News Articles - 18 March

[MaybeNext]

Delta the force in local surge
By Iain Shedden, Music writer
March 18, 2004

POP stars Delta Goodrem and Guy Sebastian, and Brisbane rockers Powderfinger drove Australian music to new levels of local success last year.

Delta Goodrem was the toast of last year's ARIA awards.

Australian Record Industry Association figures for 2003 revealed Goodrem's album Innocent Eyes as the best seller in Australia, with close to 1million copies, while Sebastian's debut album Just as I Am and Powderfinger's Vulture Street finished in the top five.

These albums and others, such as John Farnham's multi-platinum-selling Greatest Hits and The Last Time, increased local product share of the market from 20 to 25per cent.

"These are spectacularly good results from Australian artists and that's a trend that seems to be continuing," said ARIA chief executive Stephen Peach.

Mr Peach cited local artists such as Pete Murray, the John Butler Trio - whose independently produced album Sunset Over Sea debuted at No 1 this week - and Melbourne band Jet as examples of the breadth of local talent.

The Australian music industry had an overall turnover of $646million last year, a rise of almost 6per cent on 2002.

This was despite the global industry suffering a drop in CD sales, waging war on internet piracy and adapting to the demands of legitimate music download services.

While CD sales rose by 7.85per cent to 50,640,654, wholesale price cuts reduced dollar profits by 2.12per cent.

The biggest growth, however, remains in DVDs - sales of which more than doubled in 2003.

"The music DVD is now seen as an integral part of the whole music package," Mr Peach said. "It's a different experience. DVDs are not just coming to TV, they're coming into home entertainment systems, so the sound quality is much better than what people were used to in the video days."

Mr Peach said the industry body's high-profile war on internet piracy had helped strengthen the local market over the past year.

"There is a greater awareness of copyright infringement. The more that people become aware of the law and that breaking it harms the very people they want to support - the songwriters and recording artists - the more people will do the right thing."

The ARIA chief said it was too early to know what impact the introduction of digital music download services such as those offered by Destra and Telstra and upcoming launches by ninemsn and iTunes would have on the bricks-and-mortar side of the market.

The Australian

[Diane]

Not ever done this before...This is all very new to me...because I didn't actually know how to send my comments and responses to your posts but I am now learning!!

I view your news articles on a regular basis and just wanted to say that I congratulate the dedicated people who keep us informed on a daily basis on what is happening with our favourite IDOL artists and performers. Guy is a favourite me with his amazing voice and stage presence but I have to say the 12 were brilliant in the way they developed and improved... watch out Australia!!

[Beautifulfriend]

Hi Diane,

glad you stared posting. Be careful once you start there's no stopping. Why not join as a member we love to get to know fellow fans and share our guy admiration.

hope to see more of ya on the boards
and WELCOME

CYA
BO

Ps yeah it's great to have so many dedicated people who just want promote great talent.

[Inside Australian Idol]

Rumpus room rock stars

By Jason Hill
March 18, 2004
Livewire

Everyone wants to be famous, but Australian Idol illustrated that precious few have the talent. Fortunately, a new breed of music games will allow anyone to feel like a star and entertain their friends.

And while the music industry fears its very existence is threatened by technology, games developers are turning to music to widen their audience.

Leading the charge is Sony's SingStar, above and below right, a karaoke-style game that not only lets you sing along to popular hits, but even rates your performances.

SingStar, to be released on PlayStation2 in May, is highly competitive and hilarious with a crowd of friends.

Producer Paulina Bozek says Sony's aim is to create "a fun and social experience that can be enjoyed by lots of different people.

This is something that kids, mums, teens, everyone, can have fun playing. It's a game that shines when played in groups, with a lot of the enjoyment coming from the interaction among the people playing".

While you warble along to the lyrics displayed, SingStar maps your voice along a graph with the song's video clip playing in the background. The EyeToy digital camera can also be used to put the player live on the TV. The simple design allows players to easily see how close they are to hitting each note in pitch and duration. The game also provides a score based on singing accuracy.



Bozek says the technology took Sony three years to develop.

"In simplified terms, we analyse the frequency of very small segments of sound to determine if they match the target," she says.

The game comes with two sturdy microphones that plug into the PS2's USB port to allow duets and competitive team games such as Pass the Microphone.

"The different game modes have been designed to encourage group play," Bozek says. "There is also a story mode where younger players can build a virtual singing career, complete with number one hits, sold-out shows and a proper pop star-style pad."

The first SingStar bundle available features 30 songs and authentic music videos. Artists including S Club, Westlife, Pink, Ricky Martin, Madonna, Avril Lavigne, Atomic Kitten, the Village People, George Michael, Blondie, Elvis and the B-52s. Sony hopes musicians may even include bonus SingStar discs with their latest releases in the near future.

But SingStar will not have the market to itself. Music game veteran Konami also has a karaoke game nearing completion. Karaoke Stage for PS2 also rates players on their performances and features more than 50 cover versions of popular songs from artists including Michael Jackson, REM and Avril Lavigne.

