The Escapist

Here's a recent piece on the Forza OST and my work that has appeared in the The Escapist videos over the years.

Cheers!

Forza 3 Awards Wrap Up

There is much ado about FM3 from some of top publications. Besides winning top honors from X-Play and the VGAs, Forza also won awards from CNN and IGN. As this blog so deftly proves week in and week out I'm no word smith so I recommend that you get more details on the Forza site.

X-Play Best of 2009: Racing Game - "Forza 3"

More FM3 awards: X-Play Best of 2009: Racing Game - Forza 3

Forza 3 is VGA "Racing Game of the Year"!

According to a recent update on Turn 10 studio's twitter page:

Turn10Studios Forza Motorsport 3 wins best racing game of 2009 from Spike VGAs! http://twitpic.com/ta086

Good news!

Forza 3 Soundtrack Official Announcement

SUMTHING ELSE MUSIC WORKS ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF FORZA MOTORSPORT® 3 ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK

Ambient Electronica Score Composed and Produced by
Lance Hayes aka DJ Drunken Master

New York - December 7th, 2009 - Sumthing Else Music Works, through its licensing relationship with Microsoft Game Studios, proudly presents Forza Motorsport® 3 Original Soundtrack featuring the original music from the critically acclaimed racing game developed exclusively for Xbox 360. Created by the veteran team at Turn 10 Studios of Microsoft Game Studios, Forza Motorsport 3 unites the racing game genre, making it possible for everyone to experience the thrill of the world's most exotic and exquisite cars. Forza Motorsport 3 Original Soundtrack will release on Dec. 8 to retail outlets through Sumthing Else Music Works www.sumthing.com, and will be available for digital download on Sumthing Digital www.sumthingdigital.com and iTunes®.

Forza Motorsport 3 Original Soundtrack includes 90 minutes of ambient electronica music created by award-winning composer and producer Lance Hayes aka DJ Drunken Master. The soundtrack features a broad range of music styles and overall chill demeanor encompassing primarily electronica, ambient and downtempo with forays into ambient breaks, illbient and acid jazz.

Composer Lance Hayes said, "This was truly a rare and amazing project to work on. I knew it had to be perfect because this was Forza but we also agreed that it had to be music that could stand on its own. We were looking for the right balance of listen-ability and edge."

With breathtaking high-definition graphics and the most advanced vehicle performance modeling in a video game, Forza Motorsport 3 includes a host of driving assists and adjustable skill levels to make the game a gripping pick-up-and-play experience for audiences of all ages and skill levels. For more information on Forza Motorsport 3, please visit www.forzamotorsport.net.

For more information on Sumthing Else Music Works and its complete catalog of video game soundtracks, please visit www.sumthing.com and www.sumthingdigital.com.

Forza Motorsports 3 Soundtrack Available for Preorder

The powerful and engrossing soundtrack CD created by composer Lance Hayes for Forza 3 is now available for preorder from Amazon.com and Best Buy.com. The release date for the Sumthing Distribution released soundtrack is December 8th (12/08/09, just in time for the holidays). It will be in select stores as a CD release as well as from all of the usual download sites (Sumthing Digital, ITunes, Zune etc.).

Featuring cuts from the primarily ambient electronica score the FM3 OST is a collection of music for the fans that want to take the feel and experience of Forza out of the gamespace or for the listener that enjoys electronic music.

The FM3 OST track listings from the Sumthing Digital site:

1 Riding The Rail
2 Visual Installation
3 Japanese Four Star
4 Base Telemetry
5 Additional Controller
6 Superleggera
7 Dialed In
8 Elapsed Time
9 Van Air
10 Road Side
11 This Final Lap
12 X Track

Forza 3 OST Track Listing

The track listings for the upcoming Forza Motorsport 3 Soundtrack album are now available on the Sumthing Digital site. The album is due out on Tuesday December 8th (next week!).

From the Sumthing Digital site:

1 Riding The Rail (Lance Hayes)

2 Visual Installation (Lance Hayes)

3 Japanese Four Star (Lance Hayes)

4 Base Telemetry (Lance Hayes)

5 Additional Controller (Lance Hayes)

6 Superleggera (Lance Hayes)

7 Dialed In (Lance Hayes)

8 Elapsed Time (Lance Hayes)

9 Van Air (Lance Hayes)

10 Road Side (Lance Hayes)

11 This Final Lap (Lance Hayes)

12 X Track (Lance Hayes)

Cheers!

Forza 3 Sells 1 Milllion

Looks like FM3 sales are sticking to the track. As of the 14th Forza had sold over a million copies. It's a good day for racing.

