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 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: Starting your MMO music collection]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/11/jukebox-heroes-starting-your-mmo-music-collection/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/11/jukebox-heroes-starting-your-mmo-music-collection/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/11/jukebox-heroes-starting-your-mmo-music-collection/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Jukebox Heroes Starting your MMO music collection
I love seeing people turned on to MMO music, particularly after it's gotten such a bad rap over the years. But for the new fan, it can be a daunting proposition to start up a collection. After all, it's not as if you can go down to your local vinyl shop, peruse a stack of 45s, and come out with a full set of SOE's greatest hits. Only a fraction of MMO scores are available for purchase these days, with the rest being free, packaged in with collector's editions, out of print, or just tucked away inside of game files somewhere.

So how do you get started on building up a robust library of MMO music? If you don't have deep pockets, which scores would I recommend you pick up first? Well, my friend, I've given it some thought and have put together a guide to six essential purchases that will get you off to a great start. Don't thank me; thank music. And also me because I did this hard work.

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Starting your MMO music collection

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: Starting your MMO music collection originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Jun 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaionchance-thomascity-of-steamcollectioncomposercomposersdark-age-of-cameloteverquestfeaturedfinal-fantasy-xigame-musicguild-warsguild-wars-2inon-zurjeremy-soulejukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettilord-of-the-rings-onlinemmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicopinionpirates-of-the-burning-seariders-of-rohanriftsoundtracksoundtracksspiral-knightsthe-secret-worldworld-of-warcraftTue, 11 Jun 2013 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: Warhammer Online's soundtrack]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/04/jukebox-heroes-warhammer-onlines-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/04/jukebox-heroes-warhammer-onlines-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/04/jukebox-heroes-warhammer-onlines-soundtrack/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Jukebox Heroes Warhammer Online's soundtrack
Even though it's fashionable to bash Warhammer Online these days (or every day since 2008, I guess), I still have a lot of affection for this particular game. It was the MMO that got me into blogging, connected me with many of my current online friends, and provided exciting experiences for well over a year. So when I hear the music, there's a rush of nostalgia that floods my brain and runs down to my extremities.

That's not to say it's a particularly terrific score. I'd probably classify Warhammer Online's soundtrack as slightly below average; it does the job it needed to do, but it doesn't provide any stellar breakout tracks that will endure long after I've logged out. Still, it's worth examining.

The score was handled by Mythic in-house composer Brad Derrick (who also helped to make an amusing Dwarf ballad while he was there). What did he come up with to represent this savagely twisted world? Let's find out!

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Warhammer Online's soundtrack

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: Warhammer Online's soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Jun 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brad-derrickcomposercomposerseaelectronic-artsendless-trialfantasyfeaturedgame-musicjukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettimmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicmythicmythic-entertainmentopinionpvprvrsoundtracksoundtrackswarwarhammerwarhammer-onlineTue, 04 Jun 2013 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: EVE Online's soundtrack]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/28/jukebox-heroes-eve-onlines-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/28/jukebox-heroes-eve-onlines-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/28/jukebox-heroes-eve-onlines-soundtrack/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Jukebox Heroes EVE Online's soundtrack
EVE Online's soundtrack is a strange puppy to me. I've heard players proclaim their love and undying affection for it, although I believe that a great deal of that is tied into game loyalty and monogamy. From this outsider's perspective, it's a large number of ambient synth tracks that are big on atmosphere and small on catchy melodies or memorable themes.

Even though I wouldn't rate it as one of the most exciting scores I've covered for this column, I don't want to dismiss its atmospheric nature as a negative. Creating a soundscape that communicates the wonder, mystery, and largely empty gulf of the cosmos has proven to be a great asset to gamer immersion for EVE, and at least most of these tracks are soothing and low-key enough to warrant a high rating on the replayability scale.

Icelandic composer Jón Hallur Haraldsson was in charge of this project. Responding to an interview question about the score's musical category, Haraldsson said, "Back in the days I used to concern myself a lot with defining my music, but I don't do that as much anymore. I like to amalgamate, to take whatever I like from whatever style and try to put that into my music."

You can listen to a bulk of the game's music on Sound Cloud, but here are my picks for the six best tracks out of the bunch!

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: EVE Online's soundtrack

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: EVE Online's soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 May 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-gamescomposercomposerseveeve-onlinefanfestfeaturedgame-musicinternet-spaceshipsJón-Hallur-HaraldssonJon-Hallur-Haraldssonjukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettimmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicopinionsandboxsci-fisoundtracksoundtracksspreadsheets-onlinesymphonyTue, 28 May 2013 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: Character select music]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/jukebox-heroes-character-select-music/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/jukebox-heroes-character-select-music/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/jukebox-heroes-character-select-music/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Jukebox Heroes Character select music
Character select and creation music has always fascinated me. OK, maybe not fascinated; it's interested me. I've always viewed such themes as the overture of the game, the interlude between the title theme and the game proper to come.

These themes don't tend to be rip-roaring in their presentation because that's not their purpose. They have to be pleasant enough without being annoying when looped endlessly. After all, sometimes players spend a loooong time making their characters or sitting there at the select screen, and the last thing you want is for their ears to become fatigued by the experience.

So here are six MMO character select and character creation themes that I've enjoyed over the years. And if you saw the title graphic up there and immediately started hearing this song in your head, then you and I probably grew up in the same era.

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Character select music

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: Character select music originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 May 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>carbinecarbine-studioscity-of-heroescity-of-villainscohcomposercomposerscovcoxeq-2eq-iieq2eqiieverquest-2everquest-iif2pfantasyfeaturedffff11ffxifinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-11final-fantasy-xifree-to-playfreedomgame-musicjasper-kydjesper-kydjukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettimmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicncsoftopinionparagonparagon-studiossandboxsandparksci-fantasysci-fisoesonysony-online-entertainmentsoundtracksoundtrackssquaresquare-enixsuperherosuperheroestelonthe-chronicles-of-spellbornvanguardvanguard-saga-of-heroesvgwildstarwsTue, 21 May 2013 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: Defiance's soundtrack]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/jukebox-heroes-defiances-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/jukebox-heroes-defiances-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/jukebox-heroes-defiances-soundtrack/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Jukebox Heroes Defiance's soundtrack
First of all, I wish my first name were a cool animal. Bear McCreary has that on me, so it seems unfair that he's also a geek icon for his work on several beloved TV series (Battlestar Galactica, Eureka, The Walking Dead). And now the guy is composing the soundtrack of one of this spring's hottest MMOs? Where did I go wrong with my life?

Before I go and change my name to Sugar Glider Olivetti, I guess it's only fair that I put a lid on my hurt ego to give Defiance's score a fair listen. McCreary was tapped to create the music for both the MMO and the TV series, giving the crossover project a unified sound.

"I had to make sure that players could hang out in one area for long stretches of time without getting bored by repetitive music," McCreary wrote on his blog. "As a result, melody plays less of a role throughout many of these cues. The real stars of this music are the texture and colors."

Music has texture and colors? If Bear says it, then it must be. Let's dive in!

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Defiance's soundtrack

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: Defiance's soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 May 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arkark-hunterarkfallbear-mccrearycomposercomposersdefiancefeaturedgame-musicjukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettimmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmmo-shootermusicopinionpvpsci-fishootersoundtracksoundtrackssyfythird-person-shootertpstransmedia-synergytriontrion-worldstvxboxTue, 14 May 2013 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Leaderboard: Who's your favorite MMO music composer?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/leaderboard-whos-your-favorite-mmo-music-composer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/leaderboard-whos-your-favorite-mmo-music-composer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/leaderboard-whos-your-favorite-mmo-music-composer/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Knut Haugen is the best, and if you don't agree with me then YOU ARE WRONG!
I've got MMO music on the brain today, and with apologies to our dedicated music column, I'm going to devote this episode of Leaderboard to some of my favorite massively multiplayer composers. If you're not already aware, video game music has ceased to be cheesy, synth-dominated midi riffs and now sounds as good, if not better, than many of the orchestral marches composed for epic films and television.

