The Game Music Podcast Interviews Composer Behind Guacamelee!

Our friend Jake Butineau (who recently launched a Patron by the way) interviewed Peter Chapman, who amongst other things, was the composer behind Guacamelee and Sound Shapes.

"Peter and Jake get excited for Guacamelee! 2 by talking about composing Guacamelee's soundtrack, retro games and the struggle of finding time to game while working as a full-time composer."

You can check out the full podcast on Youtube (and below).

Peter and Jake get excited for Guacamelee! 2 by talking about composing Guacamelee's soundtrack, retro games and the struggle of finding time to game while working as a full-time composer. Support Jake on Patreon and join our Discord!

Does A Good Game Need A Good Story? - Guest Blog With Mohammed Hasan

 "No amount of great animation will save a bad story.

John Lasseter, Chief Creative Officer at Pixar

As a '90s kid, growing up with the Nintendo 64 encompassed a fountain of endless fun and impeccable classics. Super Mario 64, Legend of Zelda, Super Smash Brothers and much more! However, as time progressed, the video game industry changed its focus to immersive storytelling. This paradigm shift begs the question: Do video games make the story or does the story make the video game?

Let's look at Naughty Dog, the lucrative company that prides itself on character-driven narrative with the Uncharted series and The Last of Us. Their studio philosophy and award winning titles redefined the emotional connection gamers have with their characters, while aiming to set the narrative gold standard. "I want studios that make story-based games to start taking their stories more seriously...[with] an in-house writer that sits next to the designer, helping them make their levels," Neil Druckmann beckons. While this meticulous standpoint cemented Naughty Dog's legacy in the industry, other companies etched their name in a different way.

Arguably, Nintendo is the root of the video game tree. Its mega influence stretches worldwide and at the forefront of that triumph is the Mario franchise. Despite its earth-shattering sales, it’s unlikely that the average gamer recognizes the Mario series based on its storytelling. Getting entangled with the enthralling Super Mario 64 levels overshadowed the basic goal of rescuing Peach, who happened to make a delicious cake and left it at the castle. I highly doubt gamers mouths’ watered as they heroically strived to obtain that cake with every collected star, ability cap and crushed Goomba. In this case, Nintendo laser focused on memorable gameplay, not memorable storytelling. "Video games are meant to be just one thing. Fun. Fun for everyone," Satoru Iwata proclaimed. Even though you weren't hanging on the edge of your seat anticipating the flavour of the cake, Super Mario 64 embodied the fun factor.

So, is storytelling necessary for video games? It depends on how you view gaming in general. If you're someone who casually pops in a disk or cartridge to have a good time, then gameplay would probably take precedence instead of storytelling. However, if you look at gaming as an immersive, cinematic experience, then scout out story-driven games.

Play the story or let the story play you.

About the Author

As a local GTA resident, Mohammed Maxwel Hasan enjoys the treasure trove of effective storytelling in a variety of contexts. Starting with the N64, he found gems within the video game world and looks forward to what the future brings. For storytelling in video games, feedback on this article, or just want to connect, you can directly email him mohammedmaxwel@gmail.com or visit his website https://maxwel92.wixsite.com/mohammedmaxwelhasan.

One last LevelUP TO Preview: Interview with Livius Grosu

One last preview as Levelup TO is today, at the Design Exchange (234 Bay St.) from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm.  I interviewed Livius Grosu, a Ryerson University student in Computer Science.  He has created a VR horror game that he will be showing today at LevelUP TO.

TGD: Tell me a bit about yourself. (Is this your first experience at LevelUP? Have you created games in the past?)

Livius Grosu: I'm currently attending Ryerson University for Computer Science and I plan on breaking into the game dev field.  I've had an interest in making games ever since I got my hands on it!  From gamer maker studio to the latest version of Unity, I've been making games ever since.  This LevelUp that I'm attending will be my first and I'm super excited about it!

TGD: What is your game for LevelUP TO this year?

