Production History
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As a man of innovation, it
pains me to dive into yet another remake of yet another industry sim - but
there's one last project that deserves to make use of Reach's graphical
advances. The music industry simulator, Popscene, remains my most
popular concept outside of wrestling - and after sitting on the sidelines for
4 long years, there's a lot for it to catch up on! Here's how the developments
of recent games have helped to make this old one something special...
Blast From
The Past
Although it didn't see the light
of day until the summer of 2004, Popscene is actually one of my oldest
creations - dating all the way back to early 2000. In those days, the blue &
white logo and black silhouettes were attached to a primitive 2D simulator that
was neither completed nor released. The concept of managing a band lingered in
the back of my mind though, right alongside wrestling, and went on to emulate
the success of those games when it was finally released. It was burdened with my
earliest 3D graphics and suffered from a fragile structure, but the appealing
concept practically sold itself. Now, emboldened by 4 years of progress, it
finally promises to fulfil its potential with the most sophisticated game engine
my work has to offer...
Art Imitating
Life
Turning an art form into a coherent game
is never easy. In what has become my trademark, this game tackles the problem by
using a cocktail of "art" and "entertainment". A song's entertainment qualities
are represented by stars, whereas its artistic qualities are represented by
hearts. As you'd expect, entertainment makes you popular and successful - while
artistry governs how credible that success is and how likely it is to last. The
ideal is to score highly in both departments, but as in real life most pieces of
music end up excelling in one area or the other. This is also true of the
characters that are responsible for producing the music. "Production" and
"Writing" skills govern entertainment and art respectively. Meanwhile,
"Performance" and "Talent" reflect how capable an artist is of fulfilling that
potential on stage. So the game basically consists of generating the best
playlist you can muster and then assembling the best team to bring that
playlist to life...
Powerful
Words
If there's any doubt as to what
those ratings mean, it should be removed by the real magazine reviews that
articulate it in words! As in the previous game, every performance and record
release is accompanied by an appraisal that's not only fun to read but also
reflects the progress of your band. The "Popularity" of each member is
influenced by the entertainment side of things, whereas their "Reputation" is
affected by the artistry. Again, these concepts are intertwined. Popularity is
required to sell an entertaining song in the charts, whereas a solid reputation
is required to sell credible music. Knowing who you are and what you want to
achieve is key to success in this game. The new and improved reviews help you in
that respect, as there are now twice as many of them and they're directly linked
to the combined qualities of your performance instead of being somewhat
random...
The Big Deal
Creating the band of your dreams
isn't a matter of choice. There are hundreds of artists floating around the
industry, but they'll only agree to work for you once a contract has been agreed
upon. As in the previous game, this once again consists of a signing-on fee
sprinkled with royalties for music sales, ticket sales, and endorsements. This
is then set against how many weeks you expect the contract to last for. Exactly
how you mix those components together is down to you - although an agreement is
down to what the other person is happy to accept! They have their own ideas
about what is and isn't a good deal, plus countless personal concerns that have
to be taken into account. As will you when it's YOUR turn to negotiate a fair
contract. As surely as you employ other artists, labels are there to employ you
as the manager of an act. Here the tables are turned, as you try to negotiate
the juiciest deal you can get away with...
Take A Seat
One of the most appealing things
about remaking this game was that the backstage meetings that keep it ticking
over could finally be made more visually interesting. The meetings in Reach
took place in a nicely decorated office and various corners of other locations.
This game keeps that spirit alive by having the conversations take place in an
actual studio - occasionally even sitting down as we see above! It's a little
touch that makes all the difference in the world as you deal with the various
people in your social circle. And it's just as well because there are twice as
many such meetings in this updated game. Your band members have even more
suggestions they'd like you to hear, and you must respond diplomatically. Not
only could it affect the course of your career, but it also affects your
relationship with them. Every little thing you agree to makes them happier but
taints their attitude, whereas everything you refuse teaches them a lesson but
runs the risk of resentment. And relationships are more meaningful than ever in
this game. As in other recent games, you now have a unique relationship with
every other character in the universe - so transgressions will not be so easily
forgotten...
Courting
Controversy
Not all "meetings" consist of a
casual chat though! The original Popscene pioneered the use of court
cases in my games, and this version brings things full circle with the recently
perfected system. The stakes are higher than ever with this concept too. In
addition to all the usual complaints from disgruntled employees, it's also
possible to have your intellectual property contested. Whether legitimate or
not, other artists can lay claim to your songs and have them removed from your
playlist. If that happens to a cherished hit, losing your money or reputation
will be the least of your concerns. The "mission" system also makes a welcome
return to this game, with labels putting pressure on you to deliver the goods
inside of the studio and out...
