to current artists, such as The Animals, The Black Keys, David Bowie, Interpol, Nirvana, and The Rolling Stones,.

“Rocksmith is the most authentic and addictive music game ever created,” said Geoffroy Sardin, HQ Chief Marketing & Sales Officer at Ubisoft EMEA. “Whether a beginner or a seasoned guitarist, players can progress at their own speed and walk away from the game with the ability to play songs by memory. Rocksmith is the only video game that gets players stage-ready.”

Developed by Ubisoft, Rocksmith is slated to be released in the second half of calendar year 2011.

John Lennon’s Imagine album finally comes to Rock Band

gazzara — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 21:23:30 +0000

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that John Lennon’s masterful album, Imagine, including a track with Pro Guitar and Pro Bass, will be available Nov. 23 in the Rock Band 3 Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii.
“The songs on John Lennon’s Imagine run the gamut from beautiful piano-driven ballads like ‘Jealous Guy’ to all-out guitar rockers like ‘Gimme Some Truth’,” said Paul DeGooyer, senior vice president of electronic games, music and programming for MTV Networks. “It’s an incredible musical statement, and a real workout on keyboard, guitar and vocals in Rock Band 3. We’re very excited to be able to bring this masterpiece to Rock Band fans.”

Rock Band provides the deepest and best selection of artists, songs and albums through the Rock Band music platform, which features more than 800 artists and more than 2,000 tracks via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at www.rockband.com/songs). Rock Band’s gigantic music library dwarfs that of any other rhythm video game on the market. To date, more than 75 million songs have been sold through the Rock Band Music Store since its launch Nov. 20, 2007.

Rock Band DLC Additions for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii

John Lennon released his second solo album, Imagine, in 1971. The album went to No. 1 worldwide, and the title track, “Imagine,” which is on the Rock Band 3 on-disc soundtrack, reached No. 3 in the U.S. and No. 1 in the UK. This warm album, showcasing Lennon’s superior piano playing, is No. 76 in Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time and features musical contributions from King Curtis, George Harrison and Phil Spector, among many others. Next week, the album will be available for download and play in Rock Band 3.

As always, songs available for downloadable content for Rock Band 3 feature five-button guitar and bass parts, drums, Pro Drums and keys, Pro Keys and harmonies, where applicable. Some songs also feature Pro Guitar and Pro Bass upgrades available for an additional $0.99 upgrade download.

Available on Xbox 360, Wii and PlayStation 3 system (Nov. 23):

• “Crippled Inside”

“Jealous Guy”
“It’s So Hard”
“I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama”
“Gimme Some Truth”
“Oh My Love”
“How Do You Sleep?” X
“How?”
“Oh Yoko!”

(All tracks are original master recordings)
(These tracks will be available in Europe on PlayStation 3 system Nov. 24)

These tracks will be available for purchase as individual tracks, as well as “Imagine (Album)” on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii. Tracks marked with “X” will include Pro Guitar and Pro Bass expansions for $0.99 per song.

Price: $1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points) per song
$2.00 USD (200 Wii Points^TM) per song
$0.99 USD (100 Wii Points/80 Microsoft Points), £0.59 UK, €0.79 EU per song for eligible Pro Guitar/Pro Bass upgrade
$14.99, £7.49 UK, €10.99 EU (1,200 Microsoft Points, 1,500 Wii Points) for Imagine (Album)

John Lennon’s Imagine album coming to Rock Band 3

gazzara — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 14:06:30 +0000

Harmonix and MTV today proudly announced that Imagine, the timeless album from John Lennon, will be among the first albums released as Rock Band 3 downloadable content.

“The songs on John Lennon’s Imagine run the gamut from beautiful piano-driven ballads like ‘Jealous Guy’ to all-out guitar rockers like ‘Gimme Some Truth’,” said Paul DeGooyer, senior vice president of electronic games, music and programming for MTV Networks. “It’s an incredible musical statement, and a real workout on keyboard, guitar and vocals in Rock Band 3. We’re very excited to confirm it as one of the first downloads for our new game, and to help our fans celebrate John’s 70th birthday with its release.”

