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The Perfect Ten: Best MMO theme songs (part one)
As I've well established both here on Massively and elsewhere, I'm somewhat of a nut for video game music. Whereas others might collect vintage hair metal tracks or the latest Justin Bieber opus, I'm always digging through obscure (and not-so-obscure) official soundtracks to games like Wipeout and Kirby. Video game scores can be right up there with the best that the film industry puts out, and the fact that they tie into personal experiences that we've played through can lend them sentimental weight. So for the next two Perfect Tens, I scoured all the MMO theme songs that I could get ahold of in an attempt to formulate a list of the very best. It was originally slated to be just one list, but after an hour or so of listening to tracks and having friends and fellow staffers weigh in on the subject, I knew it was impossible to keep it there. Two important things to note for this list. First, I wanted to keep to just the title/login screen tracks so that I wouldn't be working on this for the next 2.5 years. Second, unlike most past Perfect Tens where there's no significance to the order of the list, in this case we're going to have a genuine countdown to the best MMO theme song of all time. And I expect to take no flak about it, do you hear me? Good. Let's begin.
May the score be with you: SWTOR releases one music track a day until launch [Updated]
A long time ago in a boombox far, far away... your MP3 folder was growing dusty from disuse and laughable with its lack of coolness. The IMPERIAL COMPOSERS of BioWare stepped in to quash your pitiful musical rebellion by offering you a FREE soundtrack piece every day until launch. Also, the evil gangster JABBA THE HUTT is immune to Jedi mind tricks, FYI. This is true: As a special treat to its fans, BioWare is doling out one music track from its Star Wars: The Old Republic score every day, starting today and going until the December 20th launch. These tracks are available on both on the SWTOR Facebook page and official YouTube channel. The first track is called The Mandalorian Blockade and is composed by Mark Griskey, Wilbert Roget II, Gordy Haab & Lennie Moore. Give it a listen after the jump! [Update: It looks like music is not the only thing the BioWare folks have in store for you in the lead up until launch. Apparently, the team is doing at least one more round of beta testing starting tomorrow, so check your inboxes!]
The Anvil of Crom: Thanksgiving leftovers and what's new in Hyboria
What's up, Age of Conan fans? Hopefully all of you had an overindulgent Thanksgiving (I'm picturing clusters of barbarians hunched around roaring campfires, gnawing the blackened meat off the bones of whatever game animal happened to pass by). For my part, I spent the last couple of days avoiding work, gaining weight, and catching up on recent news from Funcom's Hyboria. I've been a bit distracted with various online shooters lately, but I always find myself coming back to AoC because of its unique fantasy world and rough-and-tumble themepark mechanics. Join me after the break for a few recent tidbits that piqued my interest.
The Road to Mordor: Soundtrack bonanza!
One of the probably-not-very-interesting things about me is that I'm somewhat of a video game soundtrack aficionado. Ever since MP3s became all the rage, I've been collecting my favorite tunes from console and computer games, often replacing the in-game score with my own personal soundtrack. MMO soundtracks, as a whole, are hit or miss with me. While there are many incredible pieces out there, a bulk of what you find is low-key atmospheric stuff that isn't meant to be on anyone's Top 40 playlist. Lord of the Rings Online has its up and downs as a soundtrack, but overall it really does evoke the spirit of Middle-earth. It's hard to imagine playing the game, especially the early levels, without hearing these tracks. I've collected both the soundtracks to Shadows of Angmar and Mines of Moria and have been saving them for a special occasion. Today is that special occasion. These were composed by Chance Thomas (who's scored many Lord of the Rings-related games) and Stephen DiGregorio. Ranging from bombastic to sinister to folksy, this score covers the gamut of themes and emotions related to the journey of the Ring. It's cool to listen to it independently of the game, as you can appreciate the score for what it is -- and see how the pieces evoke memories of your times in LotRO. Instead of individually reviewing all 40 or so tracks, I'm simply going to pick my 10 most favorite to share with you!
