Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Turbine enlists Chance Thomas to score LotRO, DDO expansions]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/06/turbine-enlists-chance-thomas-to-score-lotro-ddo-expansions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/06/turbine-enlists-chance-thomas-to-score-lotro-ddo-expansions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/06/turbine-enlists-chance-thomas-to-score-lotro-ddo-expansions/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Chance Thomas
If you were disappointed by the absence of new music in Lord of the Rings Online's last couple of expansions, then today is a good opportunity to break out the headphones in celebration. Composer Chance Thomas has announced that Turbine contracted him to create an "all-original orchestral, choral and acoustic ensemble score" for this fall's Riders of Rohan.

It's not just LotRO audiophiles who have cause to rejoice, either: Thomas is also on board with creating the music for Dungeons and Dragons Online's first expansion, Menace of the Underdark.

Thomas' career in video game music dates back to the late '90s with Quest for Glory V. LotRO players know him best as one of the composers for both Shadows of Angmar and Mines of Moria. Menace of the Underdark will release June 25th, while Riders of Rohan is scheduled for some time this fall.

MassivelyTurbine enlists Chance Thomas to score LotRO, DDO expansions originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Mar 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chance-thomascomposerddodnddungeons-and-dragonsdungeons-and-dragons-onlineexpansionexpansionsf2pfantasyfree-to-playlord-of-the-ringslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromenace-of-the-underdarkmines-of-moriamusicriders-of-rohanscoreshadows-of-angmarsoundtrackturbineturbine-entertainmentTue, 06 Mar 2012 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Lost Pages of Taborea: An interview with Dynamedion]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/21/lost-pages-of-taborea-an-interview-with-dynamedion/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/21/lost-pages-of-taborea-an-interview-with-dynamedion/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/21/lost-pages-of-taborea-an-interview-with-dynamedion/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

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.

Continue reading Lost Pages of Taborea: An interview with Dynamedion

MassivelyLost Pages of Taborea: An interview with Dynamedion originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>audiocomposercomposersdynamedionfeaturedfrogsterfrogster-americafrogster-interactivejeremy-strattonlost-pages-of-taboreamusicromrunes-of-magicrunewakerrunewaker-entertainmentscoresongsongssoundtrackthemetheme-songtilman-sillescuMon, 21 Feb 2011 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Anvil of Crom: Knut Haugen talks game music, film music, and inspiration]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/05/the-anvil-of-crom-knut-haugen-talks-game-music-film-music-and/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/05/the-anvil-of-crom-knut-haugen-talks-game-music-film-music-and/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/05/the-anvil-of-crom-knut-haugen-talks-game-music-film-music-and/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

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.

Continue reading The Anvil of Crom: Knut Haugen talks game music, film music, and inspiration

MassivelyThe Anvil of Crom: Knut Haugen talks game music, film music, and inspiration originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 05 Dec 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conananvil-of-cromanvil-of-crom-interviewsaoccomposerfeaturedfuncomhyborian-adventuresinterviewknut-avenstroup-haugenknut-haugenmusicopinionrise-of-the-godslayerscoresoundtrackthe-anvil-of-cromSun, 05 Dec 2010 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Music to kill by: The making of Rift's score]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/08/music-to-kill-by-the-making-of-rifts-score/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/08/music-to-kill-by-the-making-of-rifts-score/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/08/music-to-kill-by-the-making-of-rifts-score/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The musical score is often one of the little-appreciated aspects of MMOs, providing mood, tone and emotion for the player while hopefully refraining from being annoying or too repetitive.

In a new dev diary, Trion Worlds showcases the audio talent behind Rift: Planes of Telara's score. Audio Director Yannis Brown and Composer Inon Zur (Dragon Age: Origins, Fallout: New Vegas) talk about how the music lends itself to character identity and the environment's atmosphere, while giving us an aural sneak peek of Rift's tunes. One of the cool concepts the audio team is the creation of multi-layered music tracks that provide the same theme in different degrees of intensity based on how big the rifts have grown.

Hit the jump to watch the diary and hear for yourself whether this will be a game in which the default score stays on -- or gets quickly turned off in favor of personal playlists.

