The 5-disc set contains the complete original soundtracks to Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, two discs worth of Halo 3 soundtrack, and a special DVD containing four tracks from the upcoming spin off title Halo Wars, along with a behind-the-scenes look at a recording session. While no price is mentioned in the press release, Best Buy is showing it available for pre-order today at $34.99, which is quite a bargain considering the sheer amount of music included in the set.

The full set should be available tomorrow at retailers around the country, or online via Sumthing Else's digital download store.

SUMTHING ELSE MUSIC WORKS ANNOUNCES RELEASE OFHALO TRILOGY ®€" THE COMPLETE ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACKS

5-disc set includes the original music scores and Halo Wars DVD featuring 4 preview tracks and behind-the-scenes from the recording session

New York – Dec. 1st, 2008 – Sumthing Else Music Works, Inc., through its licensing relationship with Microsoft Game Studios, proudly presents Halo® Trilogy – The Complete Original Soundtracks featuring the award-winning original music scores by Bungie Audio Director Martin O’Donnell and Co-Composer Michael Salvatori plus four preview tracks from the forthcoming real-time strategy game Halo Wars™, composed by Ensemble Studios Audio Director Stephen Rippy. Halo Trilogy – The Complete Original Soundtracks is released tomorrow, Dec. 2, 2008, to retail outlets through Nile Rodgers’ Sumthing Else Music Works record label www.sumthing.com, and for digital download at www.sumthingdigital.com.

Halo Trilogy – The Complete Original Soundtracks contents:

Disc 1 – Halo: Combat Evolved Original Soundtrack.

Disc 2 – Halo 2 Original Soundtrack Volume Two.

Disc 3 – Halo Wars Bonus DVD;

Four preview tracks from the upcoming soundtrack presented in 5.1.

A behind-the-scenes look at the recording sessions set to the Halo Wars main theme music.

“Five Long Years” Opening cinematic of the Halo Wars campaign.

Disc 4 – Halo 3 Original Soundtrack.

Disc 5 – Halo 3 Original Soundtrack (cont’d).

Originally created by Bungie and published by Microsoft Game Studios, the Halo franchise is exclusive to the Xbox and Xbox 360 video game and entertainment systems and is optimized for the Xbox LIVE online entertainment network. Halo 3 was released in 37 countries and 17 languages. To date, more than 24.8 million copies of the games in the Halo trilogy have been sold worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.halo3.com/.

Based on the legendary Halo universe, Halo Wars is a real-time strategy game for the Xbox 360 developed by Ensemble Studios. In campaign mode, command the armies of the UNSC warship Spirit of Fire, with familiar and new UNSC units in its initial encounters against the Covenant, an alien coalition threatening to obliterate mankind. Halo Wars immerses players in an early period of the storied Halo universe, allowing you to experience events leading up to the first Halo title for Xbox. For more information visit http://www.halowars.com/.

Irony, she is a cruel mistress. Thirty Twenty Six years later, Gamasutra reported that Aerosmith have earned more from their Guitar Hero spin-off Guitar Hero:Aerosmith than from any single one of the fourteen albums they have released to date. The A&R man responsible for discovering Aerosmith? Step forward Clive Davis.

Music has been a part of gaming since Space Invaders laid down the template for every single techno track ever made. In the last couple of years, though, the two industries have begun to interweave in ways nobody expected.

A recent Freakonomics column in the New York Times uncovered some interesting nuggets about how games are affecting sales of recorded music. When The Who released 12 'best of' tracks to Rock Band this year they sold an impressive 715,000 tracks in just two weeks. At the same time, their recorded output (on CD and downloads) saw a sales increase of 159%. Other bands have seen similar boosts in earning purely down to association with videogames.

Videogames mean that bands now have a new and exciting channel to pump their music out into the ears of potential punters. It is the ultimate captive audience in a way - thousands of people who not only HAVE to listen to your song but must know it inside out if they are going to progress in a game.

From First To Last are a post-hardcore band out of Orlando, Florida. They signed to Electronic Arts' music publishing arm, Artwerk and have been contributing tracks to games ever since. I spoke to Bassist Matt Manning and Keyboard player Chris Lent about what made them get involved.

"Oh we are HUGE gamers," says Matt, "I think other than the band, all we do is play video games. That's not even a joke - I wish I could emphasize the extent of that."

"Sadly enough, that's a little true," confirms Chris, "I kinda flop between Fallout 3 and playing music, It's kind of an even trade."