TERA composers discuss musical themes
As game budgets grow, production values usually do as well, and this is pretty apparent in the spate of high-quality musical scores surrounding many modern MMORPGs. Titles as diverse as Guild Wars, Age of Conan, and Lord of the Rings Online boast cinema-style ear candy and instantly recognizable theme music, and TERA is gearing up to become the latest MMORPG to follow suit. Renowned composers Inon Zur (Dragon Age, Fallout 3) and Rod Abernethy (RAGE, Dead Space) have been working on TERA's score since 2009, and the duo has made use of the Northwest Sinfonia Orchestra and world-class production and mixing facilities to bring the music of Arborea to life. Zur and Abernethy are interviewed in a new piece over at ZAM, and clicking on the link will bring you discussion on regional and racial musical content as well as personal insights from both men regarding their work on Bluehole Studio's action MMO.
PLAY! Video game symphony will feature music from Guild Wars
Are games art? It's a long-running debate, but one thing that can't really be disputed is the artistic merit of many video game soundtracks. The compositional stylings of Jeremy Soule, in particular, are among the most memorable in the growing catalogue of epic game scores. On June 21st and 22nd, Seattle-area concertgoers can feast their ears on the live sounds of Soule's Guild Wars score (as well as several other seminal game-related works including Soule's instantly recognizable themes for Morrowind and Oblivion). The music is all part of PLAY! A Video Game Symphony, and ArenaNet is highlighting the performance on its official blog. Tickets are available now at the Seattle Symphony website (or by calling 206.215.4747). If you're going, be sure to say hello to the Guild Wars artists on hand for signings in the Benaroya Hall lobby.
Nick Jonas is Wizard101's mystery composer
The cat is out of the bag and the teenage girls are out of their minds: Wizard101 has announced that Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers is the "mystery composer" whom we've been trying to guess for the past couple of weeks. Jonas both wrote and produced the soundtrack for Wizard101's latest world of Wintertusk, which includes seven pieces of music. Apparently, the songwriter was psyched to be a part of a video game for the first time: "This was a first for me. I never produced or wrote music for a game or in this case, a whole world before. So I jumped at the chance to work with KingsIsle. It was very cool to be part of a project that allowed me to help create the mood for Wintertusk and interact with an audience in an entirely new way." Players can even meet Nick Jonas -- well, his virtual equivalent -- in the game and watch as his character conducts an orchestra. The world of Wintertusk with all of its "cool" music is currently open for all to experience.
Meet basically every game composer ever in Burbank on June 11
Ever wanted to personally thank a video game composer for creating a particularly catchy anthem? Perhaps with a plate of cookies, or a hearty handshake? You'll get your chance next month, provided you live in Southern California -- Sumthing Else Music Works has arranged for a smattering of musicians to speak at a "Maestros of Video Games" panel on June 11 at Dark Delicacies Books and Collectibles in Burbank, CA. Attendees will be able to listen to and meet composers like Uncharted's Greg Edmonson, Dragon Age's Inon Zur, BioShock's Garry Schyman and a lot more. Check out the full list of participants and event details after the jump! (And we were just kidding about the "plate of cookies" thing. That would be creeptastic.)
Hans Zimmer puts light touch on Crysis 2 score
While you might not recognize, let alone be able to pronounce, the names behind the Crysis 2 score -- Borislav Slavov and Tilman Sillescu, anyone? -- EA's got one that might ring a bell: Hans Zimmer. The Hans has contributed "part of the dramatic score" for Crytek's sequel, the publisher announced today, squeezing in one last plug before the game and soundtrack are released next week. You can sample the introductory track in the audio clip below -- or do it the right way: Wait until next week when you can get the full soundtrack on your iPod, squeeze into a body suit and go bounding up 5th Avenue.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow wins best original game score from Film Music Critics
The Oscars still haven't deigned to give awards out to video game creators, but the International Film Music Critics' Association is much more open-minded. In among their awards given out this past week was a "Best Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media." And the winner goes to... Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. Congratulations to composer Óscar Araujo, who got to take home the "Iffy." No, we just made that name up -- we don't really know what it's called. Probably just the IFMCA Award. His score beat out the music in Dark Void (by Bear McCreary!), James Bond 007: Blood Stone, Lego Universe, and the Legend of the Guardians games to win it all. And apologies to composers Bill Elm and Woody Jackson. Why? Because their Red Dead Redemption score got robbed! Robbed, we say!
Lost Pages of Taborea: An interview with Dynamedion
A lot of people like music in video games, and for good reason. Today there are some amazing tracks being recorded by professionals and artists for us to listen to as we own noobs, take down mighty dragons, and explore serene vistas. The world of video game composing even has its own fanbase filled with players who pay close attention to who is making the musical score to tomorrow's buzz-worthy game. I have personally clawed around in the dark for months looking for scraps of information on Runes of Magic's soundtrack. Some fragments have been unearthed here and there, but I was finally able to get in touch with the source. Dynamedion is the music production company behind many of the tracks in RoM. It has a number of games listed on its resume, including Halo Legends, Alan Wake, Call of Duty 4 and many more. I nabbed an interview with some of the lead composers to try to get some more information about the music in RoM. Where did the inspiration for these tracks come from? Who worked on them? Did they steal all the music from Bardy Woods? Set your metronome to epic fantasy and click to read on.
Medal of Honor soundtracks getting reprinted in eight-disc collection
Are you looking for a metric ton of musical accompaniment for ... well, any event that would require you to get super, super pumped up beforehand? La-La Land Records and Electronic Arts have teamed up to create the most potent bundle of inspirational tunes you've ever heard: An eight-disc, ten-hour-long compilation of all the original scores from the Medal of Honor series. In addition to the almost-half-day of music from composers Michael Giacchino, Christopher Lennertz and Ramin Djawadi, the bundle includes a 40-page book with information on each game and soundtrack, complete with a foreword from the series' creator, Stephen Spielberg. The collection will be available through La-La Land Records on March 1, though a price wasn't included in the announcement. Really, though, can you put a price on inspiration?
The Anvil of Crom: Knut Haugen talks game music, film music, and inspiration
Welcome, my fellow barbarians, to another installment of The Anvil of Crom. This week I've got a bit of a treat for the music fans in the audience -- which is basically everyone, amirite? Yes, I finally got the chance to ask a few questions of Funcom's Knut Avenstroup Haugen, the man responsible for Age of Conan's sweeping soundscapes and evocative musical score. Even if you're not an Age of Conan fan, you'll want to check out what Haugen has to say about the creative process, musical inspiration and research, and the crucial role that work ethic plays for the artist. Join me after the cut as we talk about all that and more.
Lost Pages of Taborea: Siege war top 50
One of the fascinating aspects of an MMO is its ability to spark creativity. With so much to do in these large virtual worlds, it's almost inevitable that players will create wikis, fan sites, addons and anything else they can dream up. Runes of Magic is no different, and its siege war has given way to the creation of Siege War Top 50. The fan-made website aggregates siege war scores from all guilds on North American servers and spits it out in various lists. It has been consistently popular on the RoM forums for many weeks now and is a testament to how popular siege war is. Let's take a look at this site and see what makes it tick. Along the way, I share commentary about the site and siege war in general, and you'll get to see which guilds are in the top bracket out of all the North American servers.
Age of Conan soundtrack turning heads in Hollywood
Long-time Age of Conan players need no introduction to Knut Avenstroup Haugen. Even though they might not know the name, Haugen's seminal score for Funcom's sword and sorcery MMORPG is instantly recognizable. It seems that Hollywood is finally coming around as well, nominating the composer for a best original score award in the Music in Media category. Even if you're not an Age of Conan fan, Haugen's Rise of the Godslayer soundtrack (as well as the Hyborian Adventures suite for the original game) is well worth a listen, particularly if you're into big-budget fantasy soundscapes that rival the work of Howard Shore and Hans Zimmer. Check out the press release on the game's official website, and have a look back at the Rise of the Godslayer Making the Music trailer.