With all that said, let's keep it simple. Who's your favorite MMO music composer? Vote after the cut!

Continue reading Leaderboard: Who's your favorite MMO music composer?

MassivelyLeaderboard: Who's your favorite MMO music composer? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 13 May 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>battle-royalcomposersleaderboardmmo-musicmmo-soundtracksmusicone-on-oneone-vs-oneopinionpollpollssoundtrackversusvotevotesvotingvsMon, 13 May 2013 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: Wrath of the Lich King's soundtrack]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/07/jukebox-heroes-wrath-of-the-lich-kings-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/07/jukebox-heroes-wrath-of-the-lich-kings-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/07/jukebox-heroes-wrath-of-the-lich-kings-soundtrack/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Jukebox Heroes Wrath of the Lich King's soundtrack
After my so-so review of The Burning Crusade's score a few months ago, I'm sure a few of you thought I was barking mad. World of Warcraft is well-known for great orchestra pieces, but I stick by saying that most of the brilliant stuff stayed the heck away from Outland. Fortunately, the sound quality got a lot better when we went up north for Wrath of the Lich King in 2008.

The score was composed and arranged by Russell Brower, Derek Duke, Matt Uelmen, Neal Acree, and Glenn Stafford. As to be expected by that name sandwich, the score features a lot of variety. While there are epic chants and the like that are to be expected from WoW, there's also a lonely, savage feel to the music that represents these far-off lands. There's also a lot of blowing wind that segues between tracks if you listen to the album straight through, and if that doesn't make you envision a snow-blasted landscape, I don't know what would.

The liner notes say that "this is the music of ice and despair, a dirge and a call to arms." I couldn't put it better myself. Let's dive into my picks for the best tracks from this score, shall we?

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Wrath of the Lich King's soundtrack

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: Wrath of the Lich King's soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 May 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionblizzardblizzard-entertainmentcomposercomposersDerek-Dukefantasyfeaturedgame-musicGlenn-Staffordjukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettiMatt-Uelmenmmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicNeal-AcreeopinionRussell-Browersoundtracksoundtrackswarcraftworld-of-warcraftwowwrath-of-the-lich-kingTue, 07 May 2013 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: Battle music!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/23/jukebox-heroes-battle-music/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/23/jukebox-heroes-battle-music/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/23/jukebox-heroes-battle-music/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Jukebox Heroes Battle music!
It's time once again to take a week off from looking at specific MMO soundtracks and open ourselves up to a theme instead. The topic? Battle music. Yeah, it can be some of the most obnoxious music in the game, especially after hearing it for the 3,000th time, but every once in a while I hear a piece that has some merit to it. These are the ones we want to examine today.

What makes for a good battle music track? I think it has to get you excited without being annoying or grating and not so loud or incredibly noticeable that you can't help but get tired of it sooner rather than later. It was actually pretty tricky to pull together six such tracks for this column, but I managed to do with with the help of Colonel Bugle up there. He's got the best MP3 collection around.

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Battle music!

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: Battle music! originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anarchy-onlineaoatlanticaatlantica-onlinebiowarecamelotclassic-mmocomposercomposersconsoleconsolesdaocdark-age-of-cameloteaelectronic-artseqeq1everquestf2pfantasyfeaturedffff14ffxivfinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-14final-fantasy-xivfree-to-playfuncomgame-musicjukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettilord-of-the-ringslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrommo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicmythicmythic-entertainmentmythologynexonnexon-americanexon-koreaopinionpvprvrsci-fisoesonysony-online-entertainmentsoundtracksoundtrackssquaresquare-enixtactical-mmoturbineturbine-entertainmentTue, 23 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: Super Adventure Box's soundtrack]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/16/jukebox-heroes-super-adventure-boxs-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/16/jukebox-heroes-super-adventure-boxs-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/16/jukebox-heroes-super-adventure-boxs-soundtrack/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Jukebox Heroes Super Adventure Box's soundtrack
OK, yeah, how could I not do this? I know that we at Massively have gone a little ga-ga over ArenaNet's stellar April Fools' Day prank-slash-massive update, but when I saw that the team released a half-hour of original score in addition to all of the pixelated monkey mayhem, I knew I had to review it.

Your enjoyment of Guild Wars 2's Super Adventure Box and its score will largely depend on your memories or feelings about old-school video games. For a kid who grew up on 8-bit and 16-bit games, the sound of SAB is pure nostalgia (even if it is original composition). I think it's also as catchy as cooties.

Composers Maclaine Diemer and Leif Chappelle put in a lot of effort to not just make a classic-sounding soundtrack here but specifically reference and pay homage to plenty of old-school hits. Hang with me as I highlight the best of Super Adventure Box, and I promise that next week we'll get back to serious business.

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Super Adventure Box's soundtrack

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: Super Adventure Box's soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Apr 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetbattletoadsbuy-to-playcastlevaniachrono-triggercomposercomposersfantasyfeaturedfinal-fantasygame-musicguild-wars-2gw2jukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettiLeif-ChappelleMaclaine-Diemermmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicncsoftnesopinionsabsilent-hillsoundtracksoundtrackssuper-adventure-boxthe-secret-worldzeldaTue, 16 Apr 2013 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Perfect Ten: Final moments of MMOs, part 1]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/11/the-perfect-ten-final-moments-of-mmos-part-1/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/11/the-perfect-ten-final-moments-of-mmos-part-1/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/11/the-perfect-ten-final-moments-of-mmos-part-1/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

The Perfect Ten Final moments of MMOs
Maybe many of us would just rather remember MMOs as they were in life rather than at the moment of their demise. But I believe that how a game went out is incredibly fascinating for many reasons and worthy of examination.

It's in these final moments when an entire community has to say goodbye. It's in these moments that the developers mourn as well before pulling the plug. It's in these moments that history is being made one last time. And it goes without saying that it's in these moments that everyone curses the unfairness of it all.

Today we're going to watch the first half of 10 videos featuring MMOs in their final moments. It's here we'll see how weird, crazy, sad, and interesting things can get. Maybe you were part of one (or more) of these moments or are simply curious what it was like. Either way, it's the end of the world as we know it. And we feel fine.

Continue reading The Perfect Ten: Final moments of MMOs, part 1

MassivelyThe Perfect Ten: Final moments of MMOs, part 1 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Apr 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>classic-mmocomposercomposersdungeon-runnerseqoaeverquest-online-adventuresfeaturedfinal-momentsgalaxiesgame-musicjukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettimmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicmxoopinionsandboxsci-fishutdownsoesony-online-entertainmentsoundtracksoundtracksstar-warsstar-wars-galaxiessunsetswgswgotabula-rasathe-matrix-onlineThu, 11 Apr 2013 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: Guild Wars Factions' soundtrack]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/09/jukebox-heroes-guild-wars-factions-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/09/jukebox-heroes-guild-wars-factions-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/09/jukebox-heroes-guild-wars-factions-soundtrack/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Jukebox Heroes Guild Wars Factions' soundtrack
East Asian-themed music in MMOs is something that I generally welcome. Even if the title isn't an Asian MMO, chances are that sooner or later developers like to work an Eastern zone, class, or city into the game -- and with that comes a specific sound. I'm by no means educated on what instruments are used in these tunes, but the result is so distinctive that you can't help but think of the region.

Guild Wars: Factions definitely drew upon the Orient for its theme, and composer Jeremy Soule returned to create a score that would paint a picture of Cantha. Unfortunately, I don't think he was up to the task. While technically sufficient, Factions' score is definitely lacking in the grandeur of Prophecies and the basic catchiness necessary to elevate a soundtrack out of the crowd. The best I can say is that none of the tracks is horrible to hear, but the album as a whole is actually a bit bland and forgettable.