L.G:  This year I'm submitting a VR horror game called MK.  My goal for this game is to create a dark/sinister world with unwelcoming 'inhabitants'.

TGD: What did you get your inspirations for this game?

L.G:  The VR horror games theme stems from the games Amnesia, Penumbra, and Thief the Dark Project.  Ever since I played those games, I always wanted to mimic the horror and tension atmosphere that those games created.  Amnesia and Penumbra helped me understand different types of horror.  What those games really tried to emphasize was the horror of the unknown, which in my opinion, is the best kind of horror as it pulls through the core of what horror is.  Thief had tension between the player and the environment such as hiding in the shadows while a guard is nose hair away from you.  I wanted that kind of tension in my game to emphasize the fear and horror that a player might encounter.

TGD:  What are you most excited to show off about MK, and about LevelUP?

L.G:  We're excited to show off how the game can bring out the fear in a player.  Every asset from sound, models, lighting, and more, pushes this principle and it all ties nicely into a horrifying bundle.  I'm also excited to talk to members from Unity, AMD, and Ubisoft and get a slice of how the game dev field works!

Thanks again to Livius for taking the time to interview.  We'll see everyone tonight at LevelUP TO!

Interview with 5 Horsemen Games - LevelUP TO Preview

I did an interview via Skype with 5 Horsemen Games, a group of Sheridan College students.  Their game Unspokin is a story about a young woman who cannot speak, and a blind bear, who work together to replenish their environment.

5 Horsemen Games includes:

Katherine Elliott: Art Director, QA Lead

Eirik Murbraech: Level Artist 

Danielle Rainey: Producer, Project Manager, 3D Artist 

Filipe Seabra: UIDdesigner, Programmer

PJ Tremblay: Audio Artist, Narrative lead

Here is our interview.  Enjoy!

5 Horsemen Games will be at LevelUP TO and Digifest 2017.  Check them out on Twitter @5horsemengames, and you can email them at 5horsemengames.info@gmail.com.

Disco is Dead! - LevelUP TO Preview

I recently spoke with a team of students from Sheridan College about Disco is Dead! which they will be showcasing at LevelUP this year.  It looks really unique, and they even built custom controllers to add to the experience.

TGD: How many of you are in this team?  Have any of you created a game in the past?

Team: We are a team of 4th year Bachelor of Game Design students at Sheridan College. Our development team includes Nuha Alkadi, Coulter Baker, Jeffrey Barkun, Kassandra Kadar, Jennifer Johnson and Melissa McQuarrie, with P.J.Tremblay as our composer. Throughout our years of study, we’ve developed and prototyped numerous games and participated in many game jams. For our capstone year, we took on the challenge of creating an arcade game that plays with custom built alternative controllers titled Disco is Dead!

TGD: Tell us more about Disco is Dead!

Team: Disco is Dead! is a buddy cop comedy horror co-op arcade game that plays with custom built slappable zombie heads and disco ball controllers. It follows the story of two funky disco-loving cops – Reggie and Kenny – who must save their city from a zombie apocalypse… by slapping! The main gameplay is a fixed runner where players must slap in the indicated directions, and there are interactive comic-book styled cutscenes where slapping can impact the narrative.

Team: Additionally, the game allows players to feel like true buddy cops themselves. With cooperative and competitive goals, the two players create off-screen conflict, immersing themselves into enacting the similar behavioural nature of bickering buddy cops. Many players’ favourite moment of the game is activating buddy mode, which requires both players to “grab the (disco) balls and touch (high-five) each other.” Originally, Disco is Dead! was a game jam prototype we created during the summer of 2016. It was designed to be played on arcade cabinets, and the only control was simply slapping the joystick. We decided to take this wacky idea further and create an even more immersive experience.

TGD: How long have you been working on it?

Team: We have been working on Disco is Dead! for about 8 months now, since September 2016.

TGD: Do you plan on working on this game post-level up as well?

Team: Disco is Dead! is designed to be a fun and wild experience to play in public places such as arcades and showcases. We are hoping to take our game to as many places as possible to offer players the unique and rare opportunity to slap zombies!

Thanks again to the group for taking time for this interview.  Really looking forward to playing this at LevelUP TO.  Check them out on Twitter at @DiscoIsDeadGame, and their site here.

LevelUP TO Preview - Auroras - The Co-op Puzzle Game You Need

I was joined via Skype with a wonderful and talented group of students from University of Toronto.  They are working on Auroras, a puzzle game that they will be showcasing at LevelUP this year.  The music in the teaser video is really creepy, which really adds to the setting of the game.  Definitely excited to try this one.

The group consists of: Daniil Kouznetsov, Leoro Rogovein, Christine Murad, and Jasmin Lantos from U of T.  Also part of the group but not in the Skype interview are Linden Li (OCAD student) and Emily Han (U of T student)

Here's our interview with the group, followed by the teaser.  I did have some technical issues in the first minute but I promise after that, it's smooth.  Enjoy!

Auroras is an upcoming student game developed at the University of Toronto. We hope to see you at LevelUp Showcase 2017 where you can try out our game!

LevelUP TO Preview - Interview with Alessandro Profenna

I recently met with Alessandro Profenna, a Ryerson Unversity student pursuing a BSc in Computer Science.  He will be participating in LevelUP TO this year, and we talked a bit about his work and his game, COLHEX, that he will showcase.

TGD: Thank you for meeting with me here.  Tell me a little bit about yourself.

Alessandro Profenna:  I’m a third year student at Ryerson University pursuing a BSc in Computer Science.  I’ve enjoyed math and art since I was a young child, with an initial interest in studying Architecture. After a year in the program, I discovered LevelUP online, which is what made me want to switch to Computer Science.  I love art and design, and some of my favourite game series are Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy.  The gameplay in these titles is flashy and beautiful. For example, the visuals of shooting a spell make it more satisfying to play.

TGD:  Wow, so LevelUP inspired you to switch programs?

A.P:  Yes, it definitely helped with my decision. I knew that a degree in Computer Science would give me the skills necessary to pursue game programming and design. Architecture and game development actually have a lot in common.  They are very similar in the design process, keeping a strong emphasis not only on engineering and functionality, but also on aesthetics.

TGD: You have a few games that you’ve made.  You already have a game available on iOS, Infinity Wheel, and you participated in LevelUP TO last year with SHATTERFALL.

A.P:  Yes, I started making iOS games and learned SpriteKit. Through this I created Infinity Wheel, and released it in November 2015.  In the game, your press and hold the screen to move the wheel faster and guide the ball through the obstacles.

TGD: How was your experience at LevelUP last year?  Where did you get the idea for SHATTERFALL?

A.P: I came up with it in the shower (laughs).  It was inspired by one of the mini games in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards.  SHATTERFALL is a multiplayer game where you shoot shockwaves through the floor and try to make your opponents fall.  I worked on it with a friend, Dennis Plotnik.  I learned Unity while making this game.  It was very well received at LevelUP.  The event is great because you get hundreds, if not thousands of people testing your game and giving great feedback.

TGD:  What are you most excited to show about COLHEX?

A.P:  There are real time aspects to this game. You’re not confined to the software of the game; your physical environment is part of it too.  When you’re playing, another player’s hand can get in the way and how your hand is placed will affect your outcome.  Also, I find that that seeing a quick pulse expand on screen from the tip of your finger is extremely satisfying.

TGD:  You’re in third year now at Ryerson University in Computer Science.  Where do you see yourself in the future?

A.P:  It’s a journey finding where you want to put your energy and focus.  Computer Science is a large industry, I thought about app development, about artificial intelligence.  I like making games and making them look good.  I would love to work in the gaming industry.  For now, I plan on focusing on learning more about graphics, Unity, and C++.

TGD: Thanks again for meeting.  Best of luck!

You can check out the trailer for COLHEX below.

