Category: news

‘Metroid Prime’ developer says game had a “death march” crunch period

“I was there for 48 hours straight with one hour of sleep, and then a couple of 36 hour days”

The post ‘Metroid Prime’ developer says game had a “death march” crunch period appeared first on NME.

NME

According to Mike Wikan, a developer on the original Metroid Prime, the game had an incredibly intense crunch period until Nintendo stepped in.

Wikan, a former Retro Studios developer, talked about the GameCube title on the Kiwi Talkz podcast (thanks, IGN). The video can be watched below, with discussion of conditions on Metroid Prime at the 32:20 mark.

Wikan said that he had “two times where I was there for 48 hours straight with one hour of sleep, and then a couple of 36 hour days. The last nine months we were pretty much there 24/7, working on the game.”

Crunch refers to when video games developers (and other similar industries) commit to dangerously excessive overtime to meet business milestones. Examples of such crunch culture at developers can include seven day work weeks and incredibly long work hours, with Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt RED being accused of crunch conditions, while developers on both Psychonauts 2 and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart openly stated it was avoided.

This level of workplace mismanagement apparently changed when Nintendo stepped in, as beforehand the company was just in partnership with Retro Studios. “To their credit, Nintendo realised what was going on, and they came in and took over the company, [Nintendo] bought it out.”

Metroid Dread. Credit: Nintendo

Soon after Nintendo bought Retro Studios out for $1million (£721,000 GBP today) and later made Michael Kelbaugh from Nintendo of America president, a title he still holds today.

These changes had a positive effect according to Wikan, with him adding that  “In fact, after Metroid Prime 1, we rarely crunched. We had some crunch but it wasn’t like the nine-month death march at the end of Metroid Prime 1. That was the worst.”

The interview also has Wikan discussing how Metroid Prime was developed and what it was like working alongside Nintendo. Towards the end of the interview, Wikan said “it’s a constant source of amazement to me how much life the Metroid Prime series has with fans still after all these years. I’m very gratified and I’m thankful to all of you.”

In other news, the PlayStation showcase starts at 9pm BST tonight (September 9) and will be around 40 minutes long, with both first and third-party studios making appearances.

 

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Rick Ross, Jeezy, Gucci Mane and more announce huge joint tour

2 Chainz, Fabolous, Lil Kim and more are also on the bill

The post Rick Ross, Jeezy, Gucci Mane and more announce huge joint tour appeared first on NME.

NME

A host of rap giants will take part in joint shows across the US this year in a tour billed ‘The Legendz Of The Streetz’.

Long-term rivals Gucci Mane and Jeezy top the bill along with Rick Ross, with 2 Chainz, Fabolous, Lil Kim, Boosie Badazz, Trina and DJ Drama also on board.

Jeezy announced the show on Instagram, saying: “The Biggest Tour of the year.. ft yours truly BIG SNO. Coming to a city near you. This will be epic. Legendary! Let’s get it”

A run of shows across the southern US have been announced so far, with more to be announced soon.

Jeezy and Gucci Mane have had a longstanding feud, which began over a dispute regarding the rights to Gucci’s Jeezy-featuring 2005 single ‘Icy’.

Later, Gucci Mane was charged with the murder of rapper Pookie Loc, an associate of Jeezy’s, during a home invasion. He was acquitted in early 2006 on the basis of self-defence.

Last year, the two took part in a ‘VERZUZ’ battle against one another, which went on to amass the webcast series’ biggest ever viewing figures. In total, there were 1.8million concurrent viewers, more than 126.8million in-stream likes and more than 7billion impressions.

Last month, meanwhile, Drake declared Rick Ross “the greatest rapper alive” in a video along with the latest signing to his OVO Sound label, Smiley.

In June, Ross contributed a new verse to a remixed version of Guapdad 4000 and Illmind’s How Many’, and appeared in new visuals for the track.

The post Rick Ross, Jeezy, Gucci Mane and more announce huge joint tour appeared first on NME.

Nile Rodgers lined up for Channel 4’s ‘The Big Breakfast’ reboot

Usain Bolt and Idris Elba will also make an appearance

The post Nile Rodgers lined up for Channel 4’s ‘The Big Breakfast’ reboot appeared first on NME.

NME

Nile Rodgers, Usain Bolt and Idris Elba will feature on the celebrity line-up of Channel 4’s The Big Breakfast reboot.