I'm by no means besmirching Soule here. His previous and subsequent Guild Wars projects are heads and shoulders above this one, and everyone has an off day. Perhaps Asian music just wasn't his forte. In any case, I sifted vigorously to discover six tracks that best represent Cantha and its people.

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Guild Wars Factions' soundtrack

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: Guild Wars Factions' soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetcomposercomposersfactionsfantasyfeaturedgame-musicguild-warsguild-wars-factionsgwjeremy-soulejukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettimmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicncsoftopinionsoundtracksoundtracksTue, 09 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: The Sims Online's soundtrack]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/02/jukebox-heroes-the-sims-onlines-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/02/jukebox-heroes-the-sims-onlines-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/02/jukebox-heroes-the-sims-onlines-soundtrack/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Jukebox Heroes The Sims Online's soundtrack
The recent SimCity is by far not the only botched product that EA's launched with the Sims name on it. The truth is that The Sims Online had a great potential and franchise behind it, but it let the ball drop, big-time. It was already visually obsolete by the time it launched, and that was the least of its worries.

Yet this fizzled MMO-slash-chat room had some pretty solid music backing it up. I've always been partial to the Sims series when it comes to OSTs because sometimes I just want to relax to happy, effervescent tunes. Series composer Jerry Martin produced the score to TSO in the same vein as his other projects, and it's still a delight to hear.

Unfortunately, the only way you can get a copy of the soundtrack today is to find a seller who's got an otherwise-useless copy of The Sims Online: Charter Edition lying around. Otherwise, it might just be easier to forge on in this column and get a taste of the Sims soundscape!

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: The Sims Online's soundtrack

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: The Sims Online's soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>composercomposerseaea-landelectronic-artsfeaturedgame-musicjerry-martinjukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettimmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicopinionsimlishsimlish-is-just-nonstop-swearingsimssoundtracksoundtracksthe-sims-onlinetsoTue, 02 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: Final Fantasy XI's soundtrack]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/26/jukebox-heroes-final-fantasy-xis-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/26/jukebox-heroes-final-fantasy-xis-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/26/jukebox-heroes-final-fantasy-xis-soundtrack/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Jukebox Heroes Final Fantasy XI's soundtrack
Hey you! Want a good way to die a horrible, painful death? Enter into any geek domain and put down the music of the Final Fantasy series. Do it. I double-dog dare you. Even scrubs who couldn't identify a single other composer or notable video game soundtrack will leap to the defense of One-Winged Angel.

While I generally do like the Final Fantasy tunes, especially the earlier 8-bit era stuff and Final Fantasy IX, I haven't seen it as an infallible series in regard to its music. I think along the way Nobuo Uematsu's become this person who can Do No Wrong in the gaming community, which has stifled an honest look at both the highs and lows of his soundtracks.

I don't want to be all about hero worship or mindless bashing today; I want to examine a fairly good but not perfect soundtrack that represented Final Fantasy's first foray into MMOs. Along with Uematsu, Naoshi Mizuta and Kumi Tanioka shared composing duties on this project. There's some terrific stuff here that you'll listen to after the jump, but there are a lot more completely forgettable (and sometimes annoying!) tracks that have been shoehorned into FFXI's expansive game. So let's come down to earth and see what Final Fantasy XI has in store for us.

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Final Fantasy XI's soundtrack

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: Final Fantasy XI's soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 26 Mar 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>battle-themechocobocomposercomposersfantasyfeaturedffff11ffxifinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-11final-fantasy-viifinal-fantasy-xigame-musicjukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettiKumi-Taniokammo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicNaoshi-MizutaNobuo-Uematsuone-winged-angelopinionsoundtracksoundtrackssquaresquare-enixTue, 26 Mar 2013 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: The Matrix Online's soundtrack]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/19/jukebox-heroes-the-matrix-onlines-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/19/jukebox-heroes-the-matrix-onlines-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/19/jukebox-heroes-the-matrix-onlines-soundtrack/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Jukebox Heroes The Matrix Online's soundtrack
It's been almost three-and-a-half years since players were forced to unplug from The Matrix Online for the last time, but the memories and music remain. When I first was wowed by The Matrix back in 1999, the dark, action-packed score became an instant favorite of mine. It's a franchise in which the sound is critical to the feel of the films, and it makes sense that this would extend to the MMO.

The makers of MxO went to great lengths to retain the look, story, and audio of the films, which is why the trilogy's composer, Don Davis, was called in to create the music for the game. While the films are more dependent on an orchestra for the score, Davis went with a heavy synth sound for the MMO. It's still quite Matrix-y, however, and pretty dang cool to discover (or discover all over again).

Let's boot up this ancient laptop that I found and see if we can coax a few tunes out of it before Windows 98 shuts down on us for good.

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: The Matrix Online's soundtrack

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: The Matrix Online's soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Mar 2013 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>composercomposersfeaturedgame-musicjukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettimatrixmmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicmxoopinionsoesoundtracksoundtracksthe-matrixthe-matrix-onlinewbTue, 19 Mar 2013 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Music on the frontier: An interview with WildStar composer Jeff Kurtenacker]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/12/music-on-the-frontier-an-interview-with-wildstar-composer-jeff/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/12/music-on-the-frontier-an-interview-with-wildstar-composer-jeff/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/12/music-on-the-frontier-an-interview-with-wildstar-composer-jeff/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Music on the frontier A talk with WildStar's Jeff Kurtenacker
A great soundtrack has the ability to raise the mundane to memorable and the wonderful to epic. It's hard to imagine films like Star Wars or Back to the Future without their iconic scores or video games like Super Mario Bros. and Final Fantasy without their catchy tunes. So I'm always keen to hear the soundtracks of up-and-coming MMOs because they give me an indication of how much care is being given to the overall quality of the project.

I'm doubly excited for WildStar's score because it's being composed by Jeff Kurtenacker. Kurtenacker produced one of my all-time favorite MMO soundtracks, Pirates of the Burning Sea, which is a playful, exuberant romp through the nautical soundscape. And so far from what we've heard of WildStar's score, we can expect much of the same when we make planetfall on Nexus.

On one drizzly afternoon in a country that you've never heard of, Kurtenacker met with us in a small pub to talk about the joys of creating the music that will soon be infecting the brains of thousands (millions?) of gamers worldwide. Read on, space-man or space-woman, and be astounded!

Continue reading Music on the frontier: An interview with WildStar composer Jeff Kurtenacker

MassivelyMusic on the frontier: An interview with WildStar composer Jeff Kurtenacker originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Mar 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Adam-Gubmancarbinecarbine-studiosCharley-LanussecomposercomposersDan-Savantfeaturedgame-musicinterviewinterviewsJeff-kurtenackerjukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettimmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicncsoftNick-Baxteropinionpirates-of-the-burning-seasandparksci-fantasysci-fisoundtracksoundtrackswildstarwsTue, 12 Mar 2013 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: Soul of the Ultimate Nation's soundtrack]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/12/jukebox-heroes-soul-of-the-ultimate-nations-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/12/jukebox-heroes-soul-of-the-ultimate-nations-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/12/jukebox-heroes-soul-of-the-ultimate-nations-soundtrack/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Jukebox Heroes Soul of the Ultimate Nation's soundtrack
Yes, you're seeing the header graphic correctly; Howard Shore is the powerhouse behind Soul of the Ultimate Nation's soundtrack. Yes, it's that Howard Shore -- The Lord of the Rings guy (not to mention all of his dozens of other film score projects dating back to 1979). How this smallish MMO was able to attract the likes of Mr. Shore I have no idea, but we're faced with the reality that the game did and this exists.

Other than doing a little double-take when I first found this out, I'm really cool with it. I love it when well-known movie composers dip into video games, such as when Harry Gregson-Williams branched out to do several of the Metal Gear Solid titles. Shore's works are really distinctive and give SUN a sound that's far more "professional" than many of the game's contemporaries.

