Made in Toronto: Deadmau5 collaborating with Queasy on Sound Shapes
When electronica artist Deadmau5 isn't busy hanging out with famed game developer Shigeru Miyamoto, or tricking tweeters into thinking he lost an early retail PlayStation Vita, he's teaming up with Queasy Games to handcraft tracks for upcoming Vita game Sound Shapes. He likely does other things, sure, but we're not privy to that.
An announcement this morning revealed the partnership -- apt given the studio's Toronto roots alongside Deadmau5. As if the collaboration couldn't be more serendipitous, Queasy Games head Jonathan Mak has been building Sound Shapes alongside Shaw-Han Liem, otherwise known as "I Am Robot and Proud," a Toronto-based electronic music artist. When asked about the collaboration, Liem was modest, telling Joystiq, "There is no special history between myself and Deadmau5, other than the fact that we both come from the Toronto/Canadian electronic music scene, which is quite small!"
He related the collaboration to Queasy's work with Capy Games, the indie studio responsible for Critter Crunch and Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes, among other things. "We know that he plays games, and indie games in particular - he's a fan of 'Sword & Sworcery'," Liem told us.
It's not clear how many tracks from Deadmau5 will end up in the title, but we'll find out in the not-too-distant future as Sound Shapes launches some time in 2012 for the PlayStation Vita. It also sounds like players will have a chance to cut up said tracks for level creation, as Liem concluded, "We've always had the goal of making the musical 'toolset' something that is flexible and that people can use to make different kinds of music. Adding Deadmau5 to the mix gives people a whole new set of musical tools to work with, which is totally exciting to us."
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Deadmau5 To Create Exclusive Tracks For Sound Shapes, The Upcoming Music Platformer Game For PlayStation®Vita
December 12, 2011 – Dance music phenomenon Deadmau5 announced he is creating a variety of exclusive new tracks for Sound Shapes, the innovative music game in development for the PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita) system. His forward thinking approach to indelible and infectious music mirrors the vision of Queasy Games, the developers behind the highly anticipated title.
Scheduled for release in 2012, Sound Shapes is equal parts musical instrument and game. Users can play through a single player campaign mode or compose original music and levels, all of which utilize the PS Vita's front touchscreen and rear touch panel. During gameplay, explore a musical world in the form of a classic 2D side scroller, where every action creates a unique game sound track. During creation, players can lay down collectible notes and samples, as well as musical game objects and hazards. Players can then upload and share their creations with the community via the PlayStation Network (PSN). Since music creation in the game is so much like creating digital music, Deadmau5 has utilized Sound Shapes' innovative technology to create a selection of exclusive tracks to be played out in the single player campaign, as well as allowing users to create new music and levels with his custom beats.
Sound Shapes is being developed for the PS Vita system which delivers new ways to play on-the-go, offering unique gaming experiences with its 5-inch OLED front touchscreen and a rear touch pad which let players interact directly with games. Dual analog sticks allow for console-like controls and Wi-Fi and 3G network connectivity let players stay connected to their friends and other PS Vita owners anytime, anywhere. The PS Vita system launches on February 22, 2012.
Further information on Sound Shapes and PlayStation Vita can be found on the PlayStation Blog.
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