Rock Band Making Ofs

For Rock Band’s fourth anniversary, Harmonix have uploaded some interesting behind the scenes information about the series’ development.

Here’s an interview about the production of the instrument peripherals, together with a video:

 

There’s also this more general video about the games’ development:

Think of something new, videogame advertisers!

Has anyone noticed how many game adverts of recent years have used the gimmick of juxtaposing violent imagery against music that’s classical, laid-back, sombre, old-fashioned, jaunty, or otherwise incongruous?

I think the trend began in 2005 with the museum advert for Criterion’s Black:

Then we had:

• Gears of War‘s take on “Mad World” (plus its Battlefield: Bad Company parody)
• Bioshock‘s “Beyond the Sea“
• Mercenaries 2‘s “Oh No You Didn’t!“
• Fallout 3‘s use of “I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire“
• The Killzone 2 ballet of death, set to “The Flower Duet” (the British Airways music)
• And to a much lesser extent, I suppose that Bayonetta‘s “In for the Kill” might also qualify, at a stretch.

Methinks these advertising agencies have been watching Face/Off a little too much…

Sonic music with lyrics

I quite liked these.

They’ll do to pass the time while Adam & Joe’s Song Wars is away.