That said, it's not the best score I've ever heard. It's quite noisy and pulls a little too much from the LotR films. Sometimes composers crib their own works (Harry Potter's music is John William's shameless ripoff of his own Home Alone soundtrack), and that's just how it goes. Let's take a look at an MMO scored by a Hollywood bigshot, shall we?

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Soul of the Ultimate Nation's soundtrack

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: Soul of the Ultimate Nation's soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Mar 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>composercomposersf2pfeaturedfree-to-playgame-musichoward-shorejukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettilord-of-the-ringsmmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicnhn-gamesopinionsoul-of-the-ultimate-nationsoundtracksoundtrackssunwebzenTue, 12 Mar 2013 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PlanetSide 2 rocks: An interview with composer Jeff Broadbent]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/10/planetside-2-rocks-an-interview-with-composer-jeff-broadbent/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/10/planetside-2-rocks-an-interview-with-composer-jeff-broadbent/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/10/planetside-2-rocks-an-interview-with-composer-jeff-broadbent/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

PlanetSide 2 rocks An interview with Composer Jeff Broadbent
In this post-Halo age, it's hard to imagine any sort of galactic ground battle happening without a stirring score at your back. So the challenge to the SOE audio team and Composer Jeff Broadbent was formidable: PlanetSide 2's soundtrack had to rock so hard that it would bring tears to the eyes of combat-hardened troops.

Whether or not the musicians and audio team succeeded is, of course, your personal opinion, but it's hard not to be impressed with the end result. Broadbent's worked on a variety of projects spanning video games, TV, and film, but PlanetSide 2 is his first crack at scoring an MMO.

We talked with Broadbent about his inspirations, experiences on the project, and his take on the end result. Read on and be enlightened!

Continue reading PlanetSide 2 rocks: An interview with composer Jeff Broadbent

MassivelyPlanetSide 2 rocks: An interview with composer Jeff Broadbent originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 10 Mar 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>composercomposersfeaturedfpsgame-musicjeff-broadbentjohn-smedleyjukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettimmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmmo-shootermmofpsmusicopinionplanetsideplanetside-2ps2rodney-gatessandboxsci-fishootersoesonysony-online-entertainmentsoundtracksoundtracksSun, 10 Mar 2013 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: Spiral Knights' soundtrack]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/05/jukebox-heroes-spiral-knights-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/05/jukebox-heroes-spiral-knights-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/05/jukebox-heroes-spiral-knights-soundtrack/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Jukebox Heroes Spiral Knights' soundtrack
Wow, talk about a soundtrack that leaped up and bit me on the... earbuds! Sometimes I'm surprised how the smaller MMOs get treated to such lavish score releases while big-name games hoard their music to themselves, but in the case of Spiral Knights, I'm sincerely glad that this two-volume set was put out there for the world to enjoy. It truly is a kickin' project.

Spiral Knights was composed and arranged by Harry Mack (Doctor Who: Worlds in Time, Braid). Mack likes the smaller indie projects, so tackling this was one of his more high-profile works. For this album, Mack said that he was inspired by retro games: "It pulls a lot from the 'sound' of an earlier era, coupled in with more modern, easier-on-the-ears instruments."

The end result is a chirpy, peppy ride through a clockwork MMO, and trust me when I say that I had a hard time narrowing it down to just six picks. I hope that by the end of this column I'll have convinced you to listen to the rest of this terrific score.

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Spiral Knights' soundtrack

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: Spiral Knights' soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Mar 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>composercomposersf2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playgame-musicharry-mackjukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettimmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicopinionpromotionregistered-accountsregistered-playerssci-fantasysci-fisegasoundtracksoundtracksspiral-knightssteamthree-ringsthree-rings-designTue, 05 Mar 2013 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: Granado Espada's soundtrack]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/26/jukebox-heroes-granado-espadas-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/26/jukebox-heroes-granado-espadas-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/26/jukebox-heroes-granado-espadas-soundtrack/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Jukebox Heroes Granado Espada's soundtrack
So here's an impossible task that lies before me right now: picking one musical genre that defines Granado Espada's score. I can't. It simply cannot be done. I've listened to a lot of soundtracks, my friends, and this game's score is literally all over the place. I don't know how or why the composers chose to toss opera, techno, electronic, international, jazz, and epic fantasy together like a bi-polar salad, but the end result is a nutritious blend of the crazy voices and catchy tunes.

Part of the... diversity on display here is the result of of a collaboration between several composers and one composer group: SoundTeMP, S.F.A., Junsung Kim, and Osamu Kubota. The game's sound department defended the decision to host a variety of composers in an interview, saying, "We took such an ambitious approach with the music in terms of different styles and the sheer quantity that we knew relying solely on a single composer would be inadequate."

Granado Espada has survived several transitions between companies and even a couple of name changes, but its soundtrack has endured just fine. It may be one of the most eccentric soundtracks you'll ever absorb, but at least it's never boring!

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Granado Espada's soundtrack

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: Granado Espada's soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 26 Feb 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>composercomposersfeaturedgame-musicgranado-espadajukeboxjukebox-heroesJunsung-Kimjustin-olivettimmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicopinionOsamu-KubotaSFASoundTeMPsoundtracksoundtrackssword-of-the-new-worldTue, 26 Feb 2013 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: A few of my favorite MMO soundtracks]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/19/jukebox-heroes-a-few-of-my-favorite-mmo-soundtracks/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/19/jukebox-heroes-a-few-of-my-favorite-mmo-soundtracks/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/19/jukebox-heroes-a-few-of-my-favorite-mmo-soundtracks/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Jukebox Heroes A few of my favorite soundtracks
I could hear some of you thinking in disbelief last week, "If Age of Conan isn't one of your top MMO scores, what is? And just how much am I not sending you a Christmas card this year, you loser?" You were kind enough to just think it and not say it, but I could hear it even so.

As we've mentioned countless times in this column, musical tastes are subjective. What's appealing to you may not be for me and vice-versa. What more is that musical tastes -- and favorites -- are always shifting around. I listen back to the jams that I enjoyed in the '90s and absolutely pity my younger self for such a deficiency in his musical diet.

So I thought that I'd take a week off our normal soundtrack reviews to bring to you my current top six favorite soundtracks. This list comes with the caveat that it's always subject to future changes as I continue to listen through more soundtracks for this column.

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: A few of my favorite MMO soundtracks

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: A few of my favorite MMO soundtracks originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Feb 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionage-of-conananetarenanetblizzardblizzard-entertainmentchance-thomascomposercomposerseq2everquest-iif2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playgame-musicguild-warsguild-wars-2gwharry-mackhistoricalJeff-Kurtenackerjeremy-soulejukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettilord-of-the-ringslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrommo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicncsoftopinionpiratespirates-of-the-burning-seaportalusportalus-gamespotbsriders-of-rohanrunes-of-magicsandboxsci-fantasysci-fisegasoesonysony-online-entertainmentsoundtracksoundtracksspiral-knightsstar-wars-the-old-republicsteamswtortelonthree-ringsthree-rings-designturbineturbine-entertainmentvanguardvanguard-saga-of-heroesvgwarcraftwildstarwizardry101world-of-warcraftwowTue, 19 Feb 2013 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: Hellgate London's soundtrack]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/12/jukebox-heroes-hellgate-londons-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/12/jukebox-heroes-hellgate-londons-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/12/jukebox-heroes-hellgate-londons-soundtrack/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Jukebox Heroes Hellgate London's soundtrack
Hellgate London was a title that I was highly anticipating back in the day. It was a post-apocalyptic MMO action-RPG brought to us by the makers of Diablo, all with techno-warriors and jaunts through the London Underground. I was on board with that. Sure, we all know how it ended and will probably kvetch about it in the comments, but I feel comfortable in saying that the concept sounded pretty awesome.

