at the school skating party. I remember living sampling, covering and making up Shame on you, The Escapist - for a (perhaps unfortunately) my winter of lyrics to old favorites from games gone magazine that has made a real effort to Radiohead – I still get in an anxious by. And so, because this genre has examine and counter some of the sexism when I hear the intro to Street Spirit. grown to become part of the foundation around games, you’ve let yourselves down It is said that smell is the sense most Music is so much a part of us, so of games, we turn our eyes and ears to with this. Please remember that you have closely linked to memory. Its direct link ingrained, so recognizable, there have the subject videogame music in this a lot of readers for whom a pussy is a part to the limbic system (which controls been entire gameshows built around week’s issue of The Escapist, “The Beat of their bodies, not an insult. basic bodily functions like heart rate, as people’s ability to Name That Tune in but Goes On.” Enjoy! well as plays a strong role in emotion) a handful of notes. - Kerry Turner tends to support this theory. But I’d Cheers, wager this is not memory as one tends So, when the first bleeps and bloops Author’s Reply: A little etymology to think of it, as actual, fully formed appeared in 1970s arcade games, did we lesson: Believe it or not, “pussy” was scenes with fully formed events. have a slight inkling of how grand this originally an informal term for a small genre (yes, genre) of game music would Doot doot doot, kitten. That original usage gave rise to Rather, I’d say smell evokes emotion become? Well, analog was still the name doodoo doodoot, the slang term meaning (according to (limbic is more emotion than memory), of the game in sound, so actually, we doodoot doodoot the American Heritage Dictionary) “a and that combination of emotion and probably didn’t. But in the mid to late doot doodoot man regarded as weak, timid, or scent may stir up the feeling of an event 80s, when a round of home consoles and doodoodoot. unmanly.” The slang usage meaning past, a visceral reaction. You’ll eventually PCs came through, using digital music “vulva” is later, though apparently more get to memories, perhaps just one, but readers, the future was wide open. pervasive on Mkt’s playground. it’s a couple of jumps down a line. Game music went from highly repetitious, infectious sounds to virtual - Allen Varney Music, though, can call a ten year old symphonies supporting the increasingly memory to mind with the clarity as if the intricate stories and gameplay. In response to: “In 3-D” from The event had happened yesterday. In fact, To The Editor: Interesting article [‘In 3-D’, Escapist Forum: As an artist who often most people around you identify certain And this leads us to today, where fans by Allen Varney], but disappointing to see makes stereographic still work, I’ve times of their life by music. Music reflects can buy the soundtracks alongside their the negative use of the word “pussy” in the always wanted my games to one day be our times, and we, in turn remember it, favorite game titles. Final Fantasy fans first sentence. I doubt you’d publish an in 3-D. incorporate it into ourselves. can go spend a night among friends, article describe the technology as “totally enjoying the surprisingly deep anthology gay”, so why fall back on a similarly One possible drawback would be that There are songs that when they play on of music from the decade old series. offensive playground-level prejudice? once we have fully stereoscopic games the radio take me back to 20 years ago Entire bands make their (at least partial) we will realize exactly how much visual more satisfied with my efforts at work, I In response to “From the 360 to the information in our game environments, had more mental energy for my Moon” from The Escapist Forum:Say objects and characters are implied by responsibilities at home. Now I “train my that to a 7-year-old who doesn’t read flat textural images mapped onto brain” with Clubhouse Games. sci-fi but plays Halo 2 like there’s no polygonal surfaces. In a way it will be a tomorrow. big step backwards: in 3-D, Halo 2 would - Echolocating suddenly look much like Marathon 1 (but - Joe with depth). In response to “From the 360 to the Moon” from The Escapist Forum: In response to “Final Fantasy XII’s - David Miscavidge When someone comes up with an energy Unfair Astrology” from The Escapist shield and says “I got the idea from Daily:Well, I think we can take this as a In response to “Shark Bone or Snake Halo”, shame on him. Give the credit to lesson in game design; one that I have Oil?” from The Escapist Forum: From Halo? Come on. Do you really believe the always pondered. Should we let the my experience, Brain Age doesn’t make concept of “energy shield” made a first player access the most powerful weapon you smarter, but it does seem to make appearance on that particular game? in the game with a minimum of work? you a little more alert (something I Or, should we force them to squirm wasn’t expecting). A while ago, I was Video games are not references for new knowing any minute that they could getting consumed with my concepts, new ideas, break-throughs in squander their chance to get their hands responsibilities. From 6:30am to science, they are a powerful media. And on the Portable Earth Smashing Gun (or 9:00pm, it was all about my son, work, when you combine a talented game whatever you want to call it)? my wife, and the house. I ended up designer with a great idea, you get selling my Xbox and GameCube, as I had awesome games. Making an energy field - generalissimofurioso no energy to do anything. Not even play fun in a game is difficult. Getting the games. This went on for several months. idea of an energy field is something else. My work was being affected by my unhealthy routine. Then I bought a DS Game designers often cite their Lite and Brain Age. Each night I’d play it references. Give the credit to who for about 20 minutes. What I noticed is deserves it. that after a month or so I became more focused at work and then as I became - MacTuitui That game music and popular music are legend of the open-shirted, flared-cuff- two separate beats, banged out on two wearing rock god, spotting a blonde separate drums, sounds, at first, like one bombshell across the crowded bar and of those obvious truths that are composing a power ballad in her name, impossible to ignore. Like the fact that right there on the spot, is just that: a Liberace was gay. Popular music is what legend. And the cliché of drug-addled you listen to when you have a choice. , stumbling blind-drunk into Game music is what you turn down so the studio and hobbling out a few hours that you can listen to your popular music later with The White Album pressed into instead, right? But to anyone with an vinyl is just that: a cliché. appreciation of the myriad musical techniques and influences at work in These things may happen, but only with even the most pedestrian pop jingle, the the same frequency with which line begins to blur. Sasquatch comes down from his snowy retreat to forage for food in your Music is music, whether constructed for trashcan. That is to say: rarely. the benefit of a game developer, a toothpaste