As part of the channel’s Black to Front Project, The Big Breakfast returns with new hosts Mo Gilligan and AJ Odudu on Friday (September 10) at 8am.

The celebrity guests have been announced for the two-hour special, including Olympic legend Usain Bolt, Nile Rodgers, Eve, Idris Elba, Krept & Konan and Tokyo 2020 medallists Emily Campbell and Kye White.

The reboot will be broadcast live from the show’s original East London location, the Lock Keeper’s Cottages. It’ll also feature new and classic Big Breakfast segments like Family Of The Week, Super Hints, One Lump Or Two, and Don’t Phone, It’s Just For Fun.

Mo Gilligan and AJ Odudu will host ‘The Big Breakfast’ CREDIT: Channel 4

Speaking about the reboot, Gilligan said: “Like so many of us, I loved The Big Breakfast and I am so grateful to be asked to host this special event, particularly as part of such a hugely thrilling and history making day for British television!”

Odudu said: “I absolutely can’t wait to get stuck into The Big Breakfast. It is such an iconic show to be part of and I am buzzing it is finally coming back! I’m so looking forward to working with Mo and I can’t wait to wake up the nation!

“I’m thrilled to be part of Channel 4’s Black to Front Project – which quite rightly gives a platform to deserving Black British TV talent across our industry, both on and off-screen. It’s going to be really special.”

For the Black to Front Project, Channel 4 is hosting an entire day of the network’s biggest shows – including Celebrity Gogglebox, Countdown and Channel 4 News – all with Black talent and contributors at the forefront.

Gilligan will also feature on Celebrity Gogglebox, alongside Wretch 32, Ashley Banjo, RuPaul’s Drag Race stars Tia Kofi and Tayce, and model Jourdan Dunn.

The Big Breakfast airs Friday 10 September on Channel 4 at 8am.

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Lindsey Buckingham: Stevie Nicks Became “A Little Bit Like Trump”

The former Fleetwood Mac member dished more band drama in a new feature with Rolling Stone.

Lindsey Buckingham: Stevie Nicks Became “A Little Bit Like Trump”
Abby Jones and Wren Graves

Consequence

Lindsey Buckingham is still angry about his 2018 firing from Fleetwood Mac, and he’s out to hit his ex-bandmates where it hurts. In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Buckingham claimed that Stevie Nicks — whose political ideologies tend to lean more liberal — ruined the band by becoming “a little bit like Trump.”This…

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Lindsey Buckingham: Stevie Nicks Became “A Little Bit Like Trump”
Abby Jones and Wren Graves

Randall Poster on Dusting Off Woody Guthrie Songs, Soundtracking Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch and More

Randall Poster on Home In This World: Woody Guthrie’s Dust Bowl Ballads, Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch, and more.

Randall Poster on Dusting Off Woody Guthrie Songs, Soundtracking Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch and More
Clint Worthington

Consequence

Acclaimed music supervisor Randall Poster had a busy year. The award-winning music supervisor has worked on projects such as Pretend It’s a City and Questlove’s documentary Summer of Soul, not to mention his latest collaboration with Wes Anderson for the upcoming The French Dispatch. What’s more, he’s nominated for an…

Please click the link below to read the full article.

Randall Poster on Dusting Off Woody Guthrie Songs, Soundtracking Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch and More
Clint Worthington

ANETTE OLZON Looks Back On Her Time With NIGHTWISH With ‘Mixed Emotions’

Anette Olzon says that she looks back on her time with NIGHTWISH with “mixed motions.”

The Swedish-born singer originally joined NIGHTWISH in 2007 and recorded two studio LPs with the band before being dismissed in 2012 in the middle of the group’s No…

BLABBERMOUTH.NET

Anette Olzon says that she looks back on her time with NIGHTWISH with "mixed motions." The Swedish-born singer originally joined NIGHTWISH in 2007 and recorded two studio LPs with the band before being dismissed in 2012 in the middle of the group's North American tour. She was replaced by former AFTER FOREVER frontwoman Floor Jansen. Olzon reflected on her time with NIGHTWISH in a brand new interview with Finland's Chaoszine. Asked how she looks back on the entire five-year experience, she said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, it's mixed emotions. It was a hell of a ride. You know how it was with the media in Finland. And for me, I didn't understand what was happening because I didn't know how big the band was, since I don't live in Finland. So it was really fun the first years with everything and also crazy. I wasn't home a lot. They did their heaviest touring when I joined. All of a sudden, they wanted to do so many long weeks [on the road]. I remember just that I had a five-year-old son [and] I came home after five weeks. I was home one week. I didn't almost have time to unpack my bags before I went off again for four weeks. So I don't remember everything, to be honest. There are so many things that I don't remember. And also, of course, the last years where it wasn't such a nice atmosphere between us. And I had my third child, and things happened. "So I remember it both with really happy, happy feelings, but also with very, very negative and sad feelings," she explained. "But, of course, it was an amazing experience, and it was my dream that came true to be a full-time singer in an amazing big band. And they are a super-good band. So I bless the albums that we did and will always cherish that time, of course." Not long after Olzon was fired from NIGHTWISH eight years ago, she claimed that an argument arose between her and NIGHTWISH when she asked for an Australian tour to be postponed during her pregnancy. Keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen suggested that Jansen should front the band on a temporary basis, but Olzon said no. Anette explained in a 2014 interview: "I would have been too pregnant to go to Australia, so I wanted to push the dates back, but Tuomas didn't want that. Discussions about a substitute came up, and at first, I was, like, 'Yeah, well, okay.' But when they mentioned Floor, it was an automatic 'no' from me. I didn't think it was a good idea, because I knew what would happen — I knew the fans would love Floor, because she's a metal singer and I'm a pop singer, and I wanted to keep my job." A year after NIGHTWISH fired Olzon, the band released a statement denying that she was dismissed because of pregnancy or illness. "We discovered her personality didn't fit this work community, and was even detrimental to it," the group said. NIGHTWISH went on to say that Anette was initially receptive to the idea of hiring a temporary replacement if she couldn't "manage everything," but that she later "took back her decision, and the difficulties really started. Fear of losing money and position seemed obvious." The band also insisted that "Anette and her company" were "paid a fifth of everything that was done during her time" with NIGHTWISH. Anette's second solo album, "Strong", will be released on September 10 via Frontiers Music Srl. The follow-up to 2014's "Shine" is a harder and faster musical offering than the debut. The music for "Strong" was written and composed together with acclaimed Swedish guitarist and producer Magnus Karlsson. Since the end of her stint with NIGHTWISH, Olzon also formed THE DARK ELEMENT with former SONATA ARCTICA guitarist Jani Liimatainen. The group's self-titled debut album was released in 2017; a follow-up, "Songs The Night Sings", came out in November 2019. Olzon and noted progressive metal vocalist Russell Allen (SYMPHONY X, ADRENALINE MOB) released a collaborative album titled "Worlds Apart" in March 2020 via Frontiers Music Srl. The project was issued under the moniker ALLEN/OLZON.

Coldplay set for opening concert at new Climate Pledge Arena

The new Amazon-named venue is set to be the first zero-carbon arena in the world

The post Coldplay set for opening concert at new Climate Pledge Arena appeared first on NME.

NME

Coldplay will be the first act to play the newly renamed Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington next month.

The concert will take place on October 22, a week after the band release their ninth studio album, ‘Music Of The Spheres,’ their follow-up to 2019’s Grammy-nominated ‘Everyday Life’. R&B group We Are KING will open the show.

Tickets go on sale at 10am PDT (7pm BST) on September 15, with a presale running from 12pm to 11pm on September 14 for fans who register with Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan platform by 9am on September 12.

Amazon – who renamed Seattle’s KeyArena as part of an announcement that it would be the first zero-carbon arena in the world, powered exclusively by renewable energy – will livestream the concert on Prime Video.

The multi-purpose US arena announced Tuesday (September 7) that it will require fans 12 and over to be vaccinated in order to attend, avoiding the state’s 75% cap on shows where vaccination is not mandated.

Country star Eric Church (October 30), opera legend Andrea Bocelli (November 3), Eagles (November 5-6) and a double bill of Evanescence and Halestorm (November 7) are next in line to play the Climate Pledge Arena.

Yesterday (September 8) Coldplay confirmed they will soon be releasing a new track called ‘Weirdo’ as part of a musical.

Speaking on the You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes podcast, Chris Martin revealed: “We have a new song called ‘Weirdo’ which has been waiting to come out for a long time because we’re doing a kinda musical and this song has been waiting for that.”

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