An official Australian Idol game is also coming soon. The game has a pitch-bending mechanic that attempts to harness what makes the TV show popular: both good and bad singing and the often cruel assessments from judges.

Players must press the correct buttons in time with the music and icons scrolling across the screen. If your timing is wayward, the wannabe digital star sings out of key.

Hearing a popular song murdered by a screeching-cat vocalist is hilarious.

"It's not just about singing," producer David Brickley says. "It's about the individuality of the contestants, how they present themselves to the judges and gain public support.

"There is also the voyeuristic element that viewers so enjoy in seeing and hearing people make fools of themselves.

"Because the game has single and multi-player modes, you get to experience both aspects: being a judge and being judged."

A karaoke mode is also included for those who like to do the singing themselves.

Other forthcoming music titles in 2004 include GameCube's hilarious Donkey Konga, which comes with a bongo drum controller and can recognise the sound of players clapping. Up to four can play together, each tapping out their own set of rhythms on the bongos like a hippy commune.

PS2's upcoming Dancing Stage Fever and Xbox's Dancing Stage Unleashed are even more physically demanding. They both come with floor mats equipped with pressure sensitive pads that players must hit with their feet while dancing in time with the music.

Microsoft's Xbox Music Mixer is already on store shelves and lets users play digital music downloaded from their PC or croon along with karaoke favourites.

Music Mixer was a surprising turnaround from Microsoft's strict and much-publicised "games-only" approach to its first console.

But Xbox product marketing manager Lee Rossini says: "We have always recognised that people entertain themselves in very diverse ways. Unleashing Xbox's power on a broader set of entertainment possibilities is exciting."

After Sony's incredible success with EyeToy, the entertainment behemoth is hoping SingStar will further broaden the PS2's appeal and capture new audiences.

"With SingStar, it's all about offering quick and accessible entertainment for people to enjoy together," Bozek says. "It doesn't require a 40-hour investment. It is literally pick and play."

The male-dominated games industry has been slow to target female players but music games have the potential to appeal more to young women than the usual staples of car racing, sports and shooting games.

More than 100 million PlayStation2, GameCube and Xbox consoles have been sold around the world, but until more games are played by women, the industry cannot be seen as truly mass-market.

Bozek says SingStar "attracts gamers, music fans, kids and anyone who can see this as a fun entertainment option".

She believes the male development community often produces games of little interest to women, so including social elements is bound to attract more female players.

"Conventional video games are more solitary and in some ways this has been seen to be anti-social," she says. "Not to say that girls are not interested in engaging in solitary experiences, but they also like activities that are social.

"With these new types of games based on different ways of playing, it's bound to attract new audiences."

Rossini believes Music Mixer broadened the audience for Xbox because "it makes people re-evaluate what an Xbox can do for them".

"The Xbox suddenly becomes much more appealing as a means to bring family together in a fun, interactive way," Rossini says.

"Publishers are starting to recognise that broad appeal offerings, when done right, can eclipse the sales of hardcore, male-only oriented games."

Developers Codemasters have made Australian Idol as inclusive as possible.

"It was designed to be instantly playable, so the controls are very simple with one hand, really, all that's required to play the main modes," Brickley says.

"We're confident that Australian Idol is a game that can appeal to fashion-conscious music lovers everywhere, irrespective of gender."

I GOT RHYTHM

Most music games fall under the category of "rhythm action", one of the newest and arguably most innovative game genres.

Rhythm action was born in Japan: the home of karaoke and the contrasting cultures of technological innovation and social conformity.

Like karaoke, much of rhythm action's appeal to Japanese players is the chance to show off without being seen as arrogant.

Most game industry pundits regard the first rhythm action game as Sony's bizarre PaRappa the Rapper (below), a Simon Says-style test of tempo and joypad dexterity with fabulously surreal graphics and tunes. Released for PlayStation in 1996, PaRappa had only minor success outside Japan, but remains an unforgettable experience for those who enjoyed its artistic flair.

A year later, Konami released Beatmania in the arcades and made rhythm action their own, even copyrighting the term "bemani" in an attempt to own the genre. Beatmania saw players hitting keys as icons scrolled up the screen and drew attention with its funky DJ-style turntable controller.

Konami followed the success of Beatmania with titles including Guitar Freaks and Drummania, which included fabulous guitar and drum controllers.

But it was Dance Dance Revolution that captured the biggest share of fans, with its demanding and physical dancing challenges that entertained players and spectators alike. Known as Dancing Stage in Australia, the games have been so successful they have almost single-handedly kept the world's struggling arcade parlours afloat.

Thanks to low-cost floor mats that replicate the experience of the game at home, various console editions have also been successful.

Other memorable rhythm action games include the maraca-waving gem Samba De Amigo, psychedelic shooter Rez, funky Simon-Says adventure Space Channel 5 (far left, opposite page), groovy online multi-player hit Amplitude and quirky baton-waving curio Mad Maestro.


www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/03/17/1079199280604.html