manufacturer or a record As with anything, an appreciation of label. The techniques, the mathematics music without an understanding of it can and aesthetics of the thing - the songs, if only take one so far. Music is nice, in you will - remain the same. And no other words, but how does it get made? matter who you are, no matter what How does one become a , and music you’re making, it’s all hard work. how does one then set about making It’s all effort. abstract noise into what can be called “music”? More specifically, how does one The myth of the musician who taught do all of this for a videogame, and why? himself to play , in a garage, without ever learning a single phrase of To get behind this music, I asked the notation, is mostly that: a myth. The musicians themselves. Introduction just makes sense. People tend develop “My dad was a drummer and my mom of love, to quote Shakespeare, but what Having never played an instrument to an affinity for things they enjoy, or played piano and clarinet,” says Jason does love have to do with games? myself, in spite of frequent exposure to rather, don’t develop an affinity for Graves, for Lineage II, Blazing both music and musicians, my first things they don’t enjoy. Being Angels and : Legacy. “That’s A musician composing a song to feed his question was how and why one becomes introduced to the joys of music at an how I got started in music, first with love or out of some creative impulse a musician. What’s the golden ticket that early age would seem, then, to make it piano lessons and eventually drums. born of a heroin high may have only starts one on the journey to being a more possible to develop musical skills Growing up, I thought I’d have to get a himself to please, but a game is a craftsman who makes music instead of, at an early age. ‘real’ job eventually. So far, that hasn’t complex interweaving of many disparate say, chairs or porcelain dolls? happened! I’m still writing music for a elements, all of which must work “My parents were an inspiration,” says living, and am happy to be doing it. I’ve together as a whole. The music is but “I knew from a very young age that Frank Klepacki, the award-winning worked on more than 40 games; before one part, and must play nice with the music would always be in my life,” says composer of Command & Conquer and that, I was composing for television and others. To what muse, then, does the Tom Salta, the composer for Ghost : Empire at War, who’s been film in Los Angeles. I must say it’s a lot game musician owe his allegiance? Recon: Advanced Warfighter. “But it was working in games for 15 years. “Dad more satisfying working on games. You Whose appetite does it feed? right after high school when I was played guitar and sang, Mom played have a lot more creative freedom.” looking at colleges that I had to make a bass and sang.” career decision; would I study to be an Exposition electrical engineer or would I study “My parents are both musicians, though But creative freedom to do what, music? I chose the latter. The first not ever full-time pros,” says award- exactly? Music may be the food instrument I ever played was the baby winning composer, singer and grand that my parents owned when I instrumentalist Ian Dorsch. “Both of my was 5 years old. My mother actually sisters are singers as well, and one of taught me to play the piano until I was them plays a pretty mean Celtic harp. I 13. My father was a conductor, so he don’t believe that there was any specific was trained to play almost every event [that started me on the path to instrument in the .” become a musician], it was more like a slow convergence of the twin realizations Having musical parents seems to have that I was happiest making music and been a unanimous factor in the musical that it was possible for me to make development of all four of the game money making music. Once that finally I interviewed, and really, it hit me, I was pretty much sold.” sponsored by “Before sitting down to write music,” says “I prefer projects where the client Knowing what the producer wants is one between producers and musicians. After Tom Salta, “the first thing I do is figure understands clearly what they want,” thing, but giving it to him is another. In a all, on the one hand you’ve got a highly- out what the client is looking for. If they says Salta. “It removes all the guesswork game lasting several hours, with varying motivated, gifted individual who’s been provide me with detailed documents and so I can focus on making music rather musical needs and styles, how does one studying and playing music since music references, it’s very important that than experimenting. That’s not to say I fill that blank page? What’s the key? childhood. On the other: a game I sit down for a day or two and fully don’t like bringing new ideas to the table, According to the composers, this is producer who probably doesn’t even digest everything.” but I like it when the client has a clear where a background in music helps out; read music or know the difference vision of what they want as well as being specifically, drawing on works for other between Classical and Neoclassical. Ian Dorsch agrees: “If the client dislikes open minded to new ideas that I can collaborative media. Namely, movies. the end result, you’ve wasted your time bring to the table.” “Let me first say that I love feedback and theirs.” “[I] try to figure out the main theme,” from so-called ‘non musicians,’” says “It’s always great to have a collaborative says Jason Graves. “That’s the heart and Salta. “It’s always real and pure. People effort with the score,” says Jason Graves, soul of the score. Once the theme is always say to me after a compliment (or “so the producer knows what he wants worked out, everything else kind of falls criticism), ‘Well, I’m no expert.’ And I but also is very interested in your ideas into place. The main theme will dictate always say, music isn’t for ‘experts,’ music and also flexible to changes and input the tension, drama and energy that the is for everyone. It’s the only true universal from the composer.” rest of the score will have.” language. I always love to hear how ‘real people’ react to my music … without the “The main theme melody [for Red Steel] distraction of musical training.” (which I call the Katana theme),” says Tom Salta, “shows up throughout the Frank Klepacki, more to the point, game in various guises, sometimes very offered this example of feedback he once discretely, but it’s there. I love hiding received from a game producer: “Make it melodies and themes, sometimes almost sound like The Rock soundtrack.” subliminally, in music. It helps the score gel and sometimes people don’t even “My first order of business is to attempt realize why. Even though the musical to get as much information as I can, styles are so diverse, the entire score regarding the developer’s musical has a distinct personality.” expectations,” says Dorsch. “It helps to get lots of examples of music they like, Which raises the question of how because in general these guys aren’t successful the back and forth really is musicians themselves, and language that means one thing to me as a musician Frank Klepacki says one of his favorites Fringe comedian Bill Hicks once said about music and the war