BlizzCon 2008

Game Music

BlizzCon 08: Interview with Audio/Video Director Russell Brower

October 21, 2008 | Jayson Napolitano | 2 Comments Share this

Yeah, I know, BlizzCon ended over a week ago, but we’re still not done! We were able to get some time with Russell Brower, the audio and video director at Blizzard Entertainment whose name you may recognize from the “Diablo III Overture” that was released for free last month.

Well, we talk about that particular piece along with a number of other topics. We get confirmation that Wrath of the Lich King will feature over 7 hours of new music, and we also get an idea of who will be handling the music for the individual races in StarCraft II. Finally we discuss how the “Diablo III Overture” will appear in the completed game.

Which of Blizzard’s upcoming titles are you most looking forward to? Would you buy a 20-volume soundtrack for World of Warcraft?

Read our BlizzCon interview after the jump! (more…)
Game Music

BlizzCon 08: Closing Ceremonies Feature Comedy, Rock ‘n’ Roll, and Video Games Live

October 12, 2008 | Jayson Napolitano | Comments Off on BlizzCon 08: Closing Ceremonies Feature Comedy, Rock ‘n’ Roll, and Video Games Live Share this

Well, it began two days ago, and it’s already over. Gamers attending this year’s BlizzCon were not only treated to StarCraft II, Wrath of the Lich King, and Diablo III this year, but a slew of developer panels, in-game events, and merchandise made BlizzCon a complete experience. There was even a retro arcade featuring two of my Blizzard titles, Lost Vikings and Rock ‘n’ Roll Racing.

The closing ceremonies began last night with two comedians, followed by Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain who perfromed a combination of old and new tracks, and finally a special Blizzard edition of Video Games Live with three new segments. Needless to say, there was a lot for music enthusiasts to enjoy at the show.

Hit the jump for a complete account of the closing ceremonies. (more…)
Game Music

BlizzCon 08: New Diablo III Tunes, New Co-Composer Announced

October 12, 2008 | Jayson Napolitano | 6 Comments Share this

I am really excited about Diablo III. I’ve been looking forward to the game for years, and now that it’s officially on the way, I’ve been dying to get my hands on it. Although many guessed that Diablo III would be playable at BlizzCon, I was pretty skeptical given that the game had previously only been shown by Blizzard staff.

Well, I was wrong, and the game was playable on the show floor at BlizzCon this weekend. Four playable classes, including the newly announced wizard were playable, and gamers had the choice of engaging in a single or multiplayer campaign through Tristram and three layers of the catacombs in the approximately 30-minute long demo. It was a great chance to hear some of the music in the game, which is sounding quite good.

Read about the three tracks featured in the demo after the jump. (more…)
Game Music

Video Games Live To Return to BlizzCon With New Debut Performances

October 6, 2008 | Jayson Napolitano | 2 Comments Share this

While the VGL performance that closed BlizzCon 2007 was a monumental event, featuring music from Diablo, StarCraft II, and World of Warcraft that had never been performed live before, I was starting to think the show would not return to BlizzCon this year. It appears as though I was wrong!

Many had suspected that the mysterious Anaheim concert that was listed on the VGL website would in fact be a BlizzCon pefromance, but nothing had been confirmed up until today. Waiting until the last minute, VGL has finally shot off a press release confirming that the concert will once again be a part of the closing ceremonies. There will apparently be some new musical debuts as well, so be sure to check out the concert if you’re attending BlizzCon on Friday and Saturday.

Any thoughts as to the music they will be debuting at this performance? Will you be tuning into the Pay-Per-Review presentation of convention?

Hit the jump for the official press release. (more…)
Game Music

Blizzard Unleashes Backlog of Soundtracks on iTunes

September 4, 2008 | Jayson Napolitano | 1 Comment Share this

I can’t tell you how many people have asked where to buy the World of Warcraft: Taverns of Azeroth Original Soundtrack and the StarCraft Original Soundtrack that were available at BlizzCon 2007. I’ve always had to tell them to be patient and to wait for BlizzCon 2008 when Blizzard would surely put the CDs up for sale once again.

Well, we’re still a month away from BlizzCon 2008, and these fans dying to hear these albums in all their legitamate glory will have to wait no longer. After posting the Diablo III Main Theme to iTunes earlier this week, Blizzard has opened the flood gates, uploading six full albums to iTunes today. They include StarCraft, Warcraft III, World of Warcraft, World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, World of Warcraft: Taverns of Azeroth, and my favorite of the bunch, Matt Uelmen’s score from Diablo II. I’m personally a fan of physical releases, so hopefully they still have plenty of discs on hand for fans at BlizzCon this year, but this is definitely good news from Blizzard.

Have you been looking forward to any of these albums? Sick of trying to find the Diablo II Collector’s Edition for the amazing soundtrack to the game?

[via Destructoid]