Video Games Live is a multimedia concert experience featuring the best music and exclusive synchronized video clips from the most popular games from the beginning of video gaming to the present. Performed by top orchestras and choirs, the show combines exclusive video footage and music arrangements with synchronized lighting, solo performers, stage show production, special FX, electronic percussionists and unique interactive segments. Whether it’s the power and passion of the more recent blockbusters or the excitement of remembering the sentimental classics you played growing up, it will truly be a special night to remember for the entire family. The show has a segment dedicated to the old retro arcade classics – but there is also modern music and older, more memorable pieces that no one has ever heard played live.

It’s their only Scottish date so get in quick.

Buy tickets.

More information

www.northeastofnorth.com
northeastofnorth.ning.com

Scottish Developer to Showcase 2010 Sequel to Attendees

Dundee – Friday 6th November 2009: Ruffian Games, Scotland’s newest game development studio has today announced that it will give attendees at NEoN Digital Arts Festival a glimpse of its debut title, the highly-anticipated sandbox epic Crackdown 2. Recently showcased at Tokyo Game Show and published by Microsoft Game Studios, Crackdown 2 is set for release next year and will continue the sense of scale and unrelenting mayhem that made the original such a blast.

The sequel is set some ten years after the first instalment, placing the player as another genetically-modified agent sent out onto the streets of Pacific City. The once-bustling metropolis has been ravaged by infection and the ongoing struggle for power over the city’s inhabitants. The player returns to fight off hordes of Freaks following their accidental release into the populace and regain control of the City from the hands of The Cell – a powerful terrorist organisation fighting to overthrow the Agency.

Crackdown 2 features over-the-top action that exemplifies truly freeform gameplay and lets gamers explore and play however they choose. Players return to Pacific City with new abilities, combat capabilities, weaponry and vehicles that all have the unique Crackdown touch that fans have come to love. With four-player cooperative play and multiplayer modes for up to 16 players over Xbox LIVE, you can take the fight to the streets and rooftops with your friends in explosive style.

”We’re all really proud of Dundee’s place within the games industry and it’s great to be able to support an event on our doorstep by showing a glimpse into the development of Crackdown 2 at the NEoN festival. Not only is it a chance for us to contribute locally but it’s exciting to have our fans experience a small taste of how the game is shaping up to be more than a sequel.” – James Cope, Producer, Ruffian Games.

Attendees will get a rare chance to see the game in action before launch on Saturday 14th November as part of NEoN Digital Arts Festival, a celebration of digital media taking place across the city of Dundee from Friday 13th to Sunday 15th of November.

Ticket information, event programmes and news feeds can be found at the official event website: www.northeastofnorth.com – In addition, follow the festival on Twitter for up-to-date information: weareneon.

-About Ruffian Games-

Ruffian Games is a game development studio based in Dundee. Formed in 2009, the incorporation brings together a wealth of industry experience and talent that all share a passion to create hit titles for leading worldwide publishers.

Among other major franchises, Ruffian staff have previously worked on games such as Crackdown, Fable 2, Project Gotham Racing, Grand Theft Auto, Mortal Kombat and has close ties to many other gaming legends. Ruffian Games is led through unwavering belief in games as the pinnacle of modern creativity and entertainment.

A couple of years ago I went to the Flash on the Beach conference in Brighton, a conference for Flash developers and other creatives. Anyway, I had the great privilege to meet a gentleman called Andre Michelle who has a love for programming and music.

Simple sinewave synthesizer triggered by an ordinary 16step sequencer. Each triggered step causes a force on the underlaying wave-map, which makes it more cute.

Based on the AudioTool engine thus no sources, I am sorry.

Press SPACE key to clear. Right-Click for Copy&Paste.

It’s absolutely fantastic and mesmerizing. In fact, I’ve got it playing a composition in the background while I write this blog post.

There’s more information about the ToneMatrix and AudioTool on Andre’s blog and on the aM Laboratory.

The British Government has released the final version of the Digital Britain report that seeks to push Britain’s digital industry and economy to the forefront.

As we made clear in our industrial strategy Building Britain’s Future: New Industry, New Jobs – we believe Britain needs an active industrial policy if we are to maximise the benefits from the digital revolution. Doing nothing or leaving everything to the market would leave Britain behind. We need a clear and effective approach which is
consistent, ensures full access, provides regulatory certainty, smarter public procurement and shows a readiness to intervene where necessary.

Rt Hon Lord Mandelson, Rt Hon Ben Bradshaw MP

Read the rest of this entry »

Interesting story here. Most of you will no doubt have heard all the commotion around the Pirate Bay torrent tracker site and the legal wrangling that’s been going on for a few years now.

A poll carried out by a major Swedish newspaper predicts that the Pirate Party will grab around 5.1% of the votes in the upcoming European Union elections. This means that the movement, which has gathered huge momentum due to the Pirate Bay ‘guilty’ verdict, will get a seat in the EU Parliament.

Full story via TorrentFreak.

If you’re a graphic artist or designer and for some reason find you have the urge to create a masterpiece while in your local coffee shop, you can no do so, through a web browser, with the worlds first online vector drawing tool, Raven. Raven is just one of a variety of graphic related tools being developed as part of a collection of tools collectively called Aviary, in various stages of production. Quite exciting.

Did I mention it’s completely free?

John Lennon has appeared in a television commercial for the charity One Laptop per Child, 28 years after his death. The charity aims to help children in developing and poverty stricken countries gain access to technology and education by delivering low cost affordable laptops.

Source: BBC.

Wired magazine have done a feature on one Cliff Bolling, who has been digitising thousands of tracks from vinyl records. He’s begun a quest to bring back the delights of 78rpm music to the masses through the internet. Currently he has just under 4000 mp3 files available on his site (which is currently offline).

I smell lawsuits.

One Man’s Quest to Digitize and Publicize Rare Records