Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Battle of the Videogame Concerts

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the ready-fight dept.

Wired has a look at the two leading videogame music concerts touring the U.S. right now, comparing and contrasting their musical selections and performer talent. 'Play!' and 'Videogames Live' are competing for the musical soul of a nation, with different takes on the genre. From the article: "It may seem like there would be little room for two such shows in the same music season -- but the producers behind these acts are taking very different tacks. Play! A Video Game Symphony is being billed as a highbrow event, putting musicianship front and center and even featuring composer cameos. The competition, Video Games Live, which debuted last week in San Jose on the final day of the Game Developers Conference, is staging an equally elaborate show, but here the games remain the star attraction."

11 of 17 comments (clear)

  1. I was the SJ event by zephc · · Score: 2, Informative

    It was fairly cool, but the horn section was a bit crummy. I think it seemed either a little rushed, or since its the premier, they still have kinks to work out (the video projector control guy messed up a few times and let the DVD screen saver show up). It also seemed a bit like an ad for some of the newer games. But well-performed for the most part.

    --
    "I would say that 99 per cent of what my father has written about his own life is false." - L. Ron Hubbard Jr.
    1. Re:I was the SJ event by rkanodia · · Score: 1

      Agreed about the ad-like nature for some of the newer games - particularly those with music that no one can remember anyway. I was also disappointed that the video montages didn't really line up with the music (except for the Super Mario Bros. one), and tended to feature movies (both in-game and prerendered) over gameplay footage wherever possible - Metal Gear was like that, and especially Warcraft; I don't think Warcraft showed so much as a single frame of gameplay, and all of the movies were from Warcraft 3 and World of Warcraft.

      OTOH, I did squeeze in two rounds of Metroid Prime Hunters during the intermission. Just found two guys with Nintendo DS, asked if they wanted to throw down, and off we went. Just after the wireless download finished, I was going to start the game, and then...
      "Holdon a sec. It says a fourth player is joining."
      "Who is it?"
      "Hell if I can tell. But the more, the merrier, right?"

    2. Re:I was the SJ event by zephc · · Score: 1

      The Warcraft footage was basically just the WoW trailer, from what I remember.

      re DS: I got there and saw a bunch of people with DSs and said to my friends "I should have brought *my* DS"; I would have liked to get in on some Metroid action myself.

      --
      "I would say that 99 per cent of what my father has written about his own life is false." - L. Ron Hubbard Jr.
  2. Holy Hyperbole, Batman! by TopShelf · · Score: 2, Funny

    'Play!' and 'Videogames Live' are competing for the musical soul of a nation, with different takes on the genre.

    Thanks, Slashdot. I just shot Pepsi out my nose after reading that one. That'll teach me to drink and surf...

    --
    Stop by my site where I write about ERP systems & more
  3. A Capella Group? by Otis2222222 · · Score: 1

    I saw video somewhere of an "A Capella" group that sang the songs of old Nintendo games, also acting out scenes from them live on stage. Anyone know who they were?

    1. Re:A Capella Group? by zephc · · Score: 1

      "Redefined, an a cappella group from the University of Wisconsin - Madison" via http://www.devilducky.com/media/28721/

      --
      "I would say that 99 per cent of what my father has written about his own life is false." - L. Ron Hubbard Jr.
  4. Video Games Live Unreliable by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    I would be careful buying tickets for Video Games Live. They have a habbit of canceling shows and then giving BS excuses why the shows were canceled. Its happened to me twice. You get most of your money back but Ticketbastard will not give back their "convienence" fee. At any rate, VGL is very unreliable.

    1. Re:Video Games Live Unreliable by Blackwulf · · Score: 1

      From what I understand, Clear Channel fucked over those previous two concerts because they went through a change of their concert promotion unit (even changing the name of it) and they had to cut costs. So they cancelled several concert tours (other excuses were "broken knee") and VGL happened to be one of them.

      Since then, VGL has broken ties with Clear Channel and is now doing it themselves.

      But also from what I understand is that VGL is gonna continue touring, so if you're really worried, go ahead and sit out on this tour and see if they're reliable yet and just go see them if they have one after this year.

      (Disclosure: I host a video game internet radio show/podcast/whatever you want to call it and interviewed Tommy Tallarico on my show and asked the question "why should we trust you a third time after some people already got raped by Ticketmaster charges twice" which is where I got my information for this response from.)

  5. Orchestral? Meh. by DeafByBeheading · · Score: 1

    Screw this high-falutin' stuff. Try the Advantage for a different take. I haven't gotten a chance to see them live yet, but the CD kicks ass.

    --
    Telltale Games: Bone, Sam and Max
    1. Re:Orchestral? Meh. by DoubleRing · · Score: 1

      you should check out http://www.ocremix.org/. Great place if you like that kind of stuff. Has everything form techno, rock, to orchestral. There's some really good stuff.

      --
      Before you die, you see DoubleRing...
  6. video game rock concert in state college tomorrow by hytmal · · Score: 1

    I'm going to an indie rock concert tomorrow (Saturday) night. AFAIK, it's a bunch of local bands that will be playing only video game-style music.

    If you're located in the State College / Penn State area, and you read slashdot (presumably that last requirement is not presumptious) you should come. There are flyers for it all over campus.