Matt continues, "When we were looking for publishing for the record [EA]'s publishing arm was pretty young and they had just started a process of trying to get artists. We had a meeting and it was like a kid in a candy store. We love games and so why don't we work with a company that makes games? That would be AWESOME!"

Since signing with Artwerk, From First To Last have had tracks featured on the soundtracks of games like Burnout 2, Madden '09, Facebreaker and Nascar '09. Ryan O'Keeffe of Australian rock band Airbourne had a similar experience. "Steve from EA came down to see us at [film and music festival] South by Southwest. We had a meeting, tried a few games and it started to work really well."

Airbourne have been even more prolific in their soundtrack placements, with a roster of games including Tony Hawk's Proving Ground, Need for Speed: ProStreet, Skate, NFL Tour, Burnout Paradise , NASCAR 08 and NASCAR 09.

As well as a useful marketing channel, both bands are looking to gaming as a source of inspiration and fertile ground to develop new material. I asked Ryan if Airbourne had thought about writing a full score for a game.

"That'd be great to do something like that. I'd love to do that later in our careers, maybe an action game or something."

"I would love to do that!" Matt agrees, "I wish I could score Call Of Duty 6 whenever it comes out."

"I would score any first-person shooter game," Chris adds enthusiastically.

From First To Last recently had the opportunity to get remix of Frank Klepacki's Hell March from Command & Conquer for the Red Alert 3 soundtrack.

"When we started talking to EA we started talking about doing things not so much like "Ok, her's your song.. ok, lets put it in a game" but actually writing for games that have their own score and getting together with [the composers who write for them]," explains Matt, "EA just said 'hey, do you wanna redo the old C&C song'. We were on tour and we just went in the studio for a day and worked on it. It was really cool opportunity."

Neither band are what you would consider 'mainstream' in the Top 40 sense, but through videogames they have been ale to reach huge numbers of potential fans - far more than would get the hear them through conventional means.

"The way the Internet is and the way music goes," says Matt Manning, "what's mainstream has become.. vague. There are so many opportunities for different types of music to get popular and to get your music out there, especially through the Internet rather than just relying on radio or MTV."

Ryan agrees, "Gaming is seen as the new radio, so it's great to be a part of it. It's just a good to help people entertain themselves in a different way. A lot of people say they don't listen to radio nowadays."

"In the day it was like, if you didn't have 'those' people helping you then you couldn't do anything," continues Matt, "but now anyone can do anything they want and put out any music they want."

Chris thinks that association with games has definitely given the band vital and unexpected levels of exposure. "It puts it out there to people who would never in a million years hear our band or know what we sound like, which is pretty awesome."

"Most of our fans turn out to be as big a gamer nerds as we are so we all just kind of relate," he adds with a laugh, "They give us their gamertags and stuff and we go and play with them. We do get a few people saying 'Hey, I heard you on Burnout or I heard you on Madden..'"

Clive Davis is still in the music industry, having recently helped shepherd the career of UK X-Factor winner Leona Lewis. In April he was appointed Creative Director of Sony BMG a company that earns a not-insignificant amount of money from tracks licensed to Guitar Hero, Rock Band and their ilk.

Music may have changed games, but games have changed music even more. And it is not just on the business side. None of the musicians I spoke to had envisaged that the rock and roll lifestyle they dreamed of as kids would turn out to include a D-Pad. Whereas Led Zeppelin's rider would typically have included a hug sack of drugs, twelve groupies and a shark, From First To Last are happy with simpler pleasures.

"Our drummer checks the TV in hotel rooms for RCA so he can hook his Xbox up," says Matt, "Some bands would ask for a whole bunch of booze and stuff. If we could just get a copy of Madden '09 that'd be cool..."

Halo Trilogy- The Complete Original Soundtracks [Amazon]

“You’re going to see it in 2009,” he said. He said that by “Madden ‘10” gamers can expect some of the “broader-based” EA games (not just any music titles) to be able to “continually recommend” new music that can be downloaded to enhance a soundtrack.

That makes connected video gaming sound kind of like iTunes, huh? But I'll ask you guys the same question Totilo asks: would you pay for that? What's it worth to you?

EA: Next Year’s Non-Music Games Will Feature DLC-Enabled Soundtracks [MTV Multiplayer]

“Madden NFL revolutionized the industry by making music of multiple genres – from both established acts and brand-new artists – an essential emotional component of the videogame experience and the NFL season itself... Not only have we changed the gaming culture forever, we continue to move the needle musically for millions of people around the world. Madden NFL will always be recognized as the game that made the music matter in videogames.”