Spike TV Video Game Awards - Forza 3 Noms

I'm excited about the Forza 3 nominations in two categories for Spike TV Video Game Awards. The nominations are for Best Driving Game and Best Xbox 360 Title for 2009 and the show airs on December 12th.

If you'd like to vote you can do so here:
Best Xbox 360 Game
Best Driving Game

Check your listings for airtime on the 12th of December and wish Forza 3 luck!

Pole Position

I'm very proud to have written the soundtrack to Forza 3. The game was a fantastic title to work on and the team was beyond amazing to work with.

Now I'm able to say that not only was it an amazing project to work on but it's on its way to becoming one of the top selling video games this year. Sales have been phenomenal. Number one in the US, number one in Xbox titles sold and number two for all games and platforms in the world for the week ending October 31st 2009.

The success lies with the game itself of course but it's a pleasure knowing that your work is both well received and adds distinction to, in it's way, a top notch project on it's way up the charts.

Reason for Sound

An article just went live today on the Propellerhead Software website featuring some of my favorite Reason presets.

As part of the Patch Charts series it covers some of the sounds and production techniques employed on several of the tracks from the Forza 3 soundtrack. You can check it out here.

If you're not familiar Reason is a fantastic production and sound tool made by the Swedish company Propellerhead Software whose latest release is the amazing Record software.

And remember if you haven't already signed up as a fan on Facebook you can do so here.

FM3 Shoes

A little disappointed to find out that the Puma FM3 shoe is only available (so far) in Europe. Was looking forward to pointing at my feet and saying something like "this is the shoe that ties into the game that I scored". :) I'll have to see if they can be ordered.

I have Succumb - Facebook Fan Page and Time In LA

So if you want to keep up with news and updates about me and my music you can do so on my brand new Facebook Fan Page. I will keep it updated with current and upcoming project info as well as the usual ego maniacal rants that will keep you guessing about my general sanity and overall demeanor. Well, mostly it will have updates about my work.

Also I just got back from LA and had a fine time at the Billboard Hollywood Reporter conference for music in Film, TV and Video Games. The game section was a little lite but the overall conference wasn't too bad.

I had a great time visiting with friends and doing a little business. If you're interested in up to the minute updates you can check out my Twitter Page.

FM3 Reviews

The Forza 3 reviews have been very favorable so far averaging 94 out of 100 on Metacritic the first day. Not a bad start.

What caught me off guard was getting a review from Motor Trend? So sweet. They seemed to like it.

The game release date is the 27th of this month and if you haven't pre-ordered you might want to consider it. The Gamestop deluxe version is quite nice with dongles, bobbles and bonus content galore.

In other news I'm deep into my latest project (more on that soon) and looking forward to hitting LA later this month for the Billboard Hollywood Reporter Film, TV and Game Music conference.

Cheers!

FM3 Demo on Xbox Live

As of today you can DL the 1 GB demo of the game. Happy driving!

Breakdown

Over at Forzamotorsport.net RJ DeVera talks about his work as a designer and car enthusiast on FM3. He offers a good overview of the game and some insights into the mind of a serious car enthusiast.

Cheers

Forza 3 Goes Gold and Intro Video

Couple of big announcements from Turn 10 this week:

The FM3 game intro video has been released! Check it out here. While scoring Forza was an exciting experience and magnificent challenge this track was special in that we had so much pressure from ourselves to get it right. Much midnight oil was burned. Hope you enjoy the results.

And Forza 3's gone gold which means all of the work is complete and the game has gone to duplication. In celebration Turn 10 is releasing a demo on the 24th of this month via Xbox Live. There's one playable track and five cars.

Here's the blurb from the FM3 site

___________________________________

The white flag waves as “Forza Motorsport 3” has Gone Gold, entering its final lap before launching on Oct. 22 in Asia, Oct. 23 in Europe and Oct. 27 in North America exclusively on Xbox 360. To mark the occasion, Microsoft and Turn 10 today confirmed that a demo of the highly anticipated title will arrive on Xbox LIVE Marketplace starting Sept. 24.


The new demo lets you get behind the wheel of five of the world’s most amazing cars on the full circuit of the game’s Camino Viejo track. The demo includes five playable cars:

*
2007 Porsche #80 Flying Lizard 911 GT3-RSR
*
2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro
*
2009 Ferrari California
*
2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X GSR
*
2009 Mini John Cooper Works

You will be able to drive all of the cars in the demo in full cockpit view as well as experience damage, rollover and try out the game’s new rewind feature as you take turns on a beautiful Spanish mountain course inspired by the Montserrat region just outside of Barcelona, Spain. When logged into Xbox LIVE, the demo will also support official leaderboards for lap times, giving you a further taste of what players will experience in “Forza Motorsport 3.”

With today’s Gone Gold announcement and the recent announcements around the fan-designed R8 V10 5.2 FSI quattro and the exclusive Limited Collector’s Edition (which includes 10 exclusive bonus cars, VIP community status, and more), there has never been a better time to pre-order “Forza Motorsport 3.”

Additionally, Turn 10 is proud to unveil the first collection of Forza Motorsport-branded clothing and accessories for your Xbox LIVE avatar. Included in our first batch of gear are the following items. Check out the pictures below. The prices for Avatar gear will vary between 80 to 320 Microsoft Points.

*
4 T-shirt prints featuring logos from new tracks in the game
*
Forza-branded Racing Shoes
*
Forza-branded Baseball Cap
*
Forza-branded Fingerless Racing Gloves
*
Forza-branded Leather Jacket
*
2 Racing Helmet (in white or black)
*
Forza-branded Race Driver Fire Suit

The Forza Motorsport 3 demo and all Avatar items will be available on Sept. 24.

See you at the finish line!
Forza Motorsport Avatar Clothing

___________________________________

Cheers!

The Latest Forza 3 Videos

IGN just put up a great direct feed video used at PAX featuring the FM3 paint shop. It does a good job of highlighting some of the sound design and music I created for the UI.

Check it out here

Also they posted these videos as well:

Joker BMW
Audi
And if this one doesn't make you want to play the game...
Here's a link to all of the new videos up on the Forza site proper

Super Car Bugatti Veyron

Wow. I'm excited to play the Bugatti Veyron when FM3 comes out. New video on Joystiq.com just came out with great footage of the team working on this breathtaking car. The bed music is all culled from the custom score I produced for the game.

Video Link

Cheers!

Xbox Elite with 250GB Drive Spotted in Germany

Looks like my recent disc upgrade is officially about to be outmoded. Engadget.com reported last night that "a new Xbox 360 model, ASIN in tow, with a 250GB HDD, two wireless controllers, and Forza Motorsport 3. Price is listed at 279 euros ($397), a good 30 euros over the current Elite price" was spotted on Amazon Germany. More here

FM3 Demos from Games Con 2009

Amritz Lay gave a great walk through of Forza 3 from this years Games Con in Cologne Germany.

Here are some highlights:

Video 1
Video 2

FM3 + Puma = Forza Shoes

Puma is a sponsor for Forza 3 and I have to say this just makes me happy: "The partnership includes a number of cross promotional elements, including the development of a limited edition Forza branded PUMA shoe."

I may just take up running again.

Cheers!

New Forza 3 Trailer

The latest trailer for Forza 3 is up at Game Trailers.com. It looks fantastic and uses one of my tracks from the game. Here's the link:

Forza 3 Exclusive Dreams Trailer Volume I

Cheers!

Latest Projects

Today's Microsoft's E3 press conference was spectacular with announcements of innovative technology in the from of Natal, celebrity visits from Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Steven Spielberg and a slew of great exclusive 360 game title announcements.

Thanks to the unveiling of the later I can finally say that I am working on Forza Motorsport 3 instead of beating around the bush about working on an "unannounced racing game".

I'm also excited to say that I have work included in the Live Arcade game Joy Ride which was also announced today. It looks like it will be a great game and one that I look forward to playing with my whole family!

In case you don't know E3 is the big electronics expo in LA that showcases the hottest titles coming out in a given year. I'm very proud to be part of the Turn 10 team for this momentous project and I look forward to the coming months leading up to the October release of FM3!


More soon...

Cheers!

GDC is a Wrap

GDC was great as always. I had a wonderful time hanging out with friends from the game industry. I spent a goodly amount of time with new comrade Jason Shirley (MS Localization in Ireland), Caesar, Guy and the rest of the Microsoft folks, as well as the Remedy and Lionhead crews. Seeing and talking with composers Sam Hulick, Tom Salta and Richard Jacques (among many others) was fantastic as always. Don Bodin and I hung out pretty much the whole trip and had a great time doing it. And I made a new scotch and kilt friend in Rafael Lopez over at Technicolor.

Once again the Sky Lounge and the W bar were the defacto hubs for evening networking. I ran into a couple of good friends randomly at the W including Drew Angelhoff (XNA) and Scott Dodson.

The tone this year was a little subdued but overall 2009 was a good one for GDC. Highlights for me included Kris Mellroth's great dissection of his work on Fable 2 and Tom Salta's Choir tutorial. Other notable lectures included John Rodd's dissertation on getting the most out of your orchestra sessions to get that big Hollywood sound.

The most interesting development that seemed to grab everyone's attention was Onlive. If you haven't checked out their site I would recommend a look see. If it lives up to it's promise this really could be a game changer for the industry.

I attended the GANG awards and was happy to see so many friends win awards. Also at the awards I had a chance to meet Ed Lima at long last. Nice guy and a veteran for sure.

Time to start planning for E3... :)

Cheers!

DJDM.com is Live

I've been talking about it for years telling friends that "a new version was on the way". I've put it off and off and off but the content could get no more outdated or irrelevant, the design no more passe. And since I'm headed off to GDC next week I figured that it was finally time to pull the trigger.

Now, thanks to friend and web guru Drew Rothman, I have a new website!

A website that you can actually find things on and once found they are worth looking over! Who would have thunk it?

Head over to djdm.com for your very own look see.

Cheers!

GDC Demos & Twitter Widget

I finished my GDC demos last night and I have to say I think they turned out pretty well. It's an unconventional design but I believe that works in it's favor.

Basically it's a USB drive with my audio/video demos along with bios and client lists attached via a small lanyard hook to a business card in a badge holder. The layout is simple and yet surprisingly intuitive. And you don't have to look around for a CD or DVD player to run it on!

While it remains to be seen how they're accepted I'm feeling confident that they'll do the trick. Besides if you don't like what you hear you can always erase and recycle them so at least they may not be as likely to get tossed in the round file.

Only a couple of days left before the trip. I have a lot to do but at least this is one important step is finished.

Also note that I've added a widget that allows you to post your Twitter updates here on blogger. Mine are on the right side of this page so look for more immediate updates there if you're interested.

Cheers!

The Game Developer's Conference

I'm GDC bound

I'll be there this year for the first time since 2006. I look forward to seeing all of the people that I chat with regularly via email in person. Good times!

I'm currently working on setting up my demos on USB flash drives. It seems like it still retains a little bit of that "novel idea" sheen as they are still not that common. I just hope it doesn't backfire. Nothing worse than having someone say that they can't play your demo because of some incompatibility.



I'm also a little frustrated. It looks like Microsoft pushed back it's announcement of the title I'm working on till later in the year. Man is it hard to say : "what am I working on? I’m working on an 11 month contract scoring an Xbox title for Microsoft. It’s a 90 min soundtrack for their next big racing title. It's being created by Turn 10 studios who, if you have a 360, you may know created Forza 1 and 2."

I can say that in my sleep now.

In my spare time I've been doing software updates.

Sonar 8.3.1, PLAY Software Update v1.2.0, Komplete 5 updates, V Collection updates and even more

than that.

The only one that was problematic was the Sonar update. In it's original incarnation (V8.3.0) it offered some great new features including much faster saving with the Quantum Leap Play VST which was of particular interest to me.

Turns out that the update had a little problem. It was a little thing in theory but it was a mess in actual application.

I'll let them describe it.

"WARNING Please Read: Cakewalk has recently discovered that an error was introduced in the SONAR 8.3 update that affected the "Move To" snap mode in the Clips View. Under some circumstances this can move clips into a position with a small error of several ticks. We have addressed the issue internally and are working hard to deliver a hotfix for this issue very quickly.

In the meantime, use caution when dragging clips with Move To snapping enabled. Fortunatley the error tends to be small or non-existant when zoomed in for editing. It may be wise to double check the position of dragged clips with the Clips Properties window. To see this, right-click on the clip and choose "Clip Properties..."

We apologize for the inconvenience and we'll be posting an update in the near future."

Problem was that it was not a small amount as indicated in their warning. It was a noticeable amount and was very problematic in application. If you have ever tried to copy parts between instruments or affect changes to an arrangement in total you can guess this was a pretty messy issue. I was unable to work with Sonar for any elaborate arranging about a week. And if you're familiar with my work you would know that I do pretty intricate work in my sequencers.

Imagine trying to parallel park your car but the breaks don't work so

every time you move you bump the cars around you. In the end you would not try to park or drive. It was a little like that.

Thankfully with the new update this issue was addressed and remedied. I have to hand it to Cakewalk they kept their cools despite the calls for their collective deaths from some less stable members of their user pool on their own forum. They even offered up some new features with the update. Not a bad save Cakewalk, I salute you.

And finally; M-Audio has recently released their Delta 64 bit drivers for Vista. So now I can move forward with my long planned studio upgrade to 64 bit Windows. I have all the hardware RAM and software for this process and have simply been waiting for these drivers so I can avoid buying new sound cards.

Basically this means that this whole process can all start all over again. Wish me luck.

Most soon...

Cheers!

- L