Ironic, or serendipitous maybe, that we hear about the new Fallen Order update on May the Fourth 
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Yikes
https://twitter.com/nibellion/status/1257366532717449216?s=21
Said Statement. Warning: itās very long
An open letter to the incredible DOOM community.
Over the past couple weeks, Iāve seen lots of discussion centered around the release of the DOOM Eternal Original Game Soundtrack (OST). While many fans like the OST, there is speculation and criticism around the fact that the gameās talented and popular composer, Mick Gordon, edited and āmixedā only 12 of the 59 tracks on the OST - the remainder being edited by our Lead Audio Designer here at id.
Some have suggested that weāve been careless with or disrespectful of the game music. Others have speculated that Mick wasnāt given the time or creative freedom to deliver something different or better. The fact is ā none of that is true.
What has become unacceptable to me are the direct and personal attacks on our Lead Audio Designer - particularly considering his outstanding contributions to the game ā as well as the damage this mischaracterization is doing to the many talented people who have contributed to the game and continue to support it. I feel it is my responsibility to respond on their behalf. Weāve enjoyed an amazingly open and honest relationship with our fans, so given your passion on this topic and the depth of misunderstanding, Iām compelled to present the entire story.
When asked on social media about his future with DOOM, Mick has replied, ādoubt weāll work together again.ā This was surprising to see, as we have never discussed ending our collaboration with him until now - but his statement does highlight a complicated relationship. Our challenges have never been a matter of creative differences. Mick has had near limitless creative autonomy over music composition and mixing in our recent DOOM games, and I think the results have been tremendous. His music is defining - and much like Bobby Princeās music was synonymous with the original DOOM games from the 90s, Mickās unique style and sound have become synonymous with our latest projects. Heās deserved every award won, and I hope his incredible score for DOOM Eternal is met with similar accolades ā he will deserve them all.
Talent aside, we have struggled to connect on some of the more production-related realities of development, while communication around those issues have eroded trust. For id, this has created an unsustainable pattern of project uncertainty and risk.
At E3 last year, we announced that the OST would be included with the DOOM Eternal Collectorās Edition (CE) version of the game. At that point in time we didnāt have Mick under contract for the OST and because of ongoing issues receiving the music we needed for the game, did not want to add the distraction at that time. After discussions with Mick in January of this year, we reached general agreement on the terms for Mick to deliver the OST by early March - in time to meet the consumer commitment of including the digital OST with the DOOM Eternal CE at launch. The terms of the OST agreement with Mick were similar to the agreement on DOOM (2016) in that it required him to deliver a minimum of 12 tracks, but added bonus payments for on-time delivery. The agreement also gives him complete creative control over what he delivers.
On February 24, Mick reached out to communicate that he and his team were fine with the terms of the agreement but that there was a lot more work involved than anticipated, a lot of content to wade through, and that while he was making progress, it was taking longer than expected. He apologized and asked that āideallyā he be given an additional four weeks to get everything together. He offered that the extra time would allow him to provide upwards of 30 tracks and a run-time over two hours ā including all music from the game, arranged in soundtrack format and as he felt it would best represent the score in the best possible way.
Mickās request was accommodated, allowing for an even longer extension of almost six weeks ā with a new final delivery date of mid-April. In that communication, we noted our understanding of him needing the extra time to ensure the OST meets his quality bar, and even moved the bonus payment for on-time delivery to align with the new dates so he could still receive the full compensation intended, which he will. In early March, we announced via Twitter that the OST component in the DOOM Eternal CE was delayed and would not be available as originally intended.
Itās important to note at this point that not only were we disappointed to not deliver the OST with the launch of the CE, we needed to be mindful of consumer protection laws in many countries that allow customers to demand a full refund for a product if a product is not delivered on or about its announced availability date. Even with that, the mid-April delivery would allow us to meet our commitments to customers while also allowing Mick the time he had ideally requested.
As we hit April, we grew increasingly concerned about Mick delivering the OST to us on time. I personally asked our Lead Audio Designer at id, Chad, to begin work on id versions of the tracks ā a back-up plan should Mick not be able to deliver on time. To complete this, Chad would need to take all of the music as Mick had delivered for the game, edit the pieces together into tracks, and arrange those tracks into a comprehensive OST.
It is important to understand that there is a difference between music mixed for inclusion in the game and music mixed for inclusion in the OST. Several people have noted this difference when looking at the waveforms but have misunderstood why there is a difference. When a track looks ābrickedā or like a bar, where the extreme highs and lows of the dynamic range are clipped, this is how we receive the music from Mick for inclusion in the game - in fragments pre-mixed and pre-compressed by him. Those music fragments he delivers then go into our audio system and are combined in real-time as you play through the game.
