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Jukebox Heroes: 14 MMO soundtracks you can check out on SoundCloud
I'm a pretty slow adopter of new technology and services, so I've only recently really started paying attention to the music-sharing service that is SoundCloud because I've started to see more and more MMO composers plopping down their work onto the site for the world to enjoy. Now that I've spent some time with SoundCloud, I've got to say just how impressed I am with what it can offer to the soundtrack community. Composers and studios can put their soundtracks up on the site for people to listen through without that annoying arbitrary 30-second limit that certain digital distribution platforms use. In addition to providing music for the ears, musicians have the option to show where these albums can be purchased -- and in some cases, offer the tracks as a free download. In return, listeners can tag portions of the songs and have back-and-forth discussions with the composers. I've done a lot of digging and have discovered quite a few MMO soundtracks that are available on SoundCloud, including some that you can legally download and enjoy today. Here are 14 to get you started, but if you see any more, please let us all know in the comments!
Tomb Raider scored by Dead Space composer Jason Graves
Jason Graves is composing the score for Lara Croft's upcoming reboot, Tomb Raider. Graves has composed music for several games, recently winning a BAFTA for his nerve-racking Dead Space score. A behind-the-scenes video has been released alongside the announcement, providing a sneak peek at Graves' approach to the soundtrack.More importantly, it introduces us all to "the Instrument." You'll just have to watch to find out what it is.
Jukebox Heroes: City of Heroes' soundtrack
Really, how could it be anything else this week? By the first of December, a major MMO influence on my life will be gone for good. We will talk about it in the past tense with wistful tones, remembering the superheroic escapades and villainous schemes. It will be given a place of honor in many of our memories, and I truly believe that City of Heroes will echo throughout the industry and community for years to come. One of those echoes is the game's score, which will endure, as does every MMO's soundtrack. When I first started playing City of Heroes in 2004, the music made a big impression on me. It painted a picture of the game's locale and atmosphere perhaps better than anything else. Heck, you could play the game with your eyes closed and know which zone you were in by the music cues. That's how integral the score was to the game. So this is my final send-off to City of Heroes: a look at the highlight from its soundtrack from the launch through Freedom. Goodbye, City of Heroes... I'm going to really miss you. I won't miss the whine from the force field bubble, but I'll miss almost everything else.
City of Heroes Going Rogue soundtrack available on iTunes and Amazon
There's just a little more than a month left until City of Heroes players get to take the new expansion for a spin, and Going Rogue's promotions have been stepped up accordingly. Oddly, while the art direction, storytelling, and mechanical aspects of the expansion have all gotten significant attention, we've heard very little about the music that will be expected to set the mood. But if you really want to know, there's no need to speculate -- the soundtrack is already available for purchase. Available both on iTunes and Amazon (albeit slightly cheaper on Amazon), the soundtrack contains 13 pieces composed by Jason Graves, previously of Dead Space and Command & Conquer 4 fame. The previews available suggest a highly orchestral and high-energy collection of pieces, with each piece giving a distinct and different feel from the familiar melodies of the Rogue Isles and Paragon City. Going Rogue players may well want to pick up the soundtrack, as it's only a few bucks and should conjure some engaging images for future City of Heroes adventures.