As previously announced, The Doors will kick off Rock Band 3 downloadable content Oct. 22, but Harmonix and MTV Games have quite a line-up to follow that debut. Adding to an already impressive catalog of more than 2,000 songs available on the Rock Band platform, music from John Lennon, The Doors, Bon Jovi and Billy Joel will also be among the first available for download through the Rock Band 3 Music Store after the game launches Oct. 26 in the United States and Oct. 29 in the rest of the world.

In addition, fans that purchase Rock Band 3 and play online during the first week the game is available (Oct. 26 – Nov. 1) can download a free three-pack of songs from The Doors that feature Pro Guitar and Pro Bass upgrades. The free pack, which is available only through the Rock Band 3 in-game Music Store, includes “Light My Fire,” “Riders on the Storm” and “Touch Me,” and incorporates five-button guitar and bass, Drums, Pro Drums and Keys, Pro Keys and harmonies, where applicable, as well as a free expansion that will add Pro Guitar and Pro Bass parts. A nine-pack of songs from The Doors will also be available for download that week. This includes some of the classic rockers’ most-loved songs, like “Hello, I Love You,” “L.A. Woman,” “Love Her Madly” and “Roadhouse Blues,” all featuring Drums, Pro Drums, five-button guitar and bass parts and, where applicable, harmonies and Keys/Pro Keys parts.

In the coming weeks, packs of some of the greatest hits from both Billy Joel and Bon Jovi will also be added to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content. Be sure to stay tuned to RockBand.com for more information.

Rocky Horror Picture Show tracks coming to GH: Warriors Of Rock

gazzara — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 12:48:15 +0000

Already augmenting the massive 93 song on-disc set list in Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock with over 550 additional tracks currently available, the Guitar Hero music library is bringing even more rockin’ hits this October with over 18 new downloadable tracks.

Featuring tracks from some of today’s biggest artists including Soundgarden, Muse, My Chemical Romance and more, plus a trio of hits from the longest-running theatrical film in history, the Rocky Horror Picture Show, this month’s downloadable content is set to heighten the rock experience.

Delivering a fresh batch of shredtacular hits exclusively to the Xbox Live Marketplace, the Rocktober track pack is sure to satisfy every player’s inner rock warrior with three hits from three rocktastic bands. Beginning today, Gold Members will be able to download the track pack for free for one week. The Rocktober track pack includes Disturbed’s “The Infection,” Muse’s “Resistance” and “Na Na Na” by My Chemical Romance. Beginning on 19^th October, the track pack will be available for purchase for all Xbox 360 budding musicians around the world.

On 26^th October, players can enter the world of Dr. Frank N. Furter and rock out to three of the most well known tracks from the 1975 cult classic and the longest-running theatrical film of all time, the Rocky Horror Picture Show. The track pack, which releases just in time for Halloween, will feature “Time Warp,” “Sweet Transvestite,” and “Hot Patootie,” and is sure to have gamers around the world singing “it’s just a jump to the left and then a step to the right, with your hands on your hips you bring your knees in tight… Let’s do the Time Warp again!”

Delivering fans original content exclusively playable in Guitar Hero, axe shredders, drummers and fearless frontmen can rock out to Soundgarden’s amazing, all-new single, “Black Rain,” only in Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock. Additionally, beginning 26^th October, gamers looking to get their rock on with select tracks off the band’s first album in over ten years, Telephantasm, are in luck. Previously only available for download as a full album, players can now score any of the individual hit tracks off Soundgarden’s newest platinum album.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show track pack will be available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 440 Microsoft Points, on the PlayStation Store for £3.99 and for Wii for 550 Wii Points. All songs in the Soundgarden Telephantasm singles and Rocky Horror Picture Show track packs will be released as downloadable singles for the Xbox 360 for 160 points, PS3 for £1.59 and Wii for 200 Wii Points each.

Additionally, the Rocktober track pack will be available exclusively on the Xbox 360 for 440 Microsoft Points or as singles for 160 Microsoft Points each. In addition to the in-game music store and Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360, Xbox 360 owners can expand their Guitar Hero music library using the Guitar Hero VIP Pass Music Store, available exclusively on Xbox LIVE.

MS to launch itunes rival in the UK

gazzara — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 12:38:53 +0000

Microsoft today announced the further international expansion of Zune, its digital entertainment service.

This Autumn, Zune will expand its music and video footprint and bring the free Zune software, Zune Marketplace online store, Zune Pass music subscription service and enhanced features on Zune.net to customers in the UK and other international markets, providing a comprehensive entertainment experience on Windows-based PCs, on the go with Windows Phone 7 and in your living room through Xbox LIVE.

“The integration between Zune, Windows Phone 7 and Xbox LIVE is an exciting advance in our entertainment offering,” said Craig Eisler, corporate vice president, Interactive Entertainment Business Group at Microsoft. “Zune enables users access to the entertainment they want, wherever they want it – and now, more people than ever will be able to enjoy the freedom and flexibility that the Zune service offers.”

When the service launches, consumers in the UK will be able to purchase MP3s from Zune Marketplace and listen to them on their Windows-based PC, Windows Phone 7 or any other device that supports MP3 format. Users will also be able to purchase music videos to enjoy on Windows-based PC, Windows Phone 7 and Zune on Xbox LIVE.

Zune Pass, the monthly music subscription service, will also be available for £8.99 providing unlimited download and streaming access to the Zune music catalogue and will be accessible on Windows-based PCs, Windows Phone 7 and Xbox LIVE.

In addition to Zune video on Xbox LIVE, consumers will also be able to rent movies for viewing on their Windows-based PC or choose to synch the rental to their Windows Phone 7. Consumers in the UK will also have the option to purchase download-to-own movies and music videos to watch anywhere – on the big screen with Xbox LIVE, their Windows PC or synch it to Windows Phone 7 to enjoy on the go.

As Zune expands internationally, its music and video service will be tailored for each market. Local experts will programme Zune Marketplace and feature the top songs, videos and unique promotions for each country.

The international expansion of the service is the latest step in a series of milestones for Zune, including powering Bing music search results, the added ability to purchase music and video on theZune.net website and the forthcoming integration with Xbox LIVE and Kinect for Xbox 360. By continuing to integrate Zune across the most important screens to consumers, Zune provides an all-in-one music and video service for users to discover, enjoy and experience their entertainment wherever they want.

The Zune PC software has been upgraded with new features and functionality and will serve as the Windows Phone 7 synchronization client. The new software (version 4.7) will be available for download for free to easily manage your personal collection of movies, music, pictures, podcasts and applications. Zune Software continues to set the standard for entertainment software, providing best-in-class experiences to manage, discover and enjoy digital media with a variety of exclusive features. For example, the Quickplay menu enables immediate access to recently played content, newest additions and personal favourites, and Smart DJautomatically creates playlists from the content on your PC and takes the extra step of mixing in suggested music from the Zune Marketplace. The updated Zune Software will also enable instant streaming of high-definition movies, allowing you to watch some Zune Marketplace movies in HD, with no download time, directly on a Windows PC.

Zune Marketplace online store is accessible from within the Zune Software and offers the ability to purchase millions of individual tracks or albums from its catalogue, all in MP3 format. Here, consumers can also subscribe to Zune Pass, which provides unlimited downloads and music streaming capabilities to the Zune music library, including content from major music labels including Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, EMI Music and Warner Music Group, as well as well as thousands of independent labels. Zune Marketplace also has a large library of movies from NBC Universal, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution and others.

Zune.net is the perfect resource for consumers as it allows them to download the software and set-up a Zune account with a new or existing Windows Live ID. Zune.net will also provide Web access to Zune Marketplace to purchase music or use a Zune Pass to stream music directly through an Internet browser as well as purchase video content.

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Rock Band 3 set list

gazzara — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:37:04 +0000

Harmonix and MTV Games today confirmed the entire 83 song on-disc soundtrack for the highly anticipated Rock Band 3.

The game will include new tracks from Jimi Hendrix, Avenged Sevenfold, Paramore, The White Stripes, Jane’s Addiction, Phish, Anthrax, The Cure, Bob Marley, Def Leppard, Ozzy Osbourne, Dire Straits, The Smiths, Foreigner, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Doors and many more. Rock Band 3 will be released Oct. 26 in North America and Oct. 29 in the rest of the world for the Xbox 360, PS3, Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS.

