While the "Lips" rumor has been circulating the tubes for some time now it was never really known exactly what the thing was. A game? A peripheral? A female fashion accessory? We just weren't sure. Now with Microsoft leakinglike asieve there are finally some details on the project.
Apparently Lips is the codename for a karaoke game that uses a specialized microphone with built-in lights and a limited motion detector. To go with the pair of mics that are included in the default package, the game itself will have 30 songs right out of the box and features the ability to import music from a CD or Ipod to sing along with. To help with that, the game somehow reduces the vocals of the imported songs, and includes a way to place the lyrics of the songs on-screen a la "normal" karaoke.
This is MS we're talking about here, so there is of course a healthy DLC component to the thing too. Lips is also going to have "hundreds of music videos" available for download to ensure that MS sees its fair share of continuing profits. However the likelihood of people paying for them, given the ability to import their own songs, is rather doubtful.
We haven't seen much of the XBLA rhythm game from new studio Little Boy Games since its announcement around GDC. From the video the game seems to borrow heavily from many other rhythm games, but tries to do its own thing by incorporating characters, style, and slightly more varied mechanics. Since the game looks relatively deep, our main concern at this point is the games ability to find and hold an audience. With the production value of the trailer and the new site, it would be a shame to see such an enthusiastic effort fail. Supposedly a summer release title, Go! Go! Break Steady looks to be well on track, and should with luck find its niche in the untapped Live Arcade rhythm game market.
GameDaily reports that Gears of War composer Kevin Riepl has provided the score for the upcoming MMO FPS Huxley. The score reportedly took 2 days to record with the help of the Hollywood Studio Symphony at Warner Bros. Studios. Riepl says he's "proud" to have worked on Webzen's Huxley, the varied themes of which demand a "gripping soundtrack" according to the composer. We're quite fond of the Gears of War soundtrack, so we have high hopes for the soundscape of Huxley. Here's hoping the actual game can live up to it. We'll find out when the game hits retailers in 2008.
When playing through BioShock you can't help but notice the intense, emotional and ever so fitting orchestral score that chimes in throughout the game. These subtle musical tracks help set the mood and make your visit to Rapture all the more immersive. And today 2K Games is making it so you can carry these lovely orchestral scores wherever you. Over on the Cult of Rapture, the 2K Games crew is thanking the BioShock community by offering up all twelve BioShockorchestral tracks as a free download. Simply click the read link below to download 23MBs of pure BioShock musical bliss. Now we just have to figure out why exactly 2K didn't offer these tracks on the limited edition soundtrack CD.
Bungie's music man to the stars Marty O'Donnell decided to offer fans a free music download straight from E3, into lukems' inbox and landing onto Bungie.net. So, click your way over to Bungie.net for the complete music track from the lovely and very satisfying Halo 3 E3 campaign trailer. We've seriously been listening and looping this track all morning and are currently on our sixth helping of Halo 3 musical bliss. Yup ... it's butta.
The Sarcastic Gamer Jeromy "Doc" Adams knows the pain some have had to go through with their 360's red ring of death experiences and, like any creative genius, decided to use the pain as inspiration for his latest song parody. Jeromy recorded "The Ring of Fire" which is quite an entertaining version of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" with lyrics inspired by such 360 failures. We don't have much more to say other than to head over to his site and give the song a download. Seriously, it's very funny and very good.
Step 1: Watch the above video. Step 2: Pick your jaw up from the floor. Step 3: Read on. Wow, that was unique. A Halo 2 machinima musical produced by two females starring an Elite pining after Master Chief. Yeah, unique. Enough so for the lovely ladies to deserve interviewing from Frankie over at Bungie.net for their work of art. While it may have left us feeling literally without speech, what's your take? Surely it's going to leave you with some form of an opinion, so lets hear it.
Major Nelson just posted a list of what content will be coming to the XBLM this week. It looks like we've only got one movie (Hunt for Red October), but a few good television shows. They are even giving us an episode of Pros v. Joes and The Sarah Silverman Program for FREE, but only for limited time. And there's a new Artist of the Month, erm ... this month. Compose yourself and give it up for this month's Artist of the Month Good Charlotte (thunderous applause)! We just love teenage angst music ... it makes us feel good about ourselves. Check out the complete list of new XBLM content after the break.
If you walk around singing that Mad World song because you can't get it out of your head, this "Gears of War Idol" contest, sponsored by Unscripted 360, is for you.
Chris over at Gearheads of War posted a YouTube link of Megadeth's performance of their new Gears of War song from the Six Flags gaming session a few days back. I don't believe this is a video of the entire song and of course it's YouTube quality, but I can't make out a word of it. Actually, it sounds like a lot of electric guitar and screaming... but maybe that kind of music tickles your fancy. Anyway, it's Sunday and you're bored so go check out the vid already.
Posted Oct 31st 2006 3:30AM by Ken Weeks Filed under: News
Mike from the Xbox Domain dug up the original Tears for Fears version of "Mad World," recently made famous in the gaming community as Marcus Fenix's favorite song to kill to. Do you think these guys ever imagined back in the 80s that their tune (albeit in haunting minimalist form) would be gearing us all up for multiplayer war?
Miami's favorite Xbox Live Community hip-hop podcast is sporting a new website design. While you're waiting for them to finish the update you can catch up on old shows at host Godfree's blog.
Here's another Gears of War trailer remix set to a classical piece that I really should be able to identify. Kind of sets the mood for impending violence.
Posted Oct 12th 2006 7:00AM by Ken Weeks Filed under: News
Check out the list of riff-ready songs Red Octane is including in Guitar Hero II. Of course, we all expect a bunch of extra tracks via XBLM.
Speaking of guitar heroes, isn't it satisfying (in a VH1 sort of way) to finally meld your love of all things Xbox with your older sister's crush on erstwhile glam metal heart throb Jani Lane. Have you seen this guy lately? Way too much cherry pie.
Ok, it's not quite like tracking Dark Sideof the Moon with the Wizard of Oz, but some guy added the Manfred Mann's Earth Band version of "Blinded by the Light" to the Halo 3 trailer. Why, I don't know. The "revved up like a douche" line still doesn't make any sense.
Major Nelson