COLHEX is an iOS arcade game that can be played on an iPhone or iPad with up to 6 players locally! Each player chooses one of 6 colours to play as. The game field is a matrix of hexagons, where the goal is claim as many hexagons with your colour in 30 seconds!

LevelUP TO Preview - Neon Ascension

I recently spoke to a group of University of Toronto students who will be participating in LevelUP TO next week.  Jeffrey Deng and his team have created Neon Ascension, an endless climber multiplayer game, where players survive by rearranging blocks to help themselves, or affect their opponents.  Here's what the group (Team One) had to say about their game:

TGD: Tell me a little bit about yourselves.  How long have you been gamers?  How long have you been developing games?

Team One:  We are a team made of seven people. Matt Crans and Sam Rasmussen from OCAD are the artists of the team. Grace Zhu, Catherine Wang, Philip Bilodeau, Daniel Son, and Jeffrey Deng from UofT are the developers of the team.

For most of us we were gamers at a young age since we were a generation that had a lot of exposure to computers. Games allowed us to connect and make new friends who shared the same interests and even allowed us to connect with people who were across the world. All of us at some point found ourselves looking for a new games to play and this led to our creativity. Some of us have been making games since high school, and have attended multiple game jams up to this point. We’ve also have team members that have never made a game before, and this would be their first.

TGD:  It is wonderful how games allow people to connect from all over the world.  It's one of the beautiful things about video gaming.  Tell me about your game for LevelUP.

Team One:  Neon Ascension is a competitive endless climber where two players compete for survival on a wall of infinite height. The game is fast-paced, action-packed, and features retro-futuristic design in dazzling neon colors. Players stay alive by rearranging adjacent blocks on the wall, giving them plenty of opportunity to save themselves or sabotage their opponents.

Uploaded by Sam Rasmussen on 2017-03-29.

TGD: Where did you get your inspiration for this game?

Team One:  We were really inspired by a 2011 game called Catherine where a single player manipulated blocks on a wall to climb it, and we decided to take that and make it into a competitive, multiplayer experience.

TGD: What are you most excited to show off about this game at LevelUP?

Team One:  We are most excited to show the crowd at LevelUP the results of our hard work throughout the past 4 months. We feel that from a visual and technical aspect we have created a standout game that we are proud to showcase at LevelUp, and that is exciting to play and watch.

Uploaded by shiftie on 2017-03-24.

A big thank you to Team One for taking time for this interview and providing videos of gameplay.  Don't forget, LevelUP TO will be taking place on April 5, 2017 at the Design Exchange on 234 Bay St.

Let's Play Disc Jam (And Some Zelda Talk)

We're back again! This time instead of talking about Nintendo Switch in general, we talk about Legend of Zelda while playing Disc Jam online. Remember to subscribe!

We're back and we're playing more Disc Jam! This time though, we're talking about Zelda - and how much in love with it I am. Remember to subscribe and leave a comment! Website: http://www.torontogamedevs.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/torontogamedevs Patreon: patreon.com/torontogamedevs Store: designbyhumans.com/shop/TorontoGameDevs

Interview: Aakaash Rao, Composer For Valley Discusses Creating The Soundtrack And More

A few months ago, I was reached out by Aakaash Rao, the composer for Valley from Blue Isle Studios, asking about an interview. I really dug the soundtrack in Valley so I of course said yes! You can check out the interview below, and a lot of Aakaash's work can be found right here.

TorontoGameDevs.com: Thanks for doing the interview! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? What your role was in creating Valley?

Aakaash: Thanks for reaching out! I’m a game composer based jointly in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Chicago, and I had the privilege to compose the soundtrack for Blue Isle Studios’ Valley.

TorontoGameDevs.com: How long have you been creating music? What other games or projects have you worked on?

Aakaash: I’ve been composing ever since I learned to play piano as a child, but I only got into games a couple of years ago. Since then, I’ve worked on several PC, console, and mobile titles — I particularly enjoy writing story-driven soundtracks for RPGs. One of my larger project, a voxel-based sandbox called Planet Explorers, came out late last year.

