jesper-kyd
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Jukebox Heroes: Character select music
Character select and creation music has always fascinated me. OK, maybe not fascinated; it's interested me. I've always viewed such themes as the overture of the game, the interlude between the title theme and the game proper to come. These themes don't tend to be rip-roaring in their presentation because that's not their purpose. They have to be pleasant enough without being annoying when looped endlessly. After all, sometimes players spend a loooong time making their characters or sitting there at the select screen, and the last thing you want is for their ears to become fatigued by the experience. So here are six MMO character select and character creation themes that I've enjoyed over the years. And if you saw the title graphic up there and immediately started hearing this song in your head, then you and I probably grew up in the same era.
The Firing Line: Hands-on with Heroes & Generals
During the first 10 minutes of my time with Heroes & Generals, I killed once, died twice, and drove a tank, a jeep, a half-track, and a bicycle (not necessarily in that order). I also rode shotgun on said tank and said jeep, manning a nifty vehicle-mounted machine gun in the process. I marveled at the visuals, took way too many screenshots of my squadmates looking at the blow-away badass in-game map (it's the little things, amirite?), and generally had a helluva good time. Did I mention that all of this happened in a browser?
VGA 2009: Assassin's Creed 2 composer on music for a murderer
This past Saturday brought us the Spike TV Video Game Awards and – before experiencing the litany of world exclusives that awaited us inside – we spent some time outside cruising the red carpet and talking (briefly!) to many of the game developers and talent. We squeezed them for information as fast as we could while simultaneously wishing them holiday cheer and good tidings. Yes, it was as awkward as it sounds. Here's what we learned from Jesper Kyd, music composer for Assassin's Creed 2. How do you begin composing music for a 15th century assassin? That was very hard to figure out. First, you have to stop thinking and start researching, because it can be overwhelming. The finished game had over three hours of music in it, so it's really about slowing down, experimenting, researching and seeing what sticks. Did you compose the music for the minstrels and everything? Every single note in there is my music! That was a lot of fun, some of those small bits.
Jesper Kyd returning to compose Assassin's Creed 2 soundtrack
Aural assassination accompaniment news now, with the first confirmation that composer Jesper Kyd will be returning to score Ubisoft's upcoming foray into ye olde stealthe, Assassin's Creed II. Speaking to producer Sebastian Puel, we established that the first title's musical talent would tailor a new soundtrack for Ezio's Venician killing spree. We also spotted Jesper Kyd at the Ubisoft E3 booth. After assuring him that Puel had already spilled the beans, Kyd noted that he was still in the process of composing the music, ahead of the game's November 17th release. We can't wait to hear it! Oh, and play it, obviously.
The Chronicles of Spellborn launches November 27th in North America
Publisher Acclaim Games has finally announced the North American release date of developer Spellborn International's action-oriented MMORPG The Chronicles of Spellborn. The game will go live in the United States and Canada on the 27th of November -- exactly the same day as the European release. Why Acclaim and European publisher Frogster didn't announce for all regions at once, we're not quite sure!In the press release we received, Acclaim promised that a North American closed beta will begin soon, and directed would-be players to sign up at the official site. Expect fairly standard MMO gameplay, except for combat, which is a little different. You'll actually have to aim your attacks like you would in a third person shooter game.Spellborn runs on "Unreal Engine 2.5" and features music by respected video game composer Jesper Kyd, who has contributed scoring to games like Assassin's Creed, Gears of War, and Unreal Tournament 3.
Assassin's Creed music up for download
If you pay attention to video game music at all, there is one name you've likely heard before: Jesper Kyd. One of the industry's most prolific composers, Kyd has been around since the Sega Genesis (ah, The Adventures of Batman & Robin: mediocre game, great soundtrack). Most recently, Kyd has been behind the soundtracks for Kane & Lynch and Assassin's Creed, both of which are available this week. In celebration of the release of Assassin's Creed, Ubisoft has released two of Kyd's tracks from the game, hosted by Gamertag Radio. The two tracks -- "City of Jerusalem" and "Flight Through Jerusalem" -- aptly exemplify the Middle Eastern setting and could easily be heard in a feature film (perhaps an Assassin's Creed film). Click the "read" link to download them.