“The Rock Band 3 soundtrack represents the strongest, most diverse collection of music ever assembled for a video game,” said Paul DeGooyer, senior vice president of electronic games, music and programming for MTV Games. “The addition of keyboards and vocal harmonies to the Rock Band platform massively broadens the music selection available to our players. You haven’t sung Queen’s epic “Bohemian Rhapsody” unless you’ve sung the harmony parts – and you can’t do that unless you have Rock Band 3.”

Without further ado, here is the entire, jaw-dropping Rock Band 3 setlist:

2000s:

Amy Winehouse, “Rehab”
At the Drive-In, “One Armed Scissor”
Avenged Sevenfold, “The Beast & the Harlot”
Dover, “King George”
The Bronx, “False Alarm”
The Flaming Lips, “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1”
HIM (His Infernal Majesty), “Killing Loneliness”
Hypernova, “Viva La Resistance”
Ida Maria, “Oh My God”*
Juanes, “Me Enamora”
Metric, “Combat Baby”*
Paramore, “Misery Business”*
Phoenix, “Lasso”*
Poni Hoax, “Antibodies”
Pretty Girls Make Graves, “Something Bigger, Something Brighter”
Queens of the Stone Age, “No One Knows”
The Ravonettes, “Last Dance”
Rilo Kiley, “Portions for Foxes”*
Riverboat Gamblers, “Don’t Bury Me…I’m Still Not Dead”
Slipknot, “Before I Forget”
The Sounds, “Living in America”
Tegan & Sara, “The Con”
Them Crooked Vultures, “Dead End Friends”
Tokio Hotel, “Humanoid”*
The Vines, “Get Free”*
The White Stripes, “The Hardest Button to Button”*

1990s:

Faith No More, “Midlife Crisis”*
Filter, “Hey Man, Nice Shot”
Jane’s Addiction, “Been Caught Stealing”*
Maná, “Oye Mi Amor”
Marilyn Manson, “The Beautiful People”
The Muffs, “Outer Space”
Phish, “Llama” • Primus, “Jerry Was a Racecar Driver”
Rammstein, “Du Hast”
Smash Mouth, “Walkin’ On The Sun”*
Spacehog, “In the Meantime”
Stone Temple Pilots, “Plush”
Swingin’ Utters, “This Bastard’s Life”

1980s:

Anthrax, “Caught in a Mosh”
Big Country, “In a Big Country”
The Cure, “Just Like Heaven”*
Def Leppard, “Foolin’”
Devo, “Whip It”
Dio, “Rainbow in the Dark”
Dire Straits, “Walk of Life”
Echo & the Bunnymen, “The Killing Moon”
Huey Lewis and the News, “The Power of Love”
INXS, “Need You Tonight”* • J. Geils Band, “Centerfold”
Joan Jett, “I Love Rock N’ Roll”*
Night Ranger, “Sister Christian”*
Ozzy Osbourne, “Crazy Train”*
The Police, “Don’t Stand So Close to Me”
Roxette, “The Look”*
The Smiths, “Stop Me if You Think You’ve Heard This One Before”
Tears for Fears, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”
Whitesnake, “Here I Go Again”*

1970s:

The B-52’s, “Rock Lobster”*
Blondie, “Heart of Glass”
Bob Marley, “Get Up, Stand Up”
Chicago, “25 or 6 to 4”
Deep Purple, “Smoke on the Water”
Doobie Brothers, “China Grove”*
Elton John, “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting”
Foreigner, “Cold As Ice”*
Golden Earring, “Radar Love”
John Lennon, “Imagine” • Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Free Bird”
Queen, “Bohemian Rhapsody”*
Ramones, “I Wanna Be Sedated”
Steve Miller Band, “Fly Like an Eagle”
T. Rex, “20th Century Boy”
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, “I Need to Know”
War, “Low Rider”
Warren Zevon, “Werewolves of London”
Yes, “Roundabout”*

1960s:

Beach Boys, “Good Vibrations (Live)”
David Bowie, “Space Oddity”
The Doors, “Break on Through (To the Other Side)”* • James Brown, “I Got You” (I Feel Good) – Alternate Studio Version*
The Jimi Hendrix Experience, “Crosstown Traffic”*
The Who, “I Can See for Miles”