Continue reading Music to kill by: The making of Rift's score

MassivelyMusic to kill by: The making of Rift's score originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Nov 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>composerdev-diarydragondragon-ageDragon-Age-Originsfallout-new-vegasinon-zurmusicriftrift-planes-of-telarasoundtracktriontrion-worldsvideoyannis-brownMon, 08 Nov 2010 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What would your MMO dream job be?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/13/the-daily-grind-what-would-your-mmo-dream-job-be/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/13/the-daily-grind-what-would-your-mmo-dream-job-be/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/13/the-daily-grind-what-would-your-mmo-dream-job-be/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

I'll be Frank and you'll be Ernest, and we'll both admit that we as players have the tendency to be armchair game designers. No, no, don't deny it; it just makes you look defensive. If there's a single theme that pervades every official MMO forum out there, it's that the players think they know what's best for the game, even more than the devs themselves, and if they were making the calls, Game X would be mopping the floor with World of Warcraft.

So hey, why not indulge in the daydream -- what if tomorrow you could have any job in the MMO industry? If you could make a very real, very direct impact on the games that are being made or are operating in live mode, what would it be? Would you be a writer, finally free to pen the perfect quest? Would you be a project manager, in charge of the direction and goals of the teams at your disposal? Would you be a big-shot CEO, making the major calls and shaping the future of the company? Or would you settle into a creative role as an artist or composer, helping to contribute to the game's frills?

No, wait, I got it. You'd totally want to be a quality assurance tester. Those guys and gals get all the glory, am I right?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: What would your MMO dream job be? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artistceocomposerdream-jobopinionproject-managerqaquality-assurancetdgthe-daily-grindworld-of-warcraftwowwriterFri, 13 Aug 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Listen to new tracks from the Earthrise soundtrack]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/17/listen-to-new-tracks-from-the-earthrise-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/17/listen-to-new-tracks-from-the-earthrise-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/17/listen-to-new-tracks-from-the-earthrise-soundtrack/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Masthead Studios, the creators of post-apocalyptic MMO Earthrise, just reached out to Massively and gave us access to two tracks from the upcoming game's soundtrack. The tracks are titled Flooid and Shiv Out, composed by Pavel Benov who we've mentioned in the past for creating a blend of ambient and industrial music for the game.

Both tracks are electronica, which seems fitting for this sci-fi MMO. When you're creating the music that sets the tone for a futuristic game where the old world is dead and gone, lost to nuclear and biological warfare, something orchestral as heard in a fantasy MMO might not really work. Earthrise is a game about a cloned society of technocratic elite reborn in the far future -- a time where advanced technology dominates and defines the lives of all of the world's remaining inhabitants -- so going electronic with the game's music was probably the right choice. Give the Flooid and Shiv Out tracks linked above a listen and let us know what you think. If you like these tracks, you might also want to check out Benov's Dystopia Sunrise and Lay Waste as well.

MassivelyListen to new tracks from the Earthrise soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>composercompositionearthriseelectronicamasthead-studiosmusicnew-titlespavel-benovpost-apocalypticsci-fiscoresoundtrackSat, 17 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Black Prophecy's musical composers Dynamedion interviewed]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/21/black-prophecys-musical-composers-dynamedion-interviewed/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/21/black-prophecys-musical-composers-dynamedion-interviewed/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/21/black-prophecys-musical-composers-dynamedion-interviewed/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Is the music in a game an important aspect of the play experience for you? If you've answered yes, you might be interested in a recent interview we came across at The Prophecy Network with Tilman Sillescu, musician and co-founder of Dynamedion, a company responsible for the soundtrack composition and sound design of many video games in Europe.

One of their latest projects has been to create the soundtrack for the sci-fi MMO Black Prophecy. Sillescu gives some background into the process of composing music for games and you don't need to be a music major to follow along. He discusses what they did over the 10 months spent working on the project which Sillescu describes as 'epic and orchestral.' "We had many people working on the music: 4 composers, 3 orchestrators, a 70-piece orchestra and a 20-piece choir, conductor, solo instrumentalists, recording engineer, sound mixer," he says. "So we went to great expense to realize an optimal soundtrack for the game."

There's an extra included with the Dynamedion interview at The Prophecy Network, an mp3 of Black Prophecy's epic battle music which was used in the recently released cinematic trailer.