So what's on this most important of soundtracks? Disturbed, Franz Ferdinand, The All-American Rejects, The Offspring, Busta Rhymes with Linkin Park..the usual suspects really. Expect EA to make a huge deal out of them though, with viral videos, a special issue of Billboard magazine, and beginning the week of August 4th they'll be a different Madden artist performing each night on a "popular late night show". Hit the jump for more details, along with the full 26-song track listing.

EA Celebrates 20 Years of Madden Music With Announcement of the Madden NFL 09 Soundtrack
One of the Most Influential Soundtracks in Videogame History Returns With Major Events, Tracks from Busta Rhymes featuring Linkin Park, Disturbed and The Offspring

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) today unveiled the music track listing for Madden NFL 09, set to release August 12, 2008. The new soundtrack features 26 songs from a multi-genre roster of superstar acts and soon-to-breakthrough artists, including Franz Ferdinand, Good Charlotte, Airbourne, From First To Last, The All-American Rejects, Rev Theory, K’Naan, and Kidz In The Hall. Madden NFL, the biggest-selling sports franchise in videogame history, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year with a full slate of live music events, tributes and television appearances leading up the game’s street date.

“Madden NFL is the foundation of what we do and sets the standard for every soundtrack we create,” said Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive of Music and Marketing for EA. “Madden NFL revolutionized the industry by making music of multiple genres – from both established acts and brand-new artists – an essential emotional component of the videogame experience and the NFL season itself. This 20th Anniversary Edition soundtrack celebrates that legacy like never before, complete with marketing events that take the excitement to a whole new level. Not only have we changed the gaming culture forever, we continue to move the needle musically for millions of people around the world. Madden NFL will always be recognized as the game that made the music matter in videogames.”

The highlights of the Madden NFL 09 soundtrack include genre-bending collaborations by Busta Rhymes featuring Linkin Park and Young Dre, The Truth featuring Good Charlotte, as well as returning Madden NFL hit makers Franz Ferdinand, Gym Class Heroes (both with pre-album prerelease tracks), All American Rejects, Shinedown, Senses Fail, Disturbed, The Offspring and Airbourne. The soundtrack’s trend of introducing emerging artists continues with 12 new acts that include The Fashion, Kardinal Offishall featuring Lindo P, In Flames, Innerpartysystem, Hollywood Undead, Mindless Self Indulgence, Izza Kizza, Trivium, Kovas and Tyga.

Cross-promotional events leading up to the game’s release include a series of :60 viral videos for tracks featured in the game, a special Madden Music Anniversary tribute issue of Billboard on newsstands July 13th, as well as other marketing partnerships to be announced in the near future. Beginning the week of August 4th, a different Madden NFL 09 soundtrack artist will perform live each night on a popular late night show.

Over the past decade, the Madden NFL soundtrack has launched premier artists that include Good Charlotte, OK GO, Fallout Boy, Franz Ferdinand, Avenged Sevenfold, Bullet For My Valentine, Yellowcard, Dashboard Confessional, Jet, Ozomatli and 30 Seconds To Mars, and featured such superstars as Green Day, Outkast, Foo Fighters, blink-182, Bon Jovi, Ozzy Osbourne, The Hives, Timbaland featuring Justin Timberlake and Sum 41.

The complete in-game soundtrack for Madden NFL 09 features the following 26 songs:

ARTIST SONG
Airbourne Stand Up For Rock ‘N Roll
Busta Rhymes feat. Linkin Park We Made It
Disturbed Inside The Fire
Franz Ferdinand Lucid Dreams
From First To Last Worlds Away
Gym Class Heroes I’m Home
Hollywood Undead Undead
In Flames The Mirror’s Truth
Innerpartysystem Don’t Stop
Izza Kizza Millionaire
K’NAAN ABC’s
Kardinal Offishall feat. Lindo P Burnt
Kidz In The Hall Blackout
KOVAS Wax On, Wax Off
Mindless Self Indulgence Never Wanted To Dance
Rev Theory Hey Yeah
Senses Fail Wolves At The Door
Shinedown Devour
The All-American Rejects The Real World (Demo)
The Fashion Like Knives
The Offspring Hammerhead
Trivium Into The Mouth Of…We March
Tyga Diamond Life
Underoath Desperate Times, Desperate Measures
Wale feat. Southeast Slim Breakdown
Young Dre The Truth feat. Good Charlotte Workin’

Maybe not everything, but definitely a lot and certainly something to tickle your nostalgia fancy. Looks like they update it, too, last one was April 29.

