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I’m Your GPU – Crafting the digitally-infused pop of Astro’s Playroom

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Hi folks! To mark the release of the official digital soundtrack for Astro’s Playroom later this week, I thought it’d be fun to take a wee “behind the scenes” look at the creative process for the track that players have responded to the most enthusiastically – the GPU song.

Most of the music featured in this post doesn’t actually appear in the game or on the soundtrack – it consists of excerpts from top secret, slightly embarrassing sketch material that was never intended to be heard by anyone’s ears other than those of my Team Asobi collaborators. But hopefully that’s also what makes them interesting!

The GPU Jungle was the first area of the game that I tackled – whilst it was still a work-in-progress at that point, the gameplay felt the furthest along so it seemed like a sensible place to start. My first attempt was quite a traditional approach to scoring a jungle stage, complete with the requisