The title race is wide open in the Golden Joystick Awards Soundtrack Of The Year category as very few votes split the contenders vying for video gaming’s top music accolade.
The attention to detail and production values in contemporary blockbuster videogames is highlighted in the leading pack which includes ‘Final Fantasy XIII’, scored by Japanese composer Masashi Hamauzu, was released as an album in its own right, selling over 16,000 copies. Ultimate metal game ‘Brutal Legend’ featured a fearsome 107 tracks from 75 hard rock artist and FPS smash hit ‘Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2′ boasted a beautiful theme created by Hollywood composer Hans Zimmer – perhaps best known for his movie soundtracks for ‘Gladiator’,‘Inception’ and‘Pirates of the Caribbean’.
Also in the race for gamers’ votes before the voting competition closes on 25th October is historical fantasy game ‘Assassin’s Creed 2′, with a score recorded at the famous Capitol Records using a 35-piece string ensemble and a 13-strong choir. ‘Mass Effect 2’s atmospheric soundtrack was composed and produced by Wall Of Sound inc and‘GTA IV: Episodes From Liberty City’ which features no less than 150 songs across its legendary radio stations. Both are big contenders in this often-overlooked aspect of video gaming’s multi-sensory appeal.
Also in the hunt for audio gaming glory is PS3 hit ‘Uncharted 2: Among Thieves’, top-selling FPS ‘Halo 3: ODST’, film noir inspired thriller ‘Heavy Rain’ and post-apocalyptic Moscow based ‘Metro 2033’.
The full list of nominations in the Soundtrack Of The Year category for the 2010 Golden Joystick Awards is:
- Assassin’s Creed 2
- Brutal Legend
- Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
- Final Fantasy XIII
- GTA IV: Episodes From Liberty City
- Halo 3: ODST
- Heavy Rain
- Mass Effect 2
- Metro 2033
- Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
The categories in the Golden Joystick Awards are voted for by the only people who matter – the gamers themselves. Known as the ‘people’s gaming awards’ it is also held in high esteem in the global video games industry with nearly 1,000 executives attending the glittering ceremony, which will this year be held at London’s Park Plaza Westminster Bridge hotel on 29th October 2010.
