Spore Video Game

[saulstokes]

Hi Everyone, any gamers here who've been playing the game Spore?

About 2 years ago, I got a chance to work on the sound development for this game. I worked for about a month coming up with some initial concepts for them. Then, Mr. Brian Eno decided to come in and take the job right out of my hands.   Well, I just received an email from Spore telling me that my original sketches made it into the final game. So, if any of you are playing Spore, I'm happy to tell you that the background music in the "sporepedia" element of the game, is not Brian Eno, as many will assume, but is one of the original long form compositions I composed for the game!


Cheers!
Saul

[ffcal]

Hey Saul,

That's great to hear!  Hope they gave you a little green for your trouble.

Forrest

[Antdude]

Great to hear your music made it into the game. I'm one of the people who really enjoys game music when it's done well. Will Wright's games have always been a bit of magic in a box.

That said, I'm really on the fence about this title. EA's ridiculous DRM rules are getting out of hand. 3 installs tops, and then you have to call EA support? Internet connection required? I call shenanigans.

DRM just punishes the legitimate owners and makes upgrading your own hardware an exercise in frustration. I was going to buy the game as a gift for someone, but until the DRM is either eliminated or seriously patched, i'll pass.
 

[mgriffin]

Spore is getting some pretty nasty reviews on Amazon due to this DRM scheme.  Still, a zillion people will end up playing this game, so congrats to Saul -- I hope it gets you some publicity one way or another.

[APK]

My daughter has been playing it since its release a few days ago, and she noticed Saul's name in the credits and immediately told me.

Its a fine looking game. Be getting into it myself soon.

[saulstokes]

The cool thing Is I had no idea they actually kept the music I wrote for the game. Once I heard Eno was involved I thought that was it. Plus, they totally stopped asking for revisions. I was truly shocked today to find the piece made it all the way until the end and furthermore that they put me in the credits. I actually can't even remember what the song sounded like but I do remember them asking me to make it more strange and noisy. Go Figure! Anyway you look at it it's great publicity. Here in The Bay Are there's a huge ad campaign going on for the game.

Forrest, I did get paid nicely for my time and I get my own free copy of the game!

s

[deepspace]

That is SO COOL!  Congrats on the inclusion! I'll listen out for it, i'll be getting a copy very soon.

[jkn]

Saul - that's really great.  Congratulations.

[Seren]

Congratulations on this - bonus that you were not expecting it

[jim brenholts]

superb news - absolutely superb!
congrats, saul!

[saulstokes]

Thanks everyone! My piece of music is in the Sporepedia part of the game. I don't have my copy yet so I don't know what area this is.

[deepspace]

I got Spore today, and I was blown away by this fact:  as soon as Saul's piece came up (it's in one of the selection screens- i think the sporepedia section) it's is INSTANTLY evident that you are listening to a Stokes piece-  I was very impressed by the outright recognisability of your style.  Good work!  It put a big smile on my face.  I was really enjoying the game and had kind of forgotten that Saul's piece was in there, and I went 'oh, that's Saul Stokes!'' as soon as it came up.    My son looked at me and said "What's a Saul Stokes?"

The Eno parts are good too- I love the music during the planet selection part (with the big swirly galaxy) That is beautiful. 

But Eno's pieces don't sound like Eno pieces, there is not as much authorial voice there.  They're just interesting bits of game music.

[saulstokes]

How cool Deepspace. I still haven't received my promo copy. I actually can't remember what the piece sounds. I have it on a dvd somewhere but I thought I would wait to hear it in the game.


s

[deepspace]

Well done on that.  The game is completely brilliant too, by the way.  I'm enjoying the tribal phase, and I'm busy mowing down small hapless races of cutesy creatures with my superior nasty carnivores.   

Typically, I am experiencing guilt while I do it though.

I think I'm more suited to developing a herbivore type of creature that moves around slowly and befriends plants, but I'm just having so much fun right now destroying everything that moves. 

[APK]

I think I'm more suited to developing a herbivore type of creature that moves around slowly and befriends plants, but I'm just having so much fun right now destroying everything that moves. 

You have mistaken your true calling 

My daughter said to me the other day: "Dad you have start this game, but go for carnivor, it looks like a lot more fun ... and less trouble."