MassivelyBlack Prophecy's musical composers Dynamedion interviewed originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>black-prophecycomposercomposersdynamedionmusicreakktorreakktor-mediasci-fiscoresoundtracktilman-sillescuTue, 21 Apr 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan wins Best Original Score at IFMCA awards]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/20/age-of-conan-wins-best-original-score-at-ifmca-awards/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/20/age-of-conan-wins-best-original-score-at-ifmca-awards/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/20/age-of-conan-wins-best-original-score-at-ifmca-awards/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The fantasy MMO Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures is a game that's notable for its score, and this aspect of the title has drawn accolades from gamers and music critics alike. Composer Knut Avenstroup Haugen was even nominated for Best Original Score in a Video Game in the Hollywood Music Awards. While ultimately that honor went to Wataru Hokoyama for Afrika, Haugen now has cause to celebrate his big win at the International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) awards.

The IFMCA is an association of online, print, and radio journalists who write about film and television music. Clearly they were impressed with Haugen's work. Age of Conan won Best Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media, this time beating Afrika, as well as Gears of War 2, Mercenaries 2, and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

[Via MMORPG.com]
Warhammer Online Coverage Having fun in Conan's homeland? Make sure to check out all of our previous Age of Conan coverage, and stick with Massively for more news from the Hyborian Age!


MassivelyAge of Conan wins Best Original Score at IFMCA awards originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>afrikaage-of-conanaocawardawardscomposercompositionfantasyhollywood-music-awardsifmcaknut-avenstroup-haugenmusicoriginal-scorescoresoundtrackFri, 20 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Australian orchestra records tribute to WoW, Blizzard in general]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/17/australian-orchestra-records-tribute-to-world-of-warcraft/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/17/australian-orchestra-records-tribute-to-world-of-warcraft/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/17/australian-orchestra-records-tribute-to-world-of-warcraft/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Australia-based Eminence Symphony Orchestra (who performed pieces for the soundtrack of the console fighting game Soul Calibur IV) have recorded a vast musical tome called Echoes of War that encompasses virtually every game Blizzard has made -- including World of Warcraft. The international (Australia, United States, Japan) project is made partly out of the proverbial love of the game, but the folks behind it also want to get a young generation interested in classical music by playing "the music they want to hear."

The samples on the website (which include two WoW tracks) are impressive, and should entice hardcore Warcraft fanatics to pick the full package up online. There's a standard edition for $29.95 that just includes the 90 minutes of music, and the pictured-above "Legendary" edition (geez, even video game soundtracks have CEs now) which includes the music, a making-of DVD, a "32-page color booklet" (whatever that means), and nine bits of artwork on cards. That'll cost you $49.95.

Sure, other MMOs have gotten soundtrack albums, but we're pretty sure this is the first time we've seen a soundtrack for the entire catalog of an MMO developer other than Square-Enix; Final Fantasy fanatics proudly challenge even the Warcraft guys and gals in sheer enthusiasm.

[Via Kotaku]

MassivelyAustralian orchestra records tribute to WoW, Blizzard in general originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardcomposereminencemusicorchestrascoresoundtrackworld-of-warcraftwowMon, 17 Nov 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[An in-depth look at the AoC soundtrack album]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/08/an-in-depth-look-at-the-aoc-soundtrack-album/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/08/an-in-depth-look-at-the-aoc-soundtrack-album/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/08/an-in-depth-look-at-the-aoc-soundtrack-album/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Have you ever wondered what goes through the mind of a game music composer as they write the theme for our favorite games? Why was this particular piece chosen for this part of the game? Was it written with the game's lore in mind, or written beforehand, and just added to the game afterwards?

In the recently released Age of Conan soundtrack album, composer Knut Avenstroup Haugen poured his heart and soul into making what could be argued as the best game soundtrack in awhile. In an article at Ten Ton Hammer, Haugen talks in-depth about his masterpiece soundtrack album, and what inspired him to make the music. Each piece is described in detail in an order relative to how you would hear them in the game. You can play and listen to six of the tracks straight from the article, to entice both AoC players and non-players alike.

MassivelyAn in-depth look at the AoC soundtrack album originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Oct 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaoccomposerfuncomknut-avenstroup-haugenmusicsoundtrackten-ton-hammerWed, 08 Oct 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Earthrise newsletter updates fans on title's progress]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/17/earthrise-newsletter-updates-fans-on-titles-progress/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/17/earthrise-newsletter-updates-fans-on-titles-progress/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/17/earthrise-newsletter-updates-fans-on-titles-progress/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


The team at Masthead Studios has released another batch of info on the upcoming Earthrise MMO, through their August newsletter. It's become standard for the Masthead newsletters to profile members of the Earthrise team. This time it's Composer Pavel Benov who's featured. He talks about how he drew upon his punk and hardcore roots to create Earthrise's soundtrack, which will be a fusion of experimental ambient and industrial.