on means something entirely different to a was, of course, the music he composed drugs: “If you don’t believe drugs have done good things for us, do non-musician.” for the seminal RTS Command and me a favor. Go home tonight. Take all your albums, all your tapes and Conquer, owing to its pivotal role in all your CDs and burn them. ‘Cause you know what, the musicians Development establishing game music as an art form that made all that great music that’s enhanced your lives throughout Remembering that an artist’s most in its own right, but his favorite for the years - real fucking high on drugs.” intense criticism usually comes from the another reason was the music he made artist himself, I wanted to know what the for Star Wars: Empire at War. That Hicks was himself a struggling musician (and a drug addict) lent musicians themselves thought of their some credence to this, his most quoted of many thousands of quotable work, and which, of the projects they’d “I am an absolute die-hard Star Wars utterances, but according to every single one of the musicians I worked on, was their favorite. fan,” says Klepacki. “You cannot imagine interviewed for this article, it’s a bit of an exaggeration; or should be. how much I jumped for joy when I got “Red Steel was probably the most unique, the opportunity to do [Empires at War]. I “Well look,” says Tom Salta, “I’m glad we have musical treasures like challenging and fun game score I’ve ever felt like I’d spent my entire life grooming Pink Floyd, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles. If drugs played a worked on,” says Tom Salta, citing his myself for that moment. I was born on role in their music, so be it. But I have a feeling that the aforementioned most recent title for the Nintendo . the day that Star Wars came out. It was artists (not to mention countless others) would be very capable of creating “The main reason for that was the sheer released on my third birthday. Really, some inspired music without drugs - perhaps even better music.” variety of styles I had to create. It almost is the first grand musical started becoming an ongoing joke. exposure I have gotten. I don’t Frank Klepacki agrees: “Imagine how much better sounding and more remember any music before the giant time efficient and less costly albums would get if the musicians “For example, in one area, they asked Star Wars letters came on the screen. So weren’t always stoned or drunk. That and I bet we’d have even more for a Japanese ‘70s love song playing on when I got the call I was like, ‘This is it. music to enjoy from some of the geniuses of our time as they wouldn’t the radio, lyrics and all. In another This is the peak of my career. I don’t have overdosed themselves to death like freakin’ morons.” section, some late ‘70s funk (ala Gap know where I’m going to go from here.’” Band), in another ‘50s sci-fi infused killer Ian Dorsch puts it more succinctly: “I think I’d probably only need to circus music, then perhaps some super Recapitulation burn half of my records, tapes and CDs.” modern ‘click-n’-pop’ , then Charting the course of music’s bombastic movie trailer-like choral fight importance in game design is as simple “But who, knows and I don’t really care,” says Salta. “All I know is music, free jazz, Led Zeppelin inspired as following the credits of the four men that for me, I need to be completely sharp and on-point to do what I rock with Japanese melodies played on to whom I spoke for this interview, who do. I also respect myself too much for that kind of thing.” violin, and the list goes on.” are continually at the forefront of the movement to make better music for wouldn’t know the difference unless you vein of a game’s inner meaning and still Russ Pitts is an Associate Editor for The games. Naturally, then, who they look showed them.” deliver a powerful score before the game Escapist. He has written and produced up to is a good indicator of who to watch goes to press. These are the true musical for television, theatre and film, has been in the coming years. Frank Klepacki’s answer is typically brief geniuses, and while the work they writing on the web since it was invented and characteristically self aggrandizing: produce may not ever hit the Top 40, it and claims to have played every console I asked them who’s “getting it” now, in “Petroglyph,” he says, referring to his own does add a great deal to the games we ever made. terms of what makes music an important company. “Oh, and definitely the makers play; enriching the experiences and force in a game, rather than something of Guitar Hero.” He is currently working on enhancing our enjoyment of them. A that will prompt a player to turn the a “secret RTS game … for .” surfeit of that would not be a bad thing “Sound” slider all the way down. at all. Coda “I think one of the best examples is Marty As the writer Anais Nin once said, “Music O’Donnell and the team at Bungie,” says melts all the separate parts of our bodies Ian Dorsch, who’s currently working on a together.” A saying all the more true game called Badge of Blood, by when considering the role of music in independent developer Warpig Studios. games. Music enhances our game “The system they’ve developed for experiences, broadens their impact and adaptive soundtracks is just jaw-dropping makes your heart pound even faster in its elegance and flexibility, and their when it’s time to kill those stupid, stupid work has really set the standard for the zombies. But the people who make the entire industry.” music are rarely the starry-eyed, ostentatious dreamers we often imagine Tom Salta, who’s currently working on a them to be. “next-gen” title for , is a bit more sanguine on the subject. “The answer is While there may be someone, more and more [developers] every day. somewhere finding musical inspiration in Having worked on several Ubisoft titles, I the bottom of a bottle, or the bosom of a know for a fact many of the development comely, young lass, the real teams there really ‘get it’ … so much so professionals are the ones who can that they will invest a ton of money into juggle the weight of an exhaustive recording a Hollywood orchestra playing library of musical influences, soothe the the score, even when many people nerves of fretful game producers, tap the In the late 16th century, a group of in popularity among the young. An entire Italian intellectuals calling themselves generation associates the Florentine Camerata gathered with fancy dress, stuffy theaters and together to talk about, among other polite applause. Less than eight percent things, contemporary music. They felt of subscribers to online resource that the common practice of multiple Classical Archives are 24 and under – singers the same lyrics at nearly 60 percent are over 45. Financial different times was getting in the way of constraints are forcing renowned the public’s engagement with and symphonies around the country to scale understanding of the music. The back or shut down entirely. polyphonic effect sounded good, but it made it hard for listener to be “moved Which is why it’s surprising to see T-shirt by a true perception of the emotional clad 20-somethings rubbing elbows with content of a text,” as Columbia music polo-shirt wearing grandparents in a professor