I'm listening to the Metroid Theme now, Brinstar to be exact. IMHO, best score for an 8-bit game ever. I want to make it into a ringtone, I just need to pick the right refrain.

Just saw this on Reddit so, the buffering might be a little slow on some of the larger tracks as people go to it.

Reliver Your Favorite Games Through Music [Game Music Jukebox]

Epic Records credits Madden 2003 as being instrumental in the breaking of Good Charlotte. Avril Lavigne was first introduced to European audiences through FIFA 2003. Fabolous was first introduced in America via NBA Live, and went on to sell over 2 million albums here. JET got their American iPod commercial based on exposure in Madden 2004. Avenged Sevenfold were an unsigned act when we featured them in Madden 2004. In the weeks following the game's release, their independent album sold tens of thousands of copies without radio airplay, and they were signed to a major label soon after ...

He goes on to list a ton of other examples. It would seem that it's less about being on a video game soundtrack and more about being on a Madden soundtrack, but be that as it may - Schnur has an interesting perspective on one part of putting together great (and not-so-great) games.

Games That Launched the Band [GameCareerGuide]

Kyd has a slew of gaming soundtracks under his belt, including various Splinter Cell and Hitman jams. His musical contribution to Assassin's Creed has been described as "fused with both traditional medieval instruments and modern synth sounds" by producer Jade Raymond. She, by the way, has great taste in sneakers. Kyd describes his own work as having been taken "to the max." I deem this description totally badical.

More info after the jump, with a score provided by me.

UBISOFT ANNOUNCES ASSASSIN'S CREEDTM VIDEO GAME SCORE COMPOSED BY AWARD-WINNING JESPER KYD

London, United Kingdom - October 16, 2007 - Today Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, announced the score for the highly anticipated Assassin's Creed™ video game is being composed by British Academy Award-winner Jesper Kyd. Players will become truly immersed into the mindset of Altair, the game's main character, and the rich environments of the game through Jesper's thematic score. The combination of epic orchestral compositions with acoustic, percussion and vocal performances delivers a deeply spiritual aesthetic with Hollywood flair. The rich and melodic palette, created exclusively for Assassin's Creed, will be discovered by players worldwide this November.

"We listened to many composers before finding the right person for Assassin's Creed. Jesper Kyd turned out to be the perfect match for the title because he is able to create epic historical pieces fused with both traditional medieval instruments and modern synth sounds," shared Jade Raymond, producer of Assassin's Creed. "For Assassin's Creed we wanted the score to capture the gruesome atmosphere of medieval warfare but also be edgy and contemporary. Jesper not only achieved this balance but also underlined the changes in gameplay and pacing in a way that immerses the player even further into the
Assassin's Creed experience."

While the graphical beauty and detail of Assassin's Creed is quite evident visually, the music takes on the same level of precision and attention. Each setting within the game has its own theme and distinct musical identity, ranging from the tragedy-stricken city of Acre to the proud stoic stronghold of Damascus to the powerfully spiritual and multicultural capital of Jerusalem.

"I was inspired by the deep and engaging world of Assassin's Creed and working with the visionary team at Ubisoft Montreal was a fantastic experience," said Jesper Kyd. "It was truly refreshing to be given so much creative freedom for such a high-profile blockbuster title and I believe we took it to the max."

In such instances as the surreal and hypnotic compositions that accentuate the Assassin's approach to his target, Kyd instilled his immersive style and film scoring techniques in Altair's interior meditation and stealth modes, while also capturing the action, combat and escape sequences with measured tone that crescendos into a fast-paced fervor.

About Assassin's Creed
The game is set in 1191 AD, when the Third Crusade was tearing the Holy Land apart. Shrouded in secrecy and feared for their ruthlessness, the Assassins intend to stop the hostilities by suppressing both sides of the conflict. Players will assume the role of the main character, Altair, and will have the power to throw their immediate environment into chaos and truly experience the art of a master assassin.

In 2006, Assassin's Creed received the Game Critics Award: Best of E3 2006 for "Best Action-Adventure Game" and swept the "Best PS3 Game" category across numerous video game websites.*

For more information, please visit www.assassinscreed.com.