There are also some highlights of the previous month's coverage of the post-apocalyptic title. But most of the revelations come through their Community Manager, Moll, who touches upon where Earthrise is in terms of beta testing. In addition, 'Issue IV' of the Earthrise newsletter has more concept art from the Eastern Gardens Creatures, showing off the npc spawns that will be devouring players when the game goes into beta, which Moll says will be later this year.

MassivelyEarthrise newsletter updates fans on title's progress originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 17 Aug 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ambientbetacommunitycomposerearthriseeastern-gardenshardcoreindustrialmasthead-studiosmollmusicnewsletternpcpavel-benovpost-apocalypticpreviewspunkpvesci-fispawnSun, 17 Aug 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Listen to exclusive Stargate Worlds audio content]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/21/listen-to-exclusive-stargate-worlds-audio-content/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/21/listen-to-exclusive-stargate-worlds-audio-content/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/21/listen-to-exclusive-stargate-worlds-audio-content/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Music can be a really important part of MMOs, if the developer decides that they want it to be. In some games you'll almost immediately turn the audio down to zero and resume listening to your own stuff, but other games like Age of Conan have a musical score that demands to be heard. It is clear that Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment is aiming for the latter with Stargate Worlds, and they have offered followers of the game a chance to listen to some short clips at their community forums.

You'll need to be a registered forum user to be able to listen, but if you take the plunge you can download two short clips, composed by SGW sound designer Nick LaMartina. They are both fairly epic and atmospheric, and leave you wanting to hear more. If you do check them out, you can use the links in the article to leave feedback for each piece in the forums.

MassivelyListen to exclusive Stargate Worlds audio content originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 21 Jun 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>audiocheyenne-mountaincheyenne-mountain-entertainmentcomposermusicnick-lamartinasgwsound-designerstargate-worldsthemesSat, 21 Jun 2008 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan composer speaks about Hyborian soundtrack]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/07/age-of-conan-composer-speaks-about-hyborian-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/07/age-of-conan-composer-speaks-about-hyborian-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/07/age-of-conan-composer-speaks-about-hyborian-soundtrack/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


One interesting side effect of having a developer like Funcom being based out of Norway is that we are introduced to a whole cavalcade of interesting Scandinavian names. Case in point: they recently posted an interview on their official site with Knut Haugen, the game's composer, to celebrate the release of the Age of Conan official soundtrack on the iTunes store. The soundtrack itself is suitably epic, and you get a robust 25 tracks for the respectable price of $9.99. Plus, you get to own an album by a guy named Knut! Quite a deal.

As for the interview itself, Haugen talks about how he got into composing originally and how he came to be acquainted with the Age of Conan team. He also talks about the intricacies of balancing Age of Conan's ancient, almost primeval ambiance with a desire to convey complex emotions for a situational score. It's an interview that's definitely worth reading, as it effectively relates an aspect of game development that we often hear too little about.

MassivelyAge of Conan composer speaks about Hyborian soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 07 Jun 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaoccomposerfuncomitunesknut-haugenmusicnorwayscoresoundtrackSat, 07 Jun 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan's composer talks inspiration, challenges]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/16/aocs-composer-talks-inspiration-challenges/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/16/aocs-composer-talks-inspiration-challenges/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/16/aocs-composer-talks-inspiration-challenges/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

MMORPG met up with Age of Conan composer Knut Avenstroup at the Oslo launch event and spoke with him about the beautiful score he created for the game. During the four minute video interview, Avenstroup talked about adapting his creative process to the video game medium and staying motivated when faced with the intimidating task of creating three and a half hours of music.

He explained that he wanted to learn about ancient forms of music, since the game is set just before the dawn of recorded history. Unfortunately, he had a bit of trouble because "there is very little material to look into because the only thing they know about ancient music or music from two thousand years ago is based on the instruments that have survived. They are basically trying to find out what kind of music would be possible to play on these instruments, so there's not a lot to go on."

Despite that problem, he was able to draw on inspiration from several cultures -- including Arabic, Celtic, and Nordic -- and the scores of films set in the distant past.

MassivelyAge of Conan's composer talks inspiration, challenges originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 16 May 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanancientaoccomposerfuncominterviewknut-avenstrouplaunch-partymmorpgmusicosloscorevideoFri, 16 May 2008 20:00:00 EST