Susanne Dunlap put it. 5,000-person strong National Symphony audience at the Vienna, Va. Wolf Trap To combat this problem, the Camerata National Park for the Performing Arts. developed a totally new form of musical They’re here to see Play: A performance called opera. Characterized Symphony, a concert that eschews the by one distinct, highly emotional voice common symphonic fare of Bach, Mahler singing at any one time, the opera and Strauss for pieces by the likes created the opportunity for a full Square’s Uematsu, Nintendo’s Kondo and narrative to be strung together through Konami’s Gregson-Williams. While parts a sequence of songs. By the early 17th of the audience have never played a century, opera had become the standard game and other parts have never heard form of musical production for the royal a live symphony, they’ve all gathered court, a fashionable alternative to the together to experience another world stodgy old style of polyphonic singing. without fully leaving the comfort of the one they know. Fast forward to today and opera, indeed all of classical music, is in a rapid decline Play is part of a small but quickly says Tommy Tallarico, a veteran theme begins during an extended growing trend of videogame music videogame composer and co-creator of medley, a young boy sitting in the center performances by professional musicians. , another popular game orchestra section actually gets so excited Japan has hosted such concerts since music tour. he turns to his side and high-fives his 1987, when Dragon Quest composer dad! Show me an 8-year-old who does Koichi Sugiyama conducted a collection The hesitance fades at rehearsal, when that when he hears Mahler. of his game music in Tokyo’s Suntory the musicians realize game music is Hall. The idea didn’t reach the West until “more than just bleeps and bloops,” as Tallarico says the original idea for Video 2003, when the Czech National Tallarico puts it. But the orchestra really Games Live came when he was 10 years Symphony Orchestra performed a starts to catch on once the show begins. old, performing air guitar for his friends “Symphonic Game Music Concert” in “The real magic happens when we play to the strains of taped Commodore 64 Leipzig, Germany. Game concerts finally the show ... and the crowd is cheering tunes. The actual process of getting the reached America in May of 2004 with like it’s the second coming of the Beatles idea out of the bedroom and into the “Dear Friends: Music from Final Fantasy,” or Elvis Presley or something,” Tallarico concert hall started in 2001 and finally performed by the Los Angeles says. “After the show the orchestra will made it onto the stage at a 2005 Philharmonic in LA’s Walt Disney Concert come up to us and go ‘Oh my gosh, premiere that drew over Hall. Coinciding with , the performance we’ve never heard applause like this 11,000 attendees. sold out in a single day and eventually ever. ... When can you come back?’” spawned the expanded Play concert tour, “We decided we wanted to show the with music from games ranging from Indeed, the wild hoots of recognition as world how significant videogame music Super Mario Bros. to Blue Dragon. the audience hears the sweeping is, how special it is,” Tallarico said. “We grandeur of Play’s opening Final Fantasy decided the best way to do that is to The melding of a high culture symphonic fanfare is unlike anything you’d expect to create a show that not only videogame orchestra and music from the hear from a crowd at a classical music fans would attend, but a show that the traditionally low culture world of concert. Likewise for the laughs that non-gamer would go to and really be videogames is not always an easy task. accompany a later transition to Super blown away by.” “Usually when we first start - when the Mario Bros.’ underwater theme, complete musicians first get on stage and they with a montage of swimming animations The key to doing that, Tallarico says, is look at the sheet music and see Super from Mario games on the giant synchronizing the music to lighting Mario’ and Sonic and Zelda and Warcraft projection screen above the orchestra. effects and video performances of the - they look a little on the skeptical side,” When the familiar Sonic the Hedgehog game. “Just doing an orchestral performance is great for the fans, but it Andy’s mother, considered the show to doesn’t draw in everyone else. It was be “a great way to introduce them to important to us that we want to draw in [classical] music.” everyone else and make it a real entertaining show.” If the number of planned concerts is any indication, a whole lot of people are Does it work? You bet, says Tallarico. eager for the same introduction. Video “The most e-mails we get, oddly enough, Games Live already has 50 to 60 shows after a show, will be from the mom who planned for 2007 and 100 more being brought the neighborhood kids or the set up for 2008, according to Tallarico. grandmother who brought the grandson “Videogames have become the radio of or the girlfriend who got dragged there the 21st century. ... I think you’re by the boyfriend. Those are the letters absolutely gonna see this grow and grow we get that go ‘Wow, I never knew that and build and build,” he says. Videogame videogame music was this powerful. I concerts might not revive the 21st never knew that the graphics were this century classical music the same way amazing. Thank you for turning me on to opera revived it in the 17th century, but this thing. I get it now.’” if they don’t, it certainly won’t be for lack of trying. All well and good, but does the transference work the other way? That Kyle Orland is a video game freelancer. is, can a videogame concert get gamers He writes about the world of video game into the classical music scene? Not so journalism on his weblog, Video Game much, according to 8-year-old Play Media Watch. attendee Andy Ng. Despite his enjoyment of the videogame concert, especially the Kingdom Hearts medley, Ng said he probably wouldn’t come back to hear the National Symphony perform other classical music. Still, Marilyn Ng, For once, The Fat Man – one of gaming’s most garrulous storytellers – holds back. “What I have to say about current game audio runs a high risk of making somebody’s day worse rather than better, which runs counter to my personal goals.”

Aww, c’mon. What The Fat Man thinks about game audio, people want to know. In these primordial days, the gaming equivalent of classical music’s early Baroque, maybe the industry hasn’t yet found its Johann Sebastian Bach; but musician and composer George “The Fat Man” Sanger stands in well for Vivaldi, say, or Telemann. Since 1983, he and his group, Team Fat, have scored over 200 computer games, including Wing Commander I and II, Loom, Master of Orion, and its sequel The 11th Hour, and (lately) dozens of Indian-reservation slot machines. Sanger composed the game field’s first General MIDI soundtrack, its first direct-to- MIDI live musical recording, and its first Redbook soundtrack included with the game as a separate disk. He wrote the truly remarkable treatise The Fat Man on Game Audio: Tasty Morsels of Sonic Goodness (New Riders, 2003), which he describes as “a book about game audio wrapped in a biography wrapped in a philosophy on life.”

