Video Games Live

My apologies if this has been asked already.

Just out of curiosity, excluding licensing rights, what makes you determine what game soundtracks are chosen to be performed in concert? For example, you perform music from Beyond Good & Evil, a choice that I applaud you for but cannot understand (considering the flop the game was). There are many other games that are more popular and have great music (such as Metroid Prime, a game you mention in your press release but choose not to play in concert). How do you decide what music to perform in concert (ignoring licensing issues)?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Shaolin Samurai

Pardon my ignorance but I noticed that Metroid is noticeably absent from the Video Games Live line-up. Is this due to licensing issues, or is there some other factor?

See his reply to my question:

Originally Posted by Tommy Tallarico

The reason Metroid Prime is in our press release is because I worked on the game and it is one of the titles that is listed under projects I've worked on. Although I too love Metroid Prime... I feel that the music for Beyond Good & Evil plays much better to a live audience.

Mr Tallarcio, I personally hope you give Metroid another chance, even if it is not Metroid Prime. Both Metroid for NES and Super Metroid have been performed by orchestras to excellent results. I know I am just one person but I do think there is a great demand for Metroid live (just see the response to the Metroid Metal project).

How ya doing, buddy?

If you are seeking recommendations (and I have already spoken of Metroid), I would personally love to hear Earthbound, which has some beautiful music and a cult following surpassing even Beyond Good & Evil. It's been orchestrated before, and quite effectively (on the Orchestral Game Concert vol 2 CD). Also, if you are willing to try jazz renditions, Simcity would be great to hear. You can even download the original soundtracks from the game's site.

I am glad to see you are finally performing in the northeast; the region hasn't gotten much so far and now we can hear your stuff. I do have a personal request for the New Haven concert, though: please, please play your Beyond Good & Evil suite. It is single-handedly paying for my ticket. I would love to hear the other works, but Beyond Good & Evil is half the reason I am still paying attention to these dates.

How ya doing, buddy?