Ironically, the sound is what remained with me long after my days in that game were through. It's no surprise, as the composing duo of Cris Velasco and Sascha Dikiciyan have tackled many other high-profile video game projects together, such as Prototype, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3.

This score is pretty easy to get a hold of these days (try Amazon). It's a solid pick that has a few great tracks, as long as you're willing to tolerate darker themes.

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Hellgate London's soundtrack

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: Hellgate London's soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Feb 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>composercomposersCris-Velascof2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playgame-musicgothic-fantasyhanbitsofthellgatehellgate-londonHGLjukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettilondonmmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicopinionpost-apocalypticSascha-Dikiciyansoundtracksoundtrackst3funtokyoTue, 12 Feb 2013 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: Age of Conan's soundtrack]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/05/jukebox-heroes-age-of-conans-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/05/jukebox-heroes-age-of-conans-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/05/jukebox-heroes-age-of-conans-soundtrack/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Jukebox Heroes Age of Conan's soundtrack
I'm going to be honest with you: I've been putting off this particular column for months now. I've been dreading it, really. Because what I say next is probably going to turn off a lot of you who seem to worship this score like nothing else I've seen: I only kind of like Age of Conan's soundtrack. It's not really my favorite, nor in my top 10. And I know that this goes really against the feelings for this score that I've seen professed in Jukebox Heroes and elsewhere.

You know what? That's OK. Musical preferences are some of the most subjective things in the world, and we can't be expected to like everything, right? If Age of Conan's soundtrack gets people listening to more MMO (and even video game) scores, then that's a win for our niche-within-a-niche-within-a-niche hobby.

This score (and all of Age of Conan's subsequent music) was composed by Norwegian Knut Avenstroup Haugen. He won several awards for his work on the game, including the International Film Music Critics Association Award for Scoring Excellence. If you're interested in the man, Massively's Jef Reahard did an interview with him back in 2010 that makes for good reading. Otherwise, let's head onward and I'll share my personal favorites from the original game score!

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Age of Conan's soundtrack

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: Age of Conan's soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Feb 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanage-of-conan-unchainedaocaoc-unchainedcomposercomposersconanf2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playfuncomgame-musichyboriajukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettiknut-avenstroup-haugenknut-haugenmmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicopinionsoundtracksoundtracksTurbonegrounchainedTue, 05 Feb 2013 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: Star Trek Online's soundtrack]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/29/jukebox-heroes-star-trek-onlines-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/29/jukebox-heroes-star-trek-onlines-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/29/jukebox-heroes-star-trek-onlines-soundtrack/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Jukebox Heroes Star Trek Online's score
As a franchise, Star Trek is replete with terrific (and iconic) music. Star Trek VI remains one of my all-time favorite film scores, and who can listen to the opening notes of The Next Generation without being able to whistle and/or hum the whole thing? Of course, Star Trek has a lot of bad and forgettable music as well, which is probably par for a combined work of hundreds upon hundreds of hours of television and cinema.

I had high hopes for Star Trek Online's score upon first logging into the game, and the opening theme certainly did not disappoint. Kevin Manthei (Champions Online, City of Villains) delivers a stirring title track that is also one of my favorites, although the remainder of the score is much more lopsided. Some of it is so generic and harsh on the ears that I ended up turning off the soundtrack when I played STO. That's a shame because there are several equally excellent tracks deserving of a listen.

So today we're going to the stars. I hope you packed your undies and a warm sweater.

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Star Trek Online's soundtrack

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: Star Trek Online's soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Jan 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>champions-onlinecity-of-villainscomposercomposerscrypticcryptic-studiosf2pfeaturedfree-to-playgame-musicjukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettikevin-mantheimmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicopinionperfect-worldperfect-world-entertainmentpwesci-fisoundtracksoundtracksstar-trekstar-trek-mmostar-trek-onlinestoTue, 29 Jan 2013 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: Eleven MMO soundtracks you can get for free]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/22/jukebox-heroes-eleven-mmo-soundtracks-you-can-get-for-free/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/22/jukebox-heroes-eleven-mmo-soundtracks-you-can-get-for-free/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/22/jukebox-heroes-eleven-mmo-soundtracks-you-can-get-for-free/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Jukebox Heroes Eleven MMO soundtracks you can get for free
Collecting MMO soundtracks is a scattered, scavenger-like experience. Releasing video game soundtracks isn't exactly high up on studio and publisher to-do lists (although we're seeing more love from digital stores), so whether or not a title will get a music release is really a crapshoot. What does get released is never in the same place twice: Some game soundtracks are released as special editions only, some only as CDs, some as full MP3 album releases, some directly from the composer, some are buried on websites, and so on.

So I'm constantly looking everywhere trying to beef up my MMO soundtrack library, and as a result I've uncovered several scores that the studios are giving away for free. I'm all over free (legal) music, especially when it's in my area of interest!

If you've been looking to start an MMO soundtrack collection or are looking to add to what you have, I've put together a list of 11 MMO scores that you can get today free of charge. Sound good? It does to me!

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Eleven MMO soundtracks you can get for free

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: Eleven MMO soundtracks you can get for free originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Jan 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anarchy-onlineaoatlanticaatlantica-onlinebiowarebrowserbrowser-basedccpccp-gamesclassic-mmocomposercomposersddodnddungeons-and-dragonsdungeons-and-dragons-onlineeaelectronic-artseveeve-onlinef2pfantasyfeaturedfpsfree-musicfree-to-playfuncomgagame-musicgiveawayglitchglobal agendahi-rezhi-rez-studiosinternet-spaceshipsjagexjagex-games-studiojukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettilinuxlucasartsmacmmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmmofpsmusicnexonnexon-americanexon-koreaopinionpcplaneshiftrsrunescaperyzomsandboxsci-fantasysci-fishootersoundtracksoundtracksspreadsheets-onlinespy-fistar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtortactical-mmothe-old-republicthird-person-shootertortpsturbineturbine-entertainmentultima-odysseyultima-xultima-x-odysseywinch-gatewinch-gate-property-limitedwinch-gate-property-lldwinchgateTue, 22 Jan 2013 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: Dark Age of Camelot's soundtrack]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/15/jukebox-heroes-dark-age-of-camelots-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/15/jukebox-heroes-dark-age-of-camelots-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/15/jukebox-heroes-dark-age-of-camelots-soundtrack/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Jukebox Heroes Dark Age of Camelot's soundtrack
Dark Age of Camelot has a strange soundtrack history. The game came out with an official soundtrack in 2002 that is (a) wonderful, (b) absolutely worth buying, and (c) only marginally related to the actual in-game music. There are really terrific tracks on this, such as Breton Melody and The Rap, which I do wish I could share with you. Unfortunately, Universal Music Group is quite aggressive on keeping this CD's tracks off of sites like YouTube, so you will have to take my word for it that it's worth pursuing in your own time.

Then, of course, there's the actual score that's heard in the game, and that's what we'll be focusing on today. The original score and the first expansion was composed by Rik Schaffer of Womb Music. Schaffer worked with the team to come up with a multi-track format so that DAoC could weave together songs based on where you were and what was going on all around you. "It's a really neat system that provides a real sense of atmosphere as you are playing -- almost like a movie soundtrack," said Producer Matt Firor in a 2002 interview.

We've got a lot of musical ground to cover, so let's start moving!

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Dark Age of Camelot's soundtrack

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: Dark Age of Camelot's soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Jan 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowarecamelotclassic-mmocomposercomposersdaocdark-age-of-cameloteaelectronic-artsfantasyfeaturedgame-musicjukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettimmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicmythicmythic-entertainmentmythologyopinionpvprik-schafferrvrsoundtracksoundtracksTue, 15 Jan 2013 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: Star Wars: The Old Republic's soundtrack]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/08/jukebox-heroes-star-wars-the-old-republics-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/08/jukebox-heroes-star-wars-the-old-republics-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/08/jukebox-heroes-star-wars-the-old-republics-soundtrack/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Jukebox Heroes Star Wars The Old Republic's soundtrack
When an upcoming MMO announces its collector's edition, the very first thing I check for is whether it includes the soundtrack or not. I know, big surprise, right? But that often can be a crucial factor in my purchasing the product, especially if it doesn't look like the score's going to be released anywhere else.

