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Popscene: Track 2
















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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