The Fat Man knows his stuff. People listen to him.

So when George Sanger finally admits, “There is very little game audio I like to hear,” that’s not just a personal problem; however unwillingly he says it, it’s a grave indictment.

Sure, Sanger likes Blizzard and Ensemble games, and Katamari, and ’s soundtrack for The Dig – “and Guitar Hero, of course.” Composers send him pieces they wrote just for him, as gifts: “Those things are great, and there are plenty,” he says. “There are good sound guys and friends and musicians out there, doing good work, some dedicating their lives to this strange job. You guys need to know I have every bit of respect for you that I can muster. I love y’all.

“But for the most part, here’s my problem. ... When I put a game in the machine, what I hear feels brutal and clumsy, like people trying to imitate the most intense moments in famous movie trailers or TV shows, all without the appropriate emotional and finesse and style and personality, and haw Texan persona. He wore a Stetson Today, though, you might plausibly a sense that some individual has hat and outrageous suits made by suspect The Fat Man has departed the attempted to communicate something. celebrated Ukrainian-American tailor hardcore gaming field. His humongous list Nudie Cohn. (The Fat Man tells a great of credits includes no recent AAA titles; “Maybe this is asking too much. Maybe “Nudie Suit” story.) In 1995, Sanger today’s high-flown game music I’m looking in an inappropriate place for promulgated his “Manifatso.” He swore composers, with websites far more Art. But game audio seems to have that on the new frontier of game audio, polished than his own homespun page, skipped from beating on log drums, right Team Fat’s music would be “expressive, seldom mention as influences either Team to record-company politics and robber touching, and made for the sake of the Fat or any other early game composer. baron aspirations. I had expected a human spirit, not repetitive, imitative, The audio legacy of gaming’s early days Woodstock stage in there somewhere. mechanical by convenience, nor survives mainly in that obscure offshoot needlessly enslaved by styles imposed of the demo scene, chiptunes. “And you know what? I know I’m not alone, by fashion or limited machinery.” and I certainly haven’t given up hope.” Yet that suspicion is wrong. Sanger, Sanger’s image-building, and hard work, shrewd self-promoter that he is, has Indeed. The Fat Man has talked this talk paid off. A 1997 Wired story by Gary promoted himself into a loftier sphere of for well over a decade. More to the point, Andrew Poole compared Sanger to in all that time, in significant ways, with another hit songwriter: “Michael Jackson increasing numbers of colleagues, The has his Neverland Ranch; The Fat Man subtext from a good film. It evokes in Fat Man has been walking the walk. has El Rancho Gordo, a $900-a-month me the vision of a sound guy [who] has rented house. Michael has his glove; Fat somehow miraculously threaded the *** has his thrift-store handmade Western needle and come up with something that suits inspired by the late Nudie, Elvis’s has appeased every one of his six Sanger is, in fact, tall and lean; the designer.” (Correction: The suits were bosses. And then I get a vision of all the nickname reflects his gift for audacious authentic Nudie originals.) “Michael is idiots on the committee. self-promotion. He started writing game into being white, yet he’s not; The Fat music back when it was (as he has put Man is into being a Texan, yet he’s a “Game audio really strikes me as being all it) “considered to be at the artistic level Jewish guy from Southern California. about somebody trying to amp me up by of, say, writing the tones that tell the And they have each sold more than 20 using superlatives and cheap tricks, and I McDonald’s workers the French fries are million CDs.” just don’t enjoy that very much. I enjoy ready.” To draw attention to the new field warmth and beauty and quality and grace and to Team Fat, Sanger adopted a yee- action. More than a composer, The Fat Avallone handles logistics; Linda Law with all those great people ... I can’t Man has escalated to conference host books speakers and formulates topics, even describe it. I sincerely don’t think and General Expediter of Audio Progress. and also handles legalities and finances. anything could possibly be better.” For 10 years, Sanger, along with Linda Sanger himself is MC and raconteur: “I Law (Mrs. Fat, in the figurative sense) give the welcoming talks, run the Well, we’ll see about that. In In and friend Teresa Avallone, has hosted roundtable, touch base with everybody November of 2006, the Bar-B-Q team the Project Bar-B-Q Annual Interactive during meetings, that sort of thing. I set initiated a second conference, Project Music Conference. Staged each October a mood in which people are ready to do Horseshoe, an invitation-only think-tank on a ranch in the hill country west of the things they dreamed of when they for “an elite group of brilliant minds Sanger’s hometown of Austin, Texas – were kids. I try to personify a spirit of working to positively influence the art this year’s conference took place at the effective idealism.” and science of game design.” As shown Canyon of the Eagles – Project Bar-B-Q by the list of Horseshoe topics proposed has earned a fine reputation and, Sanger believes Project Bar-B-Q has ahead of the conference, “Horseshoe is through its many workgroup reports, has helped establish and strengthen the aimed directly at solving game design’s shaped computer audio development. community of computer audio toughest problems ... which would lead The conference website lists Bar-B-Q’s professionals. “I think a lot of our work to better games, a healthier industry, many successes. has increased value for consumers, and better quality of life, and games that are reduced the likelihood of a crash or an more helpful to society.” “Teresa Avallone and I dreamed up BBQ incompatibility experience – although we as a way to serve the game audio still have a long way to go in that How well did Horseshoe run in its debut community without having to be too department. It’s a humbling experience year? Sanger says, “We expected a 7 out well-behaved about it,” Sanger says. to realize that Microsoft’s new program of 10, and could only envision at best a “The idea was to put a bunch of very to certify computer gear as ‘High 10. We got a 12.” smart guys into an informal, open Definition Audio’ came directly from situation, one that was conducive to BBQ. Nobody ever was in a more Attendee Dan Cook, on Lost Garden, said warmth and inspiration rather than powerful position to affect the industry of Horseshoe, “Sparks were flying. And politics and competition. They could then than they are while at the conference. hay. Don’t forget the hay. ... It gave me put their brains together to solve faith that if you just get the brightest problems that were too big for any “I’m proud of having participated in a people of our industry off their isolated individual to solve.” positive, helpful part of the ‘coming of islands and give them a chance to talk, age’ of this industry. When I’m sitting amazing ideas are inevitable. Experience around BBQ watching the magic happen shared is multiplied, not diminished.” And Raph Koster’s Horsehoe talk, Aside from his conferences, The Fat Man “There will be plenty of innovations in “Influences,” attracted much post- still maintains a hectic schedule. Team future game audio. Almost all of them conference comment. Fat just recorded the music for the demo will be superficial – especially if they are of a new MMOG, as well as the latest marketed as ‘innovations,’ or worse, Horseshoe had a more freewheeling, installment of the Scene-It DVD trivia ‘revolutions.’ Anything, for example, that individualistic atmosphere than Bar-B-Q, games. Sanger writes slot-machine bills itself as ‘movie-like’ raises a caution Sanger says. “Nobody’s anywhere near tunes for Multimedia Games and flag to me. Since when is ‘movie-like’ a ready to sit down and follow a formula, supervises the design and installation of good thing? In the whole history of the let alone a guy they’ve only seen their sound systems. He has released world, nobody ever went to a movie succeed as a musician in games for the three CDs of his early game music because it was ‘movie-like.’ past 24 years. So I found I was stepping through Haight-Masonic Laboratories. aside more often than usual, and letting Sanger also travels and lectures “I guess the thing to strive for, with or Linda, the speakers, the facilitators, the frequently, writes for MAKE and sits on without innovation, is to do something other attendees, common sense and the the advisory board of the Full Sail media warm and helpful and all that, and not laws of physics convince people where to arts college in Winter Park, Florida. And, just trying to make a buck and/or sound direct their energies.” with other Austin gaming luminaries like like somebody else. What’s needed is Richard Garriott and Warren Spector, brave and beautiful sound that makes Four workgroups organized at this year’s Sanger is helping the University of Texas peoples’ lives a little nicer.” conference are reporting on new design Center for American History establish an approaches, reduction of business risk, archive of the history of gaming. Allen Varneydesigned the paper-and-dice online game design and business roleplaying game (2004 edition) and has practices, and ways to establish legitimacy Meanwhile, his thinking about music contributed to computer games from in mainstream culture. Because Project keeps evolving. In the past, in his book Sony Online, Origin, Interplay and Horseshoe is a think-tank and not an and many articles, Sanger repeatedly Looking Glass. industry organization, the reports include called on composers to strive for action items to be handed off to innovation. Today, “I’m ready to back off organizations such as the International from using the word ‘innovation.’ The Game Developers Association. word is overused, and the act of innovating is overrated. It’s like wanting *** to ‘change the world.’ Well, anybody could and does change the world. But to what end? What are we going for? It’s intimidating, knowing you’re talking entertainment business [dealings] — with a Grammy winner and accomplished Pavarotti, arena concerts, things like that composer like Arnie Roth, so setting the we’d worked on together,” Roth says. “I tone early is key. I felt around for the found out that Jason had done the one perfect remark and opened with a performance of the Dear Friends show in smooth, “I really loved your Final Los Angeles with the Los Angeles Fantasy show,” wincing at the sheer Philharmonic.” After a quick conversation, geekiness dripping from my voice. they’d “worked out the components of a While others may know him from his tour of Dear Friends, which the Atlanta work with the likes of Diana Ross, The Symphony dates were part of.” Three Tenors or Mannheim Steamroller, it was his conducting work on the Atlanta After a tour of several major cities, they stop of the Dear Friends: The Music of worked out, “a similar show called More Final Fantasy tour that brought him to Friends: The Music of Final Fantasy, and my attention. I might be a bit on the Nobuo Uematsu [the famous composer reluctant side of geeky, but even I was of the Final Fantasy series] and his rock forced to admit that the ground-shaking group came out for that, as well, so it’s rendition of “One Winged Angel” with full kind of been an ongoing process.” backing choir was beyond cool. Around the same time, Roth and Park put together their current tour, Play: A However, the classical music world and Video Game Symphony, which is videogames seem incompatible, on a currently ongoing. cultural level, at first glance. I asked how him how a classically trained violinist and I asked him if he’d call himself a gamer, composer, not to mention the director of of if his being one of the guys in this the Chicagoland Pops, wound up in front new nexus of the classical and of an audience wearing everything from videogame worlds was a coincidence. suits and ties to stitch-perfect White “You know, I certainly wouldn’t call Mage robes. myself a gamer,” he said, but added, “It’s not a total coincidence.” As a music “Jason Paul [creator of the concerts] and director, part of his job is to put together I knew each other from some other concert series and shows, and being open-minded is part of the key to being PlayStation or whatever game platform hours on these music tracks, so I feel that a successful music director. Trying new you’re using. The tempo will fluctuate, there’s a great responsibility on me to get things like accompanying a movie with a maybe infinitesimally, but it will fluctuate. very close to what they wanted to say in symphony and, yes, videogame concerts On the end of a phrase, it may stretch a their music. In that way, it’s not very is one of those things you have to do to little bit longer. On a heroic scene or different from my conducting a score by succeed. “And I’ve done a lot of battle scene or whatever, it may get going Debussy or Brahms or Stravinsky. multimedia things,” he added, “I’ve a couple beats per minute faster through produced a lot of film soundtracks and the excitement of a live performance, and On the other hand, I think in many of CDs for artists [like] The Irish Tenors and this is what we live for as performers and these cases, we’re trying to do many Peter Cetera, so I am constantly looking what audiences should be living for, and I innovative, unique things that were around. This was not a totally unnatural believe they are. never fully realized.” As mentioned thing from an entertainment standpoint.” before, some of these game soundtracks “[In] where we’ve taken are MIDI noises from the early ‘90s, and He says introducing the music to a very old themes — for instance, even “[to take] little bloops and bleeps … and symphonic perspective is “challenging. Super Mario Bros. — and orchestrated it to turn that into a full orchestral suite is The interesting thing about videogame for full symphony orchestra, [the a lot of fun, very challenging, and, yet, it music is, from a creative standpoint, all audience is] hearing it in a new setting has to make sense musically to the of the songs [the audience] is used to for the first time, in a new . audience out there, too. It can’t be just hearing … be it Halo or Nintendo games ... It’s very challenging, especially when kind of a musical joke.” or Final Fantasy, they’re used to hearing we have the audience there that knows the same music tracks with the same all these themes and knows all this As for the music itself, I asked for his mix and the same audio compression music really well.” assessment of it as a musical and the same tempo over and over professional. What is it about this music again.” He had to start with that music In addition to audience expectations, he in particular that fills concert halls? While and present it to a live audience. “You has to consider the composers you can talk about videogame music in start with the tempo they are used to, themselves, as they may well attend the terms of its relationship to common start with the melody they are used to, shows or even contribute as guest musical themes in the traditional canon, but the wonderful thing about a live composers. They had “Uematsu, of he says it’s a more emotional experience, symphony orchestra concert, or any live course, for the Final Fantasy music, but a referring to “RPG games where [the concert, is that it lives, it breathes, it has lot of other composers come in for Play player] actually goes through an a different audio mix live than what concerts. And, you know, they wrote this emotional encounter, a battle scene, a you’re hearing when you play on the stuff, and they worked for thousands of growing situation, where they actually — More than the simple repetition over the matter of fact, we just performed with course of gameplay, the music represents the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, and “significant marks in their lives. And they the orchestra was commenting on the Intrigued by the notion of videogame bring this music back to accompany them audience and how wonderful they were. music saving symphonies, I asked him on their life’s journey, not just the It really opened their eyes [to the fact] how they might go about keeping videogames. And I don’t think that’s so that there is this other audience out younger audiences interested. He dissimilar to someone who wants to hear there that they should be cultivating.” mentioned opera companies as doing the a famous Beethoven theme or whatever it best job of growing a new audience, might be. … There’s a particular emotion Shifting into a mode I’d characterize as the saying that they took a crowd looking for that people associate with the music, and Music Director rather than the Conductor, more spectacle and put more production they want to bring that back. It’s reliving he added that, “the onus goes onto these efforts into typical operas. Symphonies, that emotion.” that are presenting these by contrast, “have tried lots of different concerts. We’re bringing this audience into things, and I believe they’ve met with I was also interested in his take on the the concert venue for them. These more mixed success. And I would say audience at those shows, as I couldn’t orchestras have their traditional audiences that Dear Friends or Play is another way whether it’s moving to another level with imagine he’d done a lot of shows with dying off at this point. They need to find to reach out and touch another audience the game or whatever it is — they have some audience members in full, accurate ways to capture [the new] audience and that was previously untapped by these certain emotional ties. It doesn’t costumes. “Well, you know, I’ve talked keep them coming to symphony orchestra symphony orchestras. It’s really a always have to be music that’s associated about what a wonderful hybrid the concerts. And that’s a very important fact. with a battle or with victory. For instance, audience for these shows is. They … It’s a wonderful thing to bring in these ‘Aerith’s Theme’ from Final Fantasy. combine the best qualities of classical new audience members. In many cases, Here’s a character that, everywhere we audiences, in that they’re very they are people who have never been in.” go, [her] music is perhaps the most disciplined during the performance of the He used the Atlanta concert as an example, beloved music we run into. Certainly, pieces. You can hear a pin drop. They where several audience members told him ‘One Winged Angel’ is hugely popular, but want to hear every note of music. it was their first time at the Atlanta I get emails from people that have used [They’re] very attentive, very respectful. Symphony, and I happened to be one of the music from ‘Aerith’s Theme’ to get On the other hand, they’re full of wild them. “[They] would certainly come back, married to. It [symbolizes] very deep, abandon when the piece is over or when and said as much. They’d love to come life-changing experiences for them. So I you announce what you’re about to back to another concert, if the think what Uematsu-san has done is perform.” He hearkens back to his first programming can keep them hooked and touch certain basic, deep, emotional Dear Friends show, when he got eight keep them interested.” cores with people.” standing ovations and continues, “As a question now of someone having the side by side with that may be some of sheltered world anymore. All the vision as a music director and the big hits from Final Fantasy, or orchestras are looking around. They’re programmer to follow up and grab those whatever it may be,” though he’s not looking at ways to build up a new people. … A lot of this programming fits sure whether it will be a few pieces in a audience. … Conductors and music perfectly fine on a concert hall stage, full program or an entire concert of directors and musicians, they’re all right next to Stravinsky or Wagner or videogame music. branching out and they’re all involved Holst or any number of composers. ... I with classicalization, whether it’s think they need to investigate that.” Reflecting on his comments about the symphony musicians playing in opera in opera companies, he mentions the opera LA, recording sessions, movie According to Roth, these kinds of scene from Final Fantasy VI (“which I’ve soundtracks [or] live symphony concerts are not just quirks of the pop conducted a couple of times”) and muses accompanying movies, they are culture landscape. “I think that there will about doing “a little more staging, not musicians and they’re doing more and be more of them,” he said. “How just showing video clips, but maybe more about that.” When it comes to the widespread it gets, I don’t know. I think some live action on the stage, along the Final Fantasy concerts and Play, he says that part of the fascination with Dear lines of opera. It’s a new genre and it’s “the word has kind of gotten out there Friends and More Friends was the going to evolve, and it’s certainly an already, certainly around North America, uniqueness of the concerts. They hadn’t important thing. Since the symphony is and I know that Europe and Asia are been done, so it was quite a unique the star here, it’s an important thing for anxiously awaiting. Japan has had experience. … I also think that the music symphony orchestras to look at, to take concerts for a long time, but there of Final Fantasy has a different kind of a very serious look at this to bring in a haven’t been very many concerts around fan than some of the other games. They new audience.” the rest of the world. And they’re are more loyal to the music, so I think anxiously awaiting some of these live that’s important, as well.” I asked him what he told his colleagues concerts coming in. And there are plans about what he does, picturing a “Sorry, I in place to have that happen.” It’s an Looking to the future, “we can start to have to go conduct Final Fantasy music unlikely story, but Aeris, Cloud and see, over the next five to 10 years, tonight” delivered to a bewildered Sephiroth may save the symphony. certain key pieces of music making their monocle-wearer. “The colleagues that I way to the concert stage. Maybe not full work with that almost only work in the concerts of videogame music, but classical world may have no clue what If you have a problem, if no one else can perhaps movie scoring parts of the that is, so there’s some background help, and if you can find him, maybe you evening, where there might be suites of information.” He adds, though, that “the can hire Shannon Drake. music from various movies, and sitting reality is, we don’t live in such a stretching the tension as the story unfolds. movement was all important. I could run, In the days before “talkies,” a piano player but that would be noisy and might attract provided the sound effects. Fast forward a the attention of a guard patrol. I could few decades, and today, some of us will go walk gently; walk on grassy edges instead to certain theaters because we think the of the paved street. My heart was always sound is better there. in my throat, my ears always keenly attuned for any sound. I was hooked. Similarly, good sound makes a good game an even more immersive and With surround sound, immersive sound enjoyable experience. Forget the eye really shines (or does it rock?). And candy for a minute and think of the aural when you have a sound system that cost cues. In a world limited to the 19-inch or more than a top of the line TV, it’s smaller screen in front of you, how many literally moving, which is why when I times have you cranked up the sound so logged into Xbox Live to check out you could keep track of what was going Capcom’s Lost Planet, I cranked up the on around you or figure where your sound before doing anything else. enemy was from the sound cues? *** What are your favorite sound memories of Sound design in computer games has games you’ve played? The theme from been lagging behind advances in The wind howled like a banshee in the Mario? The “zeeyuuum” of TIE-fighters as graphics, but the Thief series began sub-zero atmosphere. The snow sucked they zoomed by in that first 50-center – pushing the envelope with its excellent at my legs with each step I took. My that sweet arcade machine shaped like the use of ambient sound effects. These environment suit was made to absorb cockpit of an X-wing fighter? Is the “ding” were games I played, not only with my and store thermal energy for my own you hear when your character goes up in eyes but with my ears. Along with visual use, but I would have to make a fire level sweet music to your ears? cues, sound cues were an integral part of soon. I lifted my weapon and cocked it, the gameplay. the sound of the bolt action distinct even Think about how sound and music through the wind, and fired at some creates a more immersive experience in The sound element added a thrilling mechanical wreckage. The rat-a-tat of movie theaters. Even the absence of aspect I had not previously experienced in the automatic weapon was almost sound sets a certain mood, silence a computer game. Being a thief, silent comforting: a counterpoint to the howl of the wind. The jeep’s gas tank exploded. I A few shots later, the odds were back in except the final one; it must have been ran toward the source of heat, my boots my favor. Mopping up the last few bugs then that I stood up. thumping clumsily in the snow. with my rifle, I swept up thermal pods and replenished my suit’s energy. I shook my head to clear my thoughts I moved toward the abandoned and checked to make sure nothing had buildings. There could be a weapons or I could see another building up the hill shaken off the walls. I thought about energy cache, or if I was lucky, an beyond the one I was in. Stepping out turning down the volume, but decided operational mech. The wind had eased. into the wind, I moved toward it through not to. I wanted it loud. My labored breathing was loud, echoing the thigh-deep snow. Suddenly, sound in the confines of my face mask, my erupted all around me - and I almost fell Carolyn “Sylvene” Koh is a regular steps crunching, squelching. out of my chair - as the bug hive’s queen contributor at MMORPG.com and shot up from under the snow. Swearing, formerly the Exclusives Director at In the lee of the building, the howl of the I backpedaled as fast as I could, firing Stratics.com wind faded to a soft whine. I looked in: rapidly, ineffectively. I switched to my It was an old parking garage, complete grenade launcher, unloading it into the with abandoned clunkers. Ach! A hive of belly of the monster. The surprise and giant alien bugs! I plucked two grenades the overwhelming mélange of sound from my belt and lobbed them in. The made me all thumbs. The monster bug explosions rocked the empty building, struck again and again, connecting with and I charged in, my boots ringing solid, flesh-rending blows and shaking hollowly on the concrete floor. I fired the ground when it missed and punched without pause, spraying bullets at the through the snow to the frozen ground. bugs still alive and pouring out from the The close range explosions of the hives. Gunfire and the bugs’ angry grenade launcher pounded in polyphony squeals became my very existence. But to the blood hammering in my head. The my gun wasn’t doing much to thin out screen faded to red. I was dead. their numbers. My heart racing, I found myself standing I switched to the grenade launcher. The and wondered when I had left my chair. resounding, heart-thumping “thooomp!” Six 12-inch subwoofers move a lot of air, was followed by a cacophonous explosion. so I felt each explosion I had caused EDITORIAL PRODUCTION BUSINESS Executive Editor Producer Publisher Julianne Greer Jonathan Hayter Alexander Macris

Content Editors Layout Artists Director of Advertising Joseph Blancato Jessica Fielhauer Susan Briglia Russ Pitts Jason Haile Chairman of Themis Group Contributing Editors Lead Web Developer Thomas S. Kurz JR Sutich Whitney Butts Shannon Drake Web Developers Research Manager Erik Jacobson Nova Barlow Tim Turner

Contributors IT Director Carolyn Koh Jason Smith Kyle Orland Allen Varney

Issue 80, © 2007. The Escapist is published weekly by Themis Group, Inc. Produced in the United States of America. To contact the editors please email [email protected]. For a free subscription to The Escapist in PDF format please view www.escapistmagazine.com