Alternatively, when mixing and mastering for an OST, Mick starts with his source material (which we donāt typically have access to) and re-mixes for the OST to ensure the highs and lows are not clipped ā as seen in his 12 OST tracks. This is all important to note because Chad only had these pre-mixed and pre-compressed game fragments from Mick to work with in editing the id versions of the tracks. He simply edited the same music you hear in game to create a comprehensive OST ā though some of the edits did require slight volume adjustments to prevent further clipping.
In early April, I sent an email to Mick reiterating the importance of hitting his extended contractual due date and outlined in detail the reasons we needed to meet our commitments to our customers. I let him know that Chad had started work on the back-up tracks but reiterated that our expectation and preference was to release what he delivered. Several days later, Mick suggested that he and Chad (working on the back-up) combine what each had been working on to come up with a more comprehensive release.
The next day, Chad informed Mick that he was rebuilding tracks based on the chunks/fragments mixed and delivered for the game. Mick replied that he personally was contracted for 12 tracks and suggested again that we use some of Chadās arrangements to fill out the soundtrack beyond the 12 songs. Mick asked Chad to send over what heād done so that he could package everything up and balance it all for delivery. As requested, Chad sent Mick everything he had done.
On the day the music was due from Mick, I asked what we could expect from him. Mick indicated that he was still finishing a number of things but that it would be no-less than 12 tracks and about 60 minutes of music and that it would come in late evening. The next morning, Mick informed us that heād run into some issues with several tracks and that it would take additional time to finish, indicating he understood we were in a tight position for launching and asked how weād like to proceed. We asked him to deliver the tracks heād completed and then follow-up with the remaining tracks as soon as possible.
After listening to the 9 tracks heād delivered, I wrote him that I didnāt think those tracks would meet the expectations of DOOM or Mick fans ā there was only one track with the type of heavy-combat music people would expect, and most of the others were ambient in nature. I asked for a call to discuss. Instead, he replied that the additional tracks he was trying to deliver were in fact the combat tracks and that they are the most difficult to get right. He again suggested that if more heavy tracks are needed, Chadās tracks could be used to flesh it out further.
After considering his recommendations, I let Mick know that we would move forward with the combined effort, to provide a more comprehensive collection of the music from the game. I let Mick know that Chad had ordered his edited tracks as a chronology of the game music and that to create the combined work, Chad would insert Mickās delivered tracks into the OST chronology where appropriate and then delete his own tracks containing similar thematic material. I said that if his additional combat tracks come in soon, weād do the same to include them in the OST or offer them later as bonus tracks. Mick delivered 2 final tracks, which we incorporated, and he wished us luck wrapping it up. I thanked him and let him know that weād be happy to deliver his final track as a bonus later on and reminded him of our plans for distribution of the OST first to CE owners, then later on other distribution platforms.
On April 19, we released the OST to CE owners. As mentioned earlier, soon after release, some of our fans noted and posted online the waveform difference between the tracks Mick had mixed from his source files and the tracks that Chad had edited from Mickās final game music, with Mickās knowledge and at his suggestion.
In a reply to one fan, Mick said he, ādidnāt mix those and wouldnāt have done that.ā That, and a couple of other simple messages distancing from the realities and truths Iāve just outlined has generated unnecessary speculation and judgement - and led some to vilify and attack an id employee who had simply stepped up to the request of delivering a more comprehensive OST. Mick has shared with me that the attacks on Chad are distressing, but heās done nothing to change the conversation.
After reaching out to Mick several times via email to understand what prompted his online posts, we were able to talk. He shared several issues that Iād also like to address.
First, he said that he was surprised by the scope of what was released ā the 59 tracks. Chad had sent Mick everything more than a week before the final deadline, and I described to him our plan to combine the id-edited tracks with his own tracks (as heād suggested doing). The tracks Mick delivered covered only a portion of the music in the game, so the only way to deliver a comprehensive OST was to combine the tracks Mick-delivered with the tracks id had edited from game music. If Mick is dissatisfied with the content of his delivery, we would certainly entertain distributing additional tracks.
I also know that Mick feels that some of the work included in the id-edited tracks was originally intended more as demos or mock-ups when originally sent. However, Chad only used music that was in-game or was part of a cinematic music construction kit.
Mick also communicated that he wasnāt particularly happy with some of the edits in the id tracks. I understand this from an artistās perspective and realize this opinion is what prompted him to distance from the work in the first place. That said, from our perspective, we didnāt want to be involved in the content of the OST and did absolutely nothing to prevent him from delivering on his commitments within the timeframe he asked for, and we extended multiple times.
Finally, Mick was concerned that weād given Chad co-composer credit ā which we did not do and would never have done. In the metadata, Mick is listed as the sole composer and sole album artist. On tracks edited by id, Chad is listed as a contributing artist. That was the best option to clearly delineate for fans which tracks Mick delivered and which tracks idās Lead Audio Designer had edited. It would have been misleading for us to attribute tracks solely to Mick that someone else had edited.
If youāve read all of this, thank you for your time and attention. As for the immediate future, we are at the point of moving on and wonāt be working with Mick on the DLC we currently have in production. As Iāve mentioned, his music is incredible, he is a rare talent, and I hope he wins many awards for his contribution to DOOM Eternal at the end of the year.
Iām as disappointed as anyone that weāre at this point, but as we have many times before, we will adapt to changing circumstances and pursue the most unique and talented artists in the industry with whom to collaborate. Our team has enjoyed this creative collaboration a great deal and we know Mick will continue to delight fans for many years ahead.
With respect and appreciation,
Marty Stratton
Executive Producer, DOOM Eternal
Y7 confirmed for Steam
https://twitter.com/wario64/status/1257353923372949507?s=21
New DIRT title coming soon
https://twitter.com/gematsucom/status/1257335675659091977?s=21
Some more info about XBC Definitive Edition
https://twitter.com/destructoid/status/1257367397826248705?s=21
CERO, Japanās version of the ESRB board will be opening back up again soon
https://twitter.com/destructoid/status/1257344880910708737?s=21
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Goddamn iD literally erasing Mick Gordon from existence.
Such a shame
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I know that feeling all too well thanks to Wiz. Thanks to Preppy though we had our own Crisis on Infinite Earths and I got to come back.
ā-
Bloodstained RotN randomizer update gets release dates
https://twitter.com/swordorwhip/status/1257403408388153344?s=21
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FF7R news sucks, but as long as the character writing stays as great as it was in part 1 Iām fine with the wait.
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Started a playthrough of The Last of Us
Got tired of dying all the time
Uninstalled this shit
Already know the ending anyway and with the leaks I sure as fuck am not buying Part 2
Oh well then I donāt give a fuck about DOOM anymore I guess, thanks Bethesda/id
Itās like no one read the post. Iām not siding with either side since weāve only heard one side of it but between Mickās Supposed constant failed deliveries which could have got them in legal/financial trouble along with jumping to conclusions and then him being pissed about id doing what he asked them to Do I canāt really see how iD was given any other option.
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Yeah it definitely doesnāt seem like a cut and dry case of one person getting screwed
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I read the whole post and unfortunately this sounds more like Mickās fuckup. Love his work but heās the one thats gonna take an L on this one.
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The whole rest of the paragraph is there. You know what I meant.
Not saying BF is just another shooter to denigrate it, but nobodyās giving artistic praise to Battlefield or COD or any other shooter on the level they are TLOU.
https://twitter.com/Hideki_Naganuma/status/1256612316138762241
There were only two people at my school who were fucking with JSR. This girl I had art with and I. Shouldāve hit her up.
Wack ass Xbox exclusive bullshit cockblocked me from playing Jet Set Radio Future though. For that alone all of microsoft can go eat the biggest, fattest dick.
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Epiās discord
Phantom angel was running th stream on Twitch playing st and 3s ps4.
https://www.thegamer.com/square-final-fantasy-vii-remake-aerith-live/amp/
And here we go
I thought she died at the end? No? Thats to bad if that isnāt the case.
She dies halfway-ish through the original game
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I could easily write a good 500 words on why that guy should go kick rocks.
Aerith doesnāt need to die this time. What would be the point? We wonāt be shocked, we wonāt be heartbroken - well actually we probably still will be - and itāll negatively affect the gameplay and story. The ending of FFVII Remake seems to imply that fate can be changed and that Aerithās death can be avoided. It seems like the carrot of her continued existence is being dangled in front of our faces. We hope this the case and not a chance for Square Enix to swerve us.
Jesus, its like asking for a Bambi remake where the mother doesnāt die. 
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Let Square Enix pull a George Lucas and watch the Fans go nuts in both directions. I want this controversy.
(never played FF7 nor do I have any motivation to).
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You mean a pull a Disney?
Shouldnāt have been broke and bought a Xbox. It was cool, but ultimately the first one was better, even if JSRF didnāt have timer so you could explore more leisurely. A third game getting rid of unskippable cutscenes, making the timer at least optional and toggling between the different tagging systems wouldāve been A C E.
Iām wary this is going to make 2020 in the U.S. 
I hope the PS4 release doesnāt get held up further to coincide with a PC release. 