Comic Con 2009

Game Music

Comic Con 2009: Pop’n Music US Debut Features Japanese Songs, But Still Needs Some Work

July 27, 2009 | Jayson Napolitano | 2 Comments Share this

While the gaming division of Konami didn’t have a presence at this year’s Comic Con, they fortunately hosted an off-site event where gaming media could get their hands on some titles that they may have missed at E3 as well as a couple new titles, including the upcoming Wii take on the Pop’n Music series. It’s the first time the series is making its way to the US, and if you’ve seen the countless versions on arcades and PlayStation consoles in Japan you’re likely pretty excited about this new development.

Well, let me tell you right out that the game has a long way to go. It looks great, retaining the series’ vibrant visuals, but the controls are somewhat lacking in accuracy, precision, and, well, number at the moment. Basically, you use the remote and nunchuk and either flick your wrist outwards, swing up and down, or flick them inwards to hit the 5 possible notes, but it’s just not all that responsive, which is quite frustrating to say the least. If they can figure out how to manage the controls on the Wii and up the difficulty (I was already blowing through the more challenging stages despite the controls), this could definitely turn into an awesome rhythm title for the Wii. They intend to feature both English and Japanese-language tracks in the game (awesome), with one being Jamoriquai’s “Virtual Insanity,” a personal favorite of mine.

Are you a fan of the Pop’n Music series? Have any requests from either the East or West that you’d like to see included in the game?
Game Music

Comic Con 2009: Video Games Live Returns to San Diego for Round 2

July 27, 2009 | Chris Ling | 3 Comments Share this

The crowds at San Diego Comic-Con had plenty to celebrate as Video Games Live returned to perform simultaneously with the event. The second appearance of VGL in San Diego marks the 30th venue the concert series has performed this year alone. Certainly this is a testament to the interest fans have in the wide world of game music.

You’re probably wonder what was new, so I’ll tell you. New pre-concert videos, a Mega Man segment, and the much-talked about Chrono Trigger/Chrono Cross segment all made an appearance. Overall, it was a good experience, so check out the setlist at the very least.

Our impressions of the show, after the jump. (more…)
Game Music

Comic Con 2009: Square Enix Music Division Interview With Izumi Tsukushi and Akio Shiraishi

July 26, 2009 | Jayson Napolitano | 2 Comments Share this

I can’t believe it’s already been a year. We met Izumi Tsukushi, the manager of Square Enix’s music licensing division, at last year’s Comic Con, and we were fortunate to get to see him again this year’s show and ask some questions about the state of things at Square Enix. As an additional bonus, Akio Shiriaishi, the promotions and marketing manager for the music division was also on hand to discuss music.

So, what did we find out? First of all, Square Enix is going to be bringing their music in full force to events in both North America and Europe. That’s good news. They also have their sights on Yasunori Mitsuda for their next orchestral drammatica-like “best of” album. Other topics include the SaGa soundtrack box, Blood of Bahamut, Chrono Trigger DS, Shota Shimizu’s Chrono Trigger single, and Square Enix’s Tokyo Game Show sampler which will feature music from both Final Fantasy Gaiden and an unannounced music project. It’s certainly an interesting discussion, so check it out!

Read our interview with the Square Enix music licensing team after the jump (more…)
Gear

Comic Con 2009: Tritton Technologies Unveils AX180 Headset For Economically Challenged Gamers

July 25, 2009 | Jayson Napolitano | Comments Off on Comic Con 2009: Tritton Technologies Unveils AX180 Headset For Economically Challenged Gamers Share this

So, we’ve already given you an in-depth look at Tritton’s AX Pro Gaming Headset, and Tim had the pleasure of paying the company a visit at E3 this year to check out their latest AX720 and AX900 models that addressed some of my initial complaints about the AX Pro. Today on the floor, however, we were able to see the next entry into Tritton’s arsenal of audio goods.

The entry level AX180 is much smaller than the Pro, 720, and 900, but still packs quite a punch. It sports the same speakers as the more pricey 720 and 900 models, and can even be used universally on all consoles, including the Wii. It’s USB-powered too, which means no need to search around for a wall socket. I think of all their headsets, this one is the one that really speaks to me given its smaller design and simple connection options. It’s definitely going to work fine for mundane tasks like Skype and playing the DS. It’s due out at the end of summer at a price point of about $69, so watch for more information as it becomes available.

Are you at all interested in any of Tritton’s audio wares? Do you think stepping down from their high-end gaming headsets is a good way to go?
Game Music, Television

Comic Con 2009: Bear McCreary Talks Dark Void, Says 8-Bit Music Rocks

July 25, 2009 | Jayson Napolitano | 2 Comments Share this

Bear McCreary just became one of my favorite Hollywood composers ever. We’ve known for awhile that he’s really into games, but after talking to him at Comic Con yesterday, it’s obvious that he knows his stuff and really has an appreciation for classic gaming and music. He even went as far as to say that modern game music has “devolved” with all the new technology.

We talk about his work on Dark Void, how he got the gig, and how much music he wrote for the game. His Battlestar Galactica band is also briefly discussed along with some of his upcoming projects, including another top-secret game project that he’s pretty excited about. I’m SO looking forward to having my ears mauled by Bear McCreary’s Dark Void soundtrack!

Read our review from the Comic Con showfloor after the jump. (more…)
Game Music

Comic Con 2009: Sands of Destruction Needs a Soundtrack Release!

July 24, 2009 | Jayson Napolitano | 3 Comments Share this

Okay, maybe I’m being a bit premature, but the few tracks I heard on the show floor today sound pretty awesome. I’ll admit I haven’t been overly impressed with much of Mitsuda’s latest work, but this sounds more in line with his work on Chrono Cross more than anything else (although you wouldn’t know from the epic battle theme). The game looks and plays really well too, making it a nice, tidy package.

So what was there there hear? The demo I played took place in the Mirrorsand Grotto, a gloomy blue cavern with some awesome music. The piece started with some triangle percussion before an acoustic guitar was added with some cool pitch bend effects at the end of each measure. The pad progression was really dark and different, especially for a Mitsuda piece. The battle theme, as I mentioned, is pretty epic. I dig the breakdown at the 0:52 mark in the above video, and afterwards, that’s some nice marimba!

Looking forward to Sands of Destruction early next year? Are you hoping as much as I am that they put out a soundtrack for this game?
Game Music

Comic Con 2009: Halo 3 ODST Soundtrack is Dark, Challenging

July 24, 2009 | Jayson Napolitano | 5 Comments Share this

Yet again, I’ve been caught not following a game that I should have been all over. I loved Halo 3, and still play it quite often, but before today, I didn’t even know what ODST meant. Honestly, after being told, I still don’t remember, but after playing the game tonight at Microsoft’s showcase, I’m definitely a believer in whatever it stands for.

So, after playing through a cooperative match with three other players where we fended off waves of Covenant combatants, I stepped outside and had Bungie’s Brian Jarrard fill me in on what I’d been missing. Apparently the game is going to be much more open than previous Halo outings, with large areas to explore and a much darker atmosphere, complete with amazing rain effects and gloomy backdrops. When asked about the audio, we were told that Marty O’Donnell is definitely returning to the series, and has written an entirely new score that aims to match the game’s darker mood. This was apparently quite a challenge for him, so I’m curious to hear how it turned out. While a soundtrack release hasn’t been announced, we’ll be surprised if it doesn’t come out. We’re hoping to bring you some more coverage of the title before its September release, so watch for it!

Have you been following Halo 3: ODST and have any thoughts about it one way or the other? Are you a fan of what Marty O’Donnell has done with previous Halo scores?