New WIP + Pre-TGS Microconf

Since I didn't get around to writing a normal entry this past weekend, I figure I'd make up for it with dual entry focused on two absolutely unrelated subjects: A sneak peak at a new piece I'm working on, as well as some of my initial reactions to tonight's pre-TGS Microsoft press conference.

Forest Fall (Tentative) Work In Progress

This piece is, essentially, the middle section of a longer work that I'm composing in collaboration with a local Seattle choreographer Karen Brown. I've worked with her several times, as she was a fellow Cornish graduate, and it's always a pleasure to join forces. I wanted to take a bit of a step away from previous things I've done and seek out something different, and ended up with the 3 minutes here thus far. Enjoy!

Download (4.3 MB)

Pre-TGS Microconf

Just some brief snippets of impressions of the big reveals/re-reveals here, mainly.

~ Rez & Ikaruga coming to XBLA - Awesome to the max! If I had a 360. I'll rectify that eventually, but as of now I'm obviously overloaded.

~ Ninja Gaiden 2 - Microsoft publishing is a surprise, but not unexpected. Probably insurance to keep Ryu on their platform. Game looks graphically nice from the released screens, but I'm somewhat iffy on the direction it's going. It's like Ryu somehow fused with Wolverine and Kratos to be some sort of crazy vengeanceja rather than a ninja. Of course the NG games never were very ninjaly in the first place. If anything, props on getting some uh, realistic looking blood and gore goin on.

~ Infinite Undiscovery - Can anyone explain the title yet? Reports of "choppy" battles in the trailer are unnerving, but it's early and I'm sure they just wanted to show something. World seems generic fantasy, with talks of fighting fire breathing dragons. Oooh, edgy. Again, I'll need to see more to get the full picture. Some screenshots are out, and look decent. I like the character designs, not as much on the environment designs yet.

~ Last Remnant - Somewhat amusing that their ending note is a deliberately multi-platform game when they're trying to sell the 360 to the waning Japanese audience. Either way, sounds a bit generic as well. Demons kidnapping sisters and all. Another wait and see title. The stuff they showed previously looked pretty nice though.

With a lack of big news from awaited heavy-hitters Konami, Capcom or Atlus... I wonder what will be unveiled next week at TGS's real opening. I've got my fingers crossed for a PS3 MegaTen game, mainly because I'm so engrossed in P3 right now. We'll see!