Star Wars: The Old Republic's CE included the soundtrack... but only half of it. The other half was given away for free by BioWare in the days leading up to the game's release. So with my CE purchase and a little downloading know-how, I was able to piece together the SWTOR soundtrack to make a cohesive whole.

Making a Star Wars score on the scale of an MMO was a huge project, and BioWare enlisted a host of composers for it: Mark Griskey (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II) Gordy Haab (Kinect Star Wars), Wilbert Roget (Monkey Island 2), Lennie Moore (Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary), Jessie Harlin (Star Wars: Republic Commando), Jared Emerson-Johnson (The Walking Dead), Peter McConnell (Psychonauts), and Steve Kirk (Farmville). It's a great soundtrack that fuses John Williams' classic strains with each composer's own take on the universe, and it definitely deserves to be covered.

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Star Wars: The Old Republic's soundtrack

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: Star Wars: The Old Republic's soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 08 Jan 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowarecomposercomposerseaelectronic-artsf2pfeaturedfree-to-playgame-musicGordy-HaabJared-Emerson-JohnsonJessie-HarlinJohn-Williamsjukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettiLennie-MoorelucasartsMark-Griskeymmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicopinionPeter-McConnellsci-fisoundtracksoundtracksstar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicSteve-Kirkswtorthe-old-republictorWilbert-RogetTue, 08 Jan 2013 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: The Burning Crusade's soundtrack]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/01/jukebox-heroes-the-burning-crusades-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/01/jukebox-heroes-the-burning-crusades-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/01/jukebox-heroes-the-burning-crusades-soundtrack/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Jukebox Heroes The Burning Crusade's soundtrack
World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade has always been a contentious expansion, with some remembering it quite fondly and others declaring it a blight upon the game. It was certainly a risk, with the relocation to a completely new world (sort of) and the addition of flying mounts. As far as this column is concerned, its greatest contribution to the franchise was to finally add the first new music to the game since it launched.

So how did the score fare? As always, that's a subjective question based on taste, but for me, I'm not that much of a fan. I've always felt it's one of the weaker World of Warcraft soundtracks -- not horrible, mind you, just weaker, with fewer standout selections and a lot more filler that I could just as well never hear again.

Derek Duke returned to help compose, along with Russell Brower and Matt Uelmen. The physical CDs of these soundtracks shipped with the collector's editions, although you can easily find it on iTunes these days. Unfortunately, the released soundtrack is incomplete, as we'll soon see.

So what were the best songs of The Burning Crusade? Let's find out!

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: The Burning Crusade's soundtrack

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: The Burning Crusade's soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Jan 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionblizzardblizzard-entertainmentcomposercomposersderek-dukefantasyfeaturedgame-musicjukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettiMatt-Uelmenmmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicopinionRussell-Browersoundtracksoundtrackstbcthe-burning-crusadewarcraftworld-of-warcraftwowTue, 01 Jan 2013 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: Christmas music]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/25/jukebox-heroes-christmas-music/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/25/jukebox-heroes-christmas-music/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/25/jukebox-heroes-christmas-music/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Jukebox Heroes Christmas music
Merry Christmas and happy holidays from the staff at Jukebox Heroes! When it comes to the season, I have to admit that I'm a bit of a Christmas music junkie. Not nearly as bad as some I know, and I'm totally for a ban of hearing such music in public spaces before Thanksgiving and after New Year's Eve. I just love how it's so cheery and makes me feel warm in my tummy.

A couple of months ago when I realized that this column would fall on Christmas day, I entertained the notion of just featuring MMO Christmas music. That seemed a bit silly to me; there's no way that there could be more than a scarce handful of tunes, right?

It turns out that there's quite a bit, actually.

So whether you're celebrating, taking some time just to game, or bored out of your gourd, why not hit the jump and see how MMOs have contributed to the enormous library of Christmas music?

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Christmas music

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: Christmas music originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Dec 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetbuy-to-playchristmaschristmas-2012christmas-musiccomposercomposersdotae-sportesportf2pfantasyfeaturedffff11ffxifiesta-onlinefinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-11final-fantasy-xifree-to-playgame-musicgranado-espadaguild-wars-2gw2jukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettileagueleague-of-legendslolmaplestorymmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmobamusicncsoftnexonnexon-americanexon-koreaopinionphantasy-star-onlinepsoriotriot-gamessoundtracksoundtrackssquaresquare-enixsword-2sword-of-the-new-worldTue, 25 Dec 2012 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: Anarchy Online's soundtrack]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/18/jukebox-heroes-anarchy-onlines-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/18/jukebox-heroes-anarchy-onlines-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/18/jukebox-heroes-anarchy-onlines-soundtrack/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Jukebox Heroes Anarchy Online's soundtrack
In all of the MMOs I've played, Anarchy Online's music has stuck out at me like nothing else I've ever heard. I'm not saying that it's the best MMO score in the world or anything, but there's a really unique quality to its synth ambiance that hard-triggers my memories of the game.

The score was handled by a trio of composers: Morten Sørlie, Tor Linløkken, and Bjørn Arve Lagim. The team attempted to create an infinite score that used overlapping music samples which reacted to what was going on around you. The process is kind of fascinating, and you can read more about it on Gamasutra. However, the end result of traditional tracks are what we're going to be listening to today.

A large chunk of the Anarchy Online soundtrack is actually free to download. The first volume used to be available but has since been pulled. The second volume and the Shadowlands soundtrack are still up on Funcom's FTP server for those interested in listening to it. That said, let's dive into my favorite songs from all three!

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Anarchy Online's soundtrack

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: Anarchy Online's soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 18 Dec 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anarchy-onlineaoclassic-mmocomposercomposersf2pfeaturedfree-to-playfuncomgame-musicjukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettimmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicopinionsci-fisoundtracksoundtracksTue, 18 Dec 2012 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: Reader requests]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/11/jukebox-heroes-reader-requests/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/11/jukebox-heroes-reader-requests/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/11/jukebox-heroes-reader-requests/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Jukebox Heroes Reader requests
One of my favorite parts of doing this column is reading your comments every week. I've discovered that there are several other gamers who are passionate for this type of music and have plenty to say about these songs. There's a lot of memories that are triggered by these tunes as well, and I love hearing about them.

Unbeknownst to you but totally beknownst to me, I've been collecting comments regarding your favorite songs in the game's we've covered so far. My opinions on the best of every soundtrack isn't the be-all, end-all, after all. Sometimes you guys and gals show me a song that I overlooked or perhaps didn't appreciate the first time I heard it.

So what I've decided to do is turn your favorite songs into an occasional column, and this here is the first. Instead of focusing on just one MMO this week, we'll be looking at six additional tracks from titles we've discussed over the past few months. If you were gnashing your teeth that I overlooked an MMO classic, then you might just be in luck today!

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Reader requests

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: Reader requests originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Dec 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-mmoactivisionanimeblizzardblizzard-entertainmentcomposercomposerseqeq-2eq-iieq1eq2eqiieverquesteverquest-2everquest-iif2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playfrogsterfrogster-americafrogster-interactivegame-musicgameforgegameforge-berlinjukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettimmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicopinionperfect-worldperfect-world-entertainmentpweromrunes-of-magicrunewakerrunewaker-entertainmentrusty-heartssoesonysony-online-entertainmentsoundtracksoundtrackstaboreawarcraftworld-of-warcraftwowTue, 11 Dec 2012 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: RIFT's soundtrack]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/04/jukebox-heroes-rifts-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/04/jukebox-heroes-rifts-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/04/jukebox-heroes-rifts-soundtrack/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Jukebox Heroes RIFT's soundtrack
From where I'm sitting, there seems to be a popular conception (at least within the MMO community) that RIFT's score was a letdown. As a player of the game, I actually shared that view for quite some time, as none of the music really popped out at me while I was playing.

