Halo

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  Want to Remix Some Halo Wars? Stephen Rippy Has Your Stems!

  August 7, 2009 | Jayson Napolitano | Comments Off on Want to Remix Some Halo Wars? Stephen Rippy Has Your Stems! Share this Want to Remix Some Halo Wars? Stephen Rippy Has Your Stems!

  

  If you recall, I was very impressed with Stephen Rippy’s score for Halo Wars earlier this year. It featured some great electronic ambiance and was a bit of a departure from Marty O’Donnell’s Halo sound. Well, on that note, Rippy wants you to take the music in an even different direction, and has just posted up some instrument stems for fans to go wild with on his website.

  I’ve never been one to be able to create remix with stems, but I know there are people out there who can do it.  I think it’s really cool that he’s been given permission to post these files, as big companies like Microsoft are usually pretty protective of their game content.  In any event, I’m looking forward to hearing what anyone is able to turn out, so get crackin’!

  Have any thoughts looking back at the music of Halo Wars?  Is there a particular style that you’d like to see remixers tackle this time around?

• Game Music

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

  July 24, 2009 | Jayson Napolitano | 5 Comments Share this Comic Con 2009: Halo 3 ODST Soundtrack is Dark, Challenging

  

  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?

• Game Music

  Halo Wars Interview With Composer Stephen Rippy

  February 24, 2009 | Jayson Napolitano | Comments Off on Halo Wars Interview With Composer Stephen Rippy Share this Halo Wars Interview With Composer Stephen Rippy

  

  A lot of us were left wondering what would become to the Halo series after the trilogy concluded, and I think most were surprised when it was announced that the series would transition into the real-time strategy realm with Halo Wars. I guess most surprising for us music fans is the fact that series composers Marty O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori are nowhere to be found on this project! Don’t worry, though, I’ll gladly vouch for Stephen Rippy, the music and sound director over at Ensemble Studos who handled the game’s score.

  So, what has he decided to do with the reins to the Halo series? Well, if you read our review of the Halo Wars Original Soundtrack earlier this month, you already know it’s a whole lot different from the original Halo soundtracks.  Rippy discusses his approach to the title, his thoughts on the original Halo scores, stories about working on the title, and touches on his past work and the announced closure of Ensemble Studios.

  Read what Stephen Rippy has to say after the jump. (more…)

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