Sticky Labels
The labels should be pleasantly
familiar to fans of the previous instalment. "Epic Talent" is once again the
home of the world's most proven artists, "Super Sounds" is the home of hot young
jumpstarts, "Rock-out Records" is where indie and rock bands reside, and "Urban
Records" is the stereotypical hip hop label. In addition to those, "The
Underground" is the independent circuit that you start from and "Legacy Records"
is where deceased artists continue to release material from beyond the grave.
Although the names and logos remain the same, the rosters are somewhat different
- sprinkled with dozens of new characters, several of whom have been installed
as new label bosses. I made a conscious effort to include half as many famous
faces this time. Partly because it depressed me to churn out so many clumsy
caricatures, but also because "famous faces" tend to be inherently talented.
Filling the game with them meant there was hardly any difference between weak
artists and strong artists, and the game balancing suffered because of it. Here,
there are considerably more fictitious characters - most of whom are without
merit, but at least help to make the superstars worth something...
Plastic
Population
The characters themselves are one
of the biggest reasons for remaking this game. Arriving in 2004, the original
Popscene had to make do with my work's most primitive 3D model. The improved
modelling and pristine texturing of recent games has since given the game a lot
to be jealous of! It finally gets a chance to shine here though, and the costume
possibilities couldn't be more at home. There's twice as much casual wear as any
of the sporting games could offer, and it's complemented nicely with the unique
addition of 3D jewellery. This had previously been baked into the textures, but
now they're actual accessories that you can clamp onto any costume. There's a
wide range too - including earrings, finger rings, necklaces, and bracelets.
They come in handy for blinged-out hip hop artists and materialistic women! The
models themselves have also been revised for this game, with more slimmer
figures than the fighting games required. Weight isn't an issue either, so you
once again get the chance to hand-pick the perfect build. That means the range
can reinstate novelties such as a big jaw or chubby face...
Instrument Of
God
Further to the improved character
models, another one of this game's revelations is that the instruments
themselves are more realistic. The guitar has been remodelled to have a nicer
shape, more detailed high-resolution texturing - and even features real 3D
strings instead of painted-on ones! As you can see above, the drum kit has been
similarly revamped with twice as many components - each of which are rendered in
more detail. The cymbals and hi-hats even shake when touched and factor into the
animation. That's also true of the slightly improved DJ decks, which feature
real turning discs. And for me, one of the smallest but most noticeable
modifications is that the keyboard finally has a realistic layout of keys! Now
that I'm something of a pianist, I can't believe what I thought passed for a
keyboard back in 2004...
The Way You
Move
The improved instruments wouldn't
mean much if they were used in the same boring old ways, so it's a good job that
the animation has raised its game to match. The simple fact that the latest
character models have fingers was enough to ensure that the bar was raised a
notch. The strings of a guitar and keys of a keyboard are now tickled by a
realistic array of digits. A big difference here is that the animation varies
too. Instead of throwing out one repetitive animation, there are now half a
dozen that each character can smoothly transition to and from. It runs the risk
of putting the performances even further out of synch with the music, but it's
worth it to see some realistic visual changes. It certainly makes every
performance feel different - even if the style is supposedly the same. It's
still possible to specify a "style" of performance (which is essentially the
speed at which it animates), and a "tone" to denote the appropriate facial
expressions. All relatively meaningless stuff, but it helps to keep the action
in tune with your choice of music...
Return To The
Stage
The superior character graphics
are complemented by equally modified new locations. In keeping with the advances
of recent games, even the most basic venue now features real light fittings,
framed doors, and high resolution texturing. The 2D crowd sprites are just that
little bit better too; right down to the number of them reflecting the supposed
attendance. And all of the above is drenched in the best lighting effects and
camerawork my games can muster. However, the real revelation is that there's
almost twice as many locations to visit! A lot of games have materialized since
the last Popscene, and some of their better scenes have been re-mastered
for use in this game. We've got the beach from Wrecked, the streets from
Popcorn, the pitches from Grass Roots, the prison from Hard
Time, and countless other novelty venues. Even the traditional locations
have been recreated to look better than ever - such as the stadium which now
benefits from the wrestling arena's realistic seating structure...
Making
History
It's once again your
responsibility to squeeze these venues into your busy schedule. In the same way
you arrange matches in the sports games, you can set dates aside to perform a
certain number of songs at a certain venue. It's not entirely a matter of choice
though, and you'll have to wrestle with what's available and what you're worthy
of. In amongst your own arrangements, it's also possible to field suggestions
from your boss too - who may have used his clout to secure more exciting
opportunities. These once again extend to special charity and tribute shows,
whereby you can sacrifice a big pay day to raise your profile. A handy
development here is that your calendar is more informative than last time and
now keeps a record of what each show consisted of and how it scored. You can
also look ahead to future dates and remind yourself of what you've agreed to do.
As in the sports games, that makes everything seem much more meaningful...
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Copyright © MDickie 2000 - 2008
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