*1UP "Best PS3 Game," GameSpot "Best PLAYSTATION 3 Editors' Choice Winner," GameSpy "Best of E3 PS3 Game of the Show," Games Radar "Best of E3 PLAYSTATION 3," GameTrailers "Best of Show," IGN "Best PS3 Game of the Show"

About Ubisoft:
Ubisoft is a leading producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment products worldwide and has grown considerably through a strong and diversified lineup of products and partnerships. Ubisoft has offices in 21 countries and sales in more than 50 countries around the globe. It is committed to delivering high-quality, cutting-edge video game titles to consumers. Ubisoft generated sales of 680 million Euros for the 2006-07 fiscal year. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.

© 2007 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Assassin's Creed, Ubisoft, Ubi.com, and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries. "PlayStation", "PLAYSTATION", and "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

EA SPORTS' FIFA 08 MUSIC SOUNDTRACK SETS THE STAGE FOR INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL GLORY The Hoosiers Kick Off The New Season With Second Single, Goodbye Mr A

Chertsey, UK., September 11, 2007 - International football and music fans are about to score like never before! Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) will kick off the new international football season with the incredible FIFA 08 soundtrack - one of its largest soundtracks ever with 50 artists representing 27 countries. Set to launch in 16 languages and 37 nations, EA SPORTS™ FIFA 08 creates a football experience that matches the complexity, finesse and excitement of the real-world game.

Every year, FIFA boasts an extraordinary mix of music gathered from around the globe, hand picked to represent each country and its passion for the game. This year, the soundtrack will mark the debuts of new artists like The Hoosiers (UK), Babamars (France), Bodyrox (UK), Junkie XL (Holland), and Santogold (USA), each of whom will be discovered by football fans worldwide as their songs become the soundtrack for the 2008 football season.

The FIFA 08 soundtrack is highlighted by songs from Simian Mobile Disco (UK), CSS (Brazil), Datarock (Norway), Dover (Spain), Ivy Queen (Puerto Rico), Junkie XL (Holland), Maximo Park (UK), Mexican Institute of Sound (Mexico), Peter Bjorn And John (Sweden), Planet Funk (Italy), Superbus (France), The Cat Empire (Australia), and Wir Sind Helden (Germany).

Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive of Music at EA commented, "We've been working for nearly a year to deliver what we believe is the ultimate FIFA 08 soundtrack. These are the most songs ever in a FIFA edition representing the most countries in the history of the videogame. In addition to an unprecedented mix of great global artists and some killer debut acts, we're also proud to showcase our premiere Artwerk signings Junkie XL, Jupiter One and Datarock. And as in seasons past, we know that some of the hottest new artists of the coming year will emerge from our soundtrack. This is the true spirit of the EA SPORTS FIFA games: An unparalleled experience where one-of-a-kind action goes head-to-head with the thrill of the unexpected. It's the only way to play what has become one of the most popular and only truly international sports videogame in our world today."

Through mass exposure to football fans, the following 50 songs will define the sound of the coming international season. To listen to streaming music clips, learn more about the bands and get details about the videogame visit www.FIFA08.ea.com.