That all changed, however, when I sat down to listen to the full soundtrack. While it's not uniformly excellent (there are a lot of forgettable songs), several tunes arrested my attention and made me look at the score in a new light. So as we examine the soundtrack this week, I just ask that any of you out there who shared my previous outlook on the score give it another try. Keep an open mind, is all I'm asking.

RIFT was composed by industry veteran Inon Zur (check out our interview with him from a couple of months ago). The score was originally released with the collector's edition, although it's recently become available in iTunes and Amazon.

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: RIFT's soundtrack

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: RIFT's soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Dec 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>composercomposersconquestfantasyfeaturedgame-musicinon-zurjukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettimmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicopinionpvpriftrift-literift-planes-of-telararvrsoundtracksoundtracksthree-faction-pvpthree-way-pvptriontrion-worldsTue, 04 Dec 2012 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: City of Heroes' soundtrack]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/27/jukebox-heroes-city-of-heroes-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/27/jukebox-heroes-city-of-heroes-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/27/jukebox-heroes-city-of-heroes-soundtrack/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Jukebox Heroes City of Heroes' soundtrack
Really, how could it be anything else this week? By the first of December, a major MMO influence on my life will be gone for good. We will talk about it in the past tense with wistful tones, remembering the superheroic escapades and villainous schemes. It will be given a place of honor in many of our memories, and I truly believe that City of Heroes will echo throughout the industry and community for years to come.

One of those echoes is the game's score, which will endure, as does every MMO's soundtrack. When I first started playing City of Heroes in 2004, the music made a big impression on me. It painted a picture of the game's locale and atmosphere perhaps better than anything else. Heck, you could play the game with your eyes closed and know which zone you were in by the music cues. That's how integral the score was to the game.

So this is my final send-off to City of Heroes: a look at the highlight from its soundtrack from the launch through Freedom. Goodbye, City of Heroes... I'm going to really miss you. I won't miss the whine from the force field bubble, but I'll miss almost everything else.

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: City of Heroes' soundtrack

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: City of Heroes' soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 27 Nov 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>champions-onlinecity-of-heroescity-of-heroes-freedomcity-of-heroes-going-roguecity-of-villainscohcomposercomposerscovcoxf2pfeaturedfree-to-playfreedomgame-musicgoing-roguehuxleyinvader-zimjason-gravesjukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettiKevin-Riepllineage-iimichael-henrymmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicncsoftopinionparagonparagon-studiossoundtracksoundtracksstar-trek-onlinesunsunsetsunsettingsuperherosuperheroesTue, 27 Nov 2012 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: EverQuest II's soundtrack, part 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/20/jukebox-heroes-everquest-iis-soundtrack-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/20/jukebox-heroes-everquest-iis-soundtrack-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/20/jukebox-heroes-everquest-iis-soundtrack-part-2/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Jukebox Heroes EverQuest II's soundtrack, part 2
Last week, the laid-back folks at Sony Online Entertainment released the 118th expansion for EverQuest II, Chains of Eternity. Fortunately, it's available as a digital download so you won't have to suffer the embarrassment of a store clerk yelling, "PRICE CHECK ON 'CHAINS OF ETERNITY' FOR THIS PERVERT HERE -- THE ONE IN THE 50-SHADES-OF-GREY COAT" over the loudspeaker.

Even more fortunate, for us, is that the expansion continues to grow EverQuest II's already immense symphonic library. SOE's been adding to the score with not only the game's expansions but also several of the larger content updates, and it's absolutely impressive to behold. As in most scores, there's a lot of forgettable noise that could probably be replaced by humming bees, but there still remains quite a few great tracks to appreciate, cherish, and adopt into one's own music library.

Instead of focusing on the game's initial soundtrack, we're going to be skipping around to look at many of the terrific pieces of music that have come out of Norrath post-2004.

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: EverQuest II's soundtrack, part 2

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: EverQuest II's soundtrack, part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Nov 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chains-of-eternitycharacter-creationcomposercomposersdestiny-of-veliousdragon-ageeqeq-2eq-iieq1eq2eqiieverquesteverquest-2everquest-iif2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playgame-musicinon-zurjukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettimmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicopinionriftskyshrinesoesonysony-online-entertainmentsoundtracksoundtracksTue, 20 Nov 2012 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: Guild Wars 2's soundtrack, part 1]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/13/jukebox-heroes-guild-wars-2s-soundtrack-part-1/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/13/jukebox-heroes-guild-wars-2s-soundtrack-part-1/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/13/jukebox-heroes-guild-wars-2s-soundtrack-part-1/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Jukebox Heroes Guild Wars 2's soundtrack
The one factor that almost made me drop $150 on the collector's edition of Guild Wars 2 was the promise of a soundtrack CD, which is like catnip to my mind. Thank goodness I didn't, however, because what shipped was a piddly six-track "best of" CD. The real deal came in the form of a four-CD soundtrack release from Jeremy Soule's DirectSong, a staggering 78 tracks of Tyrian goodness.

Seventy-eight tracks is a hefty number to get through in any one sitting, so I took about a week to gradually listen through it all. I'm happy to say that it's right up there with the best that the original Guild Wars titles had to offer, expanding upon the world instead of reinventing it. In fact, I think that the music is one of the best bridges that connect Guild Wars 1 and 2 together because you can't be in the newest title without hearing direct tracks and homages of what we've been listening to for years now.

Even with Soule at the helm, there's still a lot of filler and forgettable music here that has to be sifted in order to find the really great stuff. Today we're going to begin -- but not complete -- a foray into Guild Wars 2's musical landscape and see whether it's hitting all the right notes.

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Guild Wars 2's soundtrack, part 1

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: Guild Wars 2's soundtrack, part 1 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Nov 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetcomposercomposersfantasyfeaturedgame-musicguild-wars-2gw2jukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettimmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicncsoftopinionsoundtracksoundtracksTue, 13 Nov 2012 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: Rusty Hearts' soundtrack]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/06/jukebox-heroes-rusty-hearts-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/06/jukebox-heroes-rusty-hearts-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/06/jukebox-heroes-rusty-hearts-soundtrack/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Jukebox Heroes Rusty Hearts' soundtrack
Rusty Hearts might not be on your radar, particularly when it comes to great MMO music, but it really should be. It was one of the first titles recommended to me when I began this column a couple of months ago, and I've been looking forward to covering it ever since.

This Korean hack-'n'-slasher has eschewed the typical high-fantasy soundtrack for one that's part piano sonatas and part pedal-to-the-metal rock. It completely kicks major tushie, in case I mince words from here on out. You're going to hear these tracks and have a hard time meshing it in your head with "MMO" -- that is, unless you've played Rusty Hearts itself.

It took some digging to figure out who did this soundtrack. All I could find was this web page, which has defeated my rusty (har) grasp of Korean. It does look like the studio's handled several regional titles, and if its work on Rusty Hearts is any representation, then I probably need to check out the rest of its library.

Let's crank up the volume to 11, folks, and jam to some righteous melodies!

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Rusty Hearts' soundtrack

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: Rusty Hearts' soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Nov 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-mmoanimecomposercomposersf2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playgame-musicjukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettilindsey-stirlingmmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicopinionperfect-worldperfect-world-entertainmentpwerusty-heartssoundtracksoundtracksTue, 06 Nov 2012 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: EverQuest's soundtrack]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/30/jukebox-heroes-everquests-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/30/jukebox-heroes-everquests-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/30/jukebox-heroes-everquests-soundtrack/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Jukebox Heroes EverQuest's soundtrack
I've always felt that MIDI tunes were to computers what chiptunes were to 8-bit and 16-bit consoles. Before storage media expanded and technology increased to the level of using regular instruments, practically every PC game had a MIDI soundtrack at its back (as did quite a few early and misguided websites). MIDI wasn't a file format that stored recorded music; instead, it was a file full of instructions for your computer to assemble a tune on its end.