The Game Archaeologist and the Girdle of Anarchy: My expedition
I have a confession to make: Returning to Anarchy Online was the driving force behind starting The Game Archaeologist. Oh sure, I pretended to be all business-like when I approached my boss and said, "You know, Señor Schuster, we are doing a disservice to some of the older MMOs and their fans by not covering these games, and I think, nay, insist we remedy that immediately." But of course, what I was thinking was, "Pay me to engage in hardcore nostalgia, dude!" It worked. *cue rubbing hands together and laughing maniacally* You see, Anarchy Online was my very first MMO. It wasn't my first MMO love, mind you -- that was City of Heroes. But AO holds a special place in my heart as the game that introduced me to the wonderful world of online RPGs. It was tough, near-incomprehensible, and quite buggy at the start, but I've never lost affection for the world of Rubi-Ka. So after my looking back at Anarchy Online's history, asking you to share your stories, and talking with Funcom's devs, it was time for me to return and see if this world still holds magic... or if it has lost its way.%Gallery-102015%
Medal of Honor score created by Iron Man composer Ramin Djawadi
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 had a sweeping series of arrangements created by famed composer Hans Zimmer. Earlier today, EA announced that its upcoming military shooter, Medal of Honor, will have a score composed by another Hollywood maestro. Ramin Djawadi, whose musical work has appeared in Iron Man, Prison Break and Clash of the Titans -- the remake, that is -- is the mind behind the game's musical accompaniment. Djawadi explained in this press release announcement that "the music is designed to dynamically ebb and flow, complementing the big action sequences with thundering electric guitar and bass, and the quiet stealth with haunting strings and hymns." He adds, "it is like a Hollywood action movie score on steroids." So, it's going to be incomprehensibly strong, irrationally angry and covered in weird, plump, ever-shifting veins? We'll be honest -- we're more than a little frightened.
TUAW's Daily App: Awesome Solitaire
Awesome Solitaire is (surprise!) an awesome solitaire game. The usual card game is so simple by now that presentation is everything, and Awesome Solitaire has presentation in spades. If you play in Awesome mode, the graphics are flashy, you get rewarded with points for combos, and the animation looks smooth and professional. Heck, the background is even animated with the accelerometer. My one argument is that there's no sound on the app at all -- as flashy and smooth as the graphics are, you'd think there would be some sparkling sounds to accompany them. But then again, I often turn the sounds on my phone down (especially in public), so the lack of sound on a pick up and play game like this doesn't hurt too much. This is the absolute coolest version of solitaire you will ever play on your iPhone. There aren't a lot of actual game options (there are lots of other versions if you want a little variety), but if you just want to sit back and move solitaire cards around, this is the way to do it. Oh, and one more thing: the app is free through the weekend. You really have no excuses at all -- go on over to the App Store and download this one.
Apple tops consumer satisfaction survey again
For the seventh straight year in a row, Apple has topped the American Customer Satisfaction Index survey, ringing in at number one on the annual list of PC manufacturers as ranked by customers. And it earned its best score ever -- an 86 out of 100. That's nine points ahead of its closest competitors, which are Dell, Acer, and HP. As you can see from the chart above, Apple is on its way up as well. It's tempting to lay success like this at the feet of the iPod, iPhone, and iPad, but keep in mind that this is strictly about PC manufacturers. Consumers are more satisfied than ever with their Macs, and it shows on the sales side as well, with Macs selling in record numbers. Apple now calls itself a mobile device company, but it turns out that branching out to mobile devices from personal computers was one of the best things that ever happened to the Mac. Who's at the bottom? Compaq is the only PC brand that didn't improve from last year, and it was the lowest of every brand on the index for the ninth straight year. If Apple's winning, somebody's got to be the loser, right?
New Making of Eorzea video sits down with Final Fantasy XIV's composer Uematsu
For many people, Nobuo Uematsu's name is inextricably linked to the Final Fantasy series. And with good cause -- he's one of the people most closely associated with the feel of the series, with several of his compositions having become ubiquitous even within games he didn't score. Having been the sole composer for Final Fantasy XIV, the newest Making of Eorzea video sits down with Uematsu and discusses the experience of composing the full score for the game. While Uematsu estimates it's been about ten years since he was in charge of a full score for a game, there's little argument to be had about his suitability for the job. He discusses both the scope of the project and his experiences in composing such memorable tracks as the theme song -- which, in his own words, was sung by Susan Calloway at his own insistence. See more about the music of Final Fantasy XIV in the video, embedded after the cut.