ARTIST	SONG	ALBUM	COUNTRY
!!!	All My Heroes Are Weirdos	Myth Takes	USA
Apartment	Fall Into Place	The Dreamer Evasive	UK
Art Brut	Direct Hit	It's A Bit Complicated	UK
Aterciopelados	Paces	Oye	Columbia
Babamars	The Core	Surprising Twists	France
Bodyrox feat. Luciana	What Planet You On?		UK
Bonde do Role	Solta O Frango	With Lasers	Brazil
CAMP	From Extremely Far Away	Taking Cure	Switzerland
Carpark North	Human	All Things To All People	Denmark
CeU	Malemolencia	CeU	Brazil
Cheb i Sebbah	Toura Toura: Nav Deep Remix	La Ghriba: La Kahena Remix	Algeria
CSS	Off The Hook	Cansei De Ser Sexy	Brazil
Datarock	Fa-Fa-Fa	Datarock Datarock	Norway
Digitalism	Pogo	Idealism	Germany
Disco Esemble	We Might Fall Apart	First Aid Kit	Finland
Dover	Do Ya	Follow The City Lights	Spain
Heroes & Zeroes	Into The Light	Strange Constellations	Norway
Ivy Queen	Que Lloren	Sentimiento	Puerto Rico
Junkie XL	Clash	Felt EP	Holland
Jupiter One	Unglued	Jupiter One	USA
Kenna	Out of Control (State of Emotion)	Make Sure They See My Face	Ethiopia
K-Os	Born To Run	Atlantis: Hymns for Disco	Canada
La Rocca	Sketches (20 Something Life)	The Truth	Ireland
Lukas Kasha	Love Abuse	Animated People's Republic	Norway
Madness feat. Sway and Baby Blue	I'm Sorry	I'm Sorry	UK
Maximo Park	The Unshockable	Our Earthly Pleasure	UK
Melody Club	Fever Fever	Scream	Sweden
Mexican Institute of Sound (MIS)	El Microfono	Pinata	Mexico
Modeselektor feat. Sasha Perera	Silikon	Hello Mom!	Germany
Noisettes	Don't Give Up	What's The Time Mr. Wolf?	UK
Pacha Massive	Don't Let Go	All Good Things	USA
Peter Bjorn and John	Young Folks	Writer's Block	Sweden
Planet Funk	Static	Static	Italy
Robyn	Bum Like You	Robyn	Sweden
Rocky Dawuni	Wake Up The Town	Book Of Changes	Ghana
Santogold	You Will Find A Way	Santogold	USA
Simian Mobile Disco	I Believe	Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release	UK
Superbus	Butterfly	Wow	France
Switches	Drama Queen	Heart Tuned to D.E.A.D	UK
The Automatic Automatic	Monster	Not Accepted Anywhere	Wales
The Cat Empire	Sly	Two Shoes	Australia
The Hoosiers	Goodbye Mr. A	The Trick To Life	UK
The Hours	Ali In The Jungle	Narcissus Road	UK
The Tellers	More	The Tellers	Belgium
Tigarah	Culture, Color, Money, Beauty	Revolution	Japan
Travis	Closer	The Boy With No Name	UK
Tumi And The Volume	Afrique	Tumi And The Volume	South Africa
Vassy	Wanna Fly	My Affection	Australia
Wir Sind Helden	Endlich Ein Grund Zur Panik	Soundso	Germany
Yonderboi	Were You Thinking Of Me?	Slendid Isolation	Hungary

I have a guilty admission: I actually kind of dug the Prey demo. What can I say? I'm a sucker for drunken Injun chiefs blithering into their cups about the prophecy of the mountains, not to mention cute Native-American bartenders with amazing polygonal asses and Dyson spheres fueled off the juice of human bean gelatinators. And even their gimmicky Portal Technology? Hell, I thought that was pretty cool too.

Still, I didn't much notice Jeremy Soule's soundtrack, which is interesting, because Soundtrack.net is directly comparing it to the music of the spheres.

Prey is destined to effect industry-wide change: from defining a new standard by which music commissions for flagship interactive titles can be judged, to sounding a welcome death knell for the use of through-composed material. It is a key milestone and one that is the culmination of a decade's work spent to bring the true sound of Hollywood into the home. The result: a soundtrack which breathes color into a monochrome landscape. Indeed, nothing quite like this has come before in the games industry and, when Prey ships, the dust is going to take a long time to settle. So, reload and pack some stims because if you want an answer to where video game music goes from here... it's arrived.

Heavy. Don't expect to understand what they are on about unless you went to Juliard. To be fair, Joel Johnson and I did have an IM discussion about the soundtrack, but it mostly centered about how 'Barracuda' was playing in the bar at the beginning of the game and how awesome it was that Art Bell was finally branching out into video games. Florian Eckhardt

Inside Prey [Soundtrack.net]

As usual when Japanese men are held in deific awe by Westerners, the producer of the event uses the painful Miyage-like "Mitsuda-san" honorific to identify the accomplished game composer. That's okay, we've all made jerks of ourselves when gushing about artists we love. Quoth PLAY!'s producer: "To have Mitsuda-san come to the US for our premiere in Chicago is a dream come true. My hope is that the fans will come out and show their appreciation for the distance he has traveled to celebrate with us."

We hope so too... game composers are all too often overlooked as accomplished musicians. Any venue that allows their works to be appreciated by a larger audience thrills us. Go buy a ticket and show Matsuda he's appreciated if you're in Chicago in late May.

Yasunori Mitsuda's Music Joining PLAY! [1UP]

If you just can't wait to get your twitching hands on Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion... we can't help you. True, as the gaming journalist elite, Bethesda has personally sent us preview copies of the game, delivered upon pillows made of ruby silk by Bethesda's nubile concubines. But they trusted us and — as much as we'd love to just post the torrent here and now — we can't betray that trust.

What we can offer, though, is a full download of Jeremy Soule's amazing soundtrack for Oblivion, via DirectSong.com. It is totally legitimate and has been thoroughly remastered for playing outside of the game. If this soundtrack doesn't have you positively jactitating to play Oblivion, we don't know what will.

Oblivion Soundtrack [DirectSong]