I never really liked MIDI songs the way that I enjoyed old console soundtracks. Songs done in MIDI have a distinct and somewhat unpleasant, flat tone to them, although sometimes composers were able to finagle toe-tapping tunes with it. It certainly is nostalgic to hear, however, to those of us who played games in this era.

Before MIDI faded out at the end of the 90s, some of the earliest MMOs released with their scores done in this format. Ultima Online (which we'll get to later on) and EverQuest were two such titles, and today we're going to listen to what EverQuest sounded like back in 1999. The original score was composed by Jay Barbeau, who has since released a remastered soundtrack called The Original, Opus I. But we're not going to go for that remastered stuff; let's listen to the sounds of the past, shall we?

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: EverQuest's soundtrack

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: EverQuest's soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 30 Oct 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>classic-mmocomposercomposerseaelectronic-artseqeq-2eq-iieq1eq2eqiieverquesteverquest-2everquest-iif2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playgame-musicJay-Barbeaujukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettilord-britishmmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicmythicmythic-entertainmentopinionsandboxsoesonysony-online-entertainmentsoundtracksoundtracksultimaultima onlineuoTue, 30 Oct 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: Vanguard's soundtrack, part 1]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/23/jukebox-heroes-vanguards-soundtrack-part-1/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/23/jukebox-heroes-vanguards-soundtrack-part-1/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/23/jukebox-heroes-vanguards-soundtrack-part-1/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Jukebox Heroes Vanguard's soundtrack, part 1
Remember what we talked about a while ago about divorcing any stigma a game carries from its music? Let's apply that to Vanguard, possibly one of the most stigmatized MMOs of all time. For all of its negative reputation, Vanguard's been slowly recognized as a gem in the rough, and its soundtrack is just second to none in the field.

I'm serious: This is a whopper of a score. This is music that makes you weep that you don't hear it in the MMOs you play. It's definitely not as well known because it's attached to Vanguard, but I love this music so much that I'm going to do an entire series on it (spread out over time, of course). Unfortunately, the only place that I could find it was packaged in with the collector's edition -- and good luck finding that!

The only composer I found credited for this score was Todd Masten, who writes on his website that he worked on the project over a period of two years. Masten took an interesting angle to the score: "The music for this game was designed and composed in a modular fashion for each distinct environment and was created to be interactive."

So let's dive in and take a look at the first six Vanguard tracks to catch my ear!

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Vanguard's soundtrack, part 1

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: Vanguard's soundtrack, part 1 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 23 Oct 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionblizzardblizzard-entertainmentcomposercomposersf2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playgame-musicjukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettimmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicopinionsandboxsoesonysony-online-entertainmentsoundtracksoundtrackstelontodd-mastenvanguardvanguard-saga-of-heroesvgwarcraftworld-of-warcraftwowTue, 23 Oct 2012 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: Riders of Rohan's soundtrack]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/16/jukebox-heroes-riders-of-rohans-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/16/jukebox-heroes-riders-of-rohans-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/16/jukebox-heroes-riders-of-rohans-soundtrack/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Jukebox Heroes Riders of Rohan's soundtrack
It was a good day last week, a very good day indeed, when news that Turbine had finally released the Lord of the Rings Online: Riders of Rohan soundtrack for the enjoyment of all. I wasn't sure before that moment whether this score would see a proper release, but I had hopes because Turbine had done so with the original score and Mines of Moria.

Riders of Rohan is the first major addition to LotRO's soundscape since Moria, and I'm sure I wasn't alone in clasping my hands together in excitement when I heard that Chance Thomas was returning to score it. We had heard several tracks from it leading up to the expansion's release, but the big question was whether the quality of these pieces was an anomaly or was indicative of the entire soundtrack's excellence.

I wish you could see me grinning right now for the answer to that. Riders of Rohan instantly jumped to my top 10 favorite MMO soundtracks of all time, and I couldn't stop gushing about it to friends as I gave it my initial listen-through. Hit the jump to hear my highlights from it.

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Riders of Rohan's soundtrack

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: Riders of Rohan's soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Oct 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chance-thomascomposercomposersexpansionf2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playgame-musicjukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettilord-of-the-ringslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrommo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicopinionriders-of-rohanrorsoundtracksoundtracksturbineturbine-entertainmentvanguardTue, 16 Oct 2012 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: The Secret World's soundtrack]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/09/jukebox-heroes-the-secret-worlds-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/09/jukebox-heroes-the-secret-worlds-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/09/jukebox-heroes-the-secret-worlds-soundtrack/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Jukebox Heroes The Secret World's soundtrackAs a video game music collector and lover, I am frustrated by how very few MMO soundtracks ever make it to a proper release. Sure, I know it's a niche interest within a niche hobby, but it's still maddening to think of how many great games have no soundtracks out there whatsoever. Considering how going digital with sales makes it so much more easy (and cheap) these days, I say there's no excuse.

So good on Funcom for getting The Secret World's soundtrack out there. Marc Canham (Far Cry 2) and Simon Poole (The Longest Journey) split the composer duty on this one, and it's probably a good thing that there are multiple perspectives on what is a game that marches to the beat of its own drummer. Contemporary, horror, and conspiracy together beg for a much different sound than grandiose fantasy fanfares.

I actually ended up liking this more than Age of Conan's score (blasphemy among some of you, I know). There's still too many atmospheric dread pieces that don't lend themselves to listening on their own, but fortunately, there are enough notable tracks to make up for the rest.

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: The Secret World's soundtrack

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: The Secret World's soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaoccomposercomposersfactionfantasyfeaturedfuncomgame-musichorrorjukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettiMarc-Canhammmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicmythologyopinionsci-fantasysecret-worldSimon-Pooleskill-basedsoundtracksoundtracksThe-Longest-Journeythe-secret-worldtswTue, 09 Oct 2012 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: Whimsy and oddity]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/02/jukebox-heroes-whimsy-and-oddity/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/02/jukebox-heroes-whimsy-and-oddity/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/02/jukebox-heroes-whimsy-and-oddity/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

Jukebox Heroes Whimsy and oddity
I have two big announcements today. The first is that Jukebox Heroes is switching from a bi-weekly to a weekly schedule, which should delight my 30 readers and cause an epidemic of indifference elsewhere. The second is that we're going to take a week off examining specific soundtracks to have a little fun with how silly MMO studios can get.

If you haven't figured it out already, this column is kind of a not-so-subtle outlet for sharing my MMO music collection with you. I don't have any firm method of collection other than I just acquire tracks that my ear tells me I'd like to hear again. So along the way, I've acquired a few oddball pieces that you probably won't find on any OST but that are notable enough to share.

In some cases, these tracks represent studios' attempts (successful or otherwise) to let down their hair and be humorous. In others, these songs are parodies or one-time special events. So let's take a sidebar to look at the whimsical and odd songs of gaming.

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Whimsy and oddity

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: Whimsy and oddity originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetbrowserbrowser-basedchampionschampions-onlinechampscocomposercomposersconsoleconsolescrypticcryptic-studiosddodungeons-and-dragons-onlineeaelectronic-artsendless-trialf2pfantasyfeaturedfrfree-realmsfree-to-playgame-musicguild-wars-2gw2hello-kittyhello-kitty-onlinehkojukeboxjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettikid-friendlykidskids-mmokiss-my-axemmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicmythicmythic-entertainmentncsoftopinionperfect-worldperfect-world-entertainmentplaystation-3playstation3ps3pvppwervrsoesonysony-online-entertainmentsoundtracksoundtrackssuperherosuperheroesthe-guildthe-hamtoucherswarwarhammerwarhammer-onlineworld-of-warcraftwowTue, 02 Oct 2012 09:00:00 EST