Valley just came out on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. I'll have the full review in a week or so, but figured I would give my impressions on the first person adventure. Check out the latest at http://www.torontogamedevs.com/

TorontoGameDevs.com: What was the design process like for Valley? Did you have free range to create the music you thought would fit the mood, or was there specific notes from different members of the team?

In general, I had a lot of creative freedom. One thing I really appreciated about working with Blue Isle is that I had a working build of the game almost from day one — which happens a lot less often than you might think. The game itself was a fantastic source of inspiration, and I’d often hit upon ideas while exploring the landscape or leaping around in the L.E.A.F. suit.

That said, the other two members of the audio team (Brenden, the audio and technical director and Selcuk, the SFX designer) definitely gave me plenty of input through the process. I’ve worked with a lot of big audio teams in the past, and I think there’s definitely a “too many cooks spoil the stew” effect when too many people get involved in the music, but Selcuk and Brenden did a great job of balancing their own visions for the game’s soundtrack with my ideas. The live musicians with whom I worked also gave me some very helpful input, particularly in regards to using world instruments with which I was not familiar.

TorontoGameDevs.com: There's a lot going on in Valley. There are open world elements within forested areas, buildings, underground mines, etc. You get to move really fast, and jump extremely far as you traverse this world, but there is a lot of historical pieces from the 40s told to the player while they are playing. How did this contribute to the overall soundtrack for the game?

One of the biggest challenges in tackling projects of this scope is balancing variety with cohesiveness. You don’t want to bore the player by repeating the same motifs over and over, but you also don't want a complete musical disconnect between the themes associated with different areas. For example, I made a conscious choice to write sweeping orchestral music for the outdoor areas and more distorted, electronic music for the darker indoor environments, but I approached the indoor areas with a mindset of muting and warping the outdoor style rather than selecting a whole different musical palette. Amrita, the theme for the final level and one of my favorite pieces from the soundtrack, blends pads and electronic sounds with some warped live flute.

There’s a lot of subtle melodic and textural motifs weaved into the soundtrack, so the idea is that they help weave the disparate elements together. This is probably more of a subconscious phenomenon — I doubt that most people are listening intently to recognize the musical motifs as the play the game — but I think it does contribute to the player’s immersion. This is most important at the end of the game, where the final track states outright a lot of the themes that previous pieces have been hinting at. As I’m sure your readers who have finished the game can attest, the ending of the game is definitely a cathartic experience, so I hope that the final piece reflects and amplifies the feeling of cleaning and completion.

Valley - Available now! Enter the vast and beautiful world of Valley using the power of the L.E.A.F. Suit: a fierce exoskeleton that grants exceptional speed and agility along with the phenomenal ability to manipulate the life and death of all living things.

TorontoGameDevs.com: In your mind, what game excels with its soundtrack?

I’ve always been a huge fan of Nobuo Uematsu’s work on the early Final Fantasy. These were some of the first games I played, so there’s an element of nostalgia, but I still think it’s absolutely incredible how much emotion he was able to convey under the console’s technical constraints. Arnie Roth’s Distant Worlds albums include some fantastic orchestrations of Uematsu’s work. More recently, I’ve also really enjoyed Austin Wintory’s Journey and Gareth Coker’s Ori and the Blind Forest.

TorontoGameDevs.com: Is there anything else you'd like to tell our readers? What can we look forward to next?

As I mentioned, Planet Explorers came out last year. I’m also currently working on a strategy RPG called Liege, which is a dark, strategy-driven RPG somewhere between Fire Emblem and A Song of Ice and Fire. Now that I’m done with Valley and Planet Explorers, though, I’m keeping my eye out for interesting new projects — I’d love to do a more intimate soundtrack for an RPG or puzzle game.

Thanks so much to Aakaash for taking the time, and remember that Patreon's got access to this interview early. You can check out Valley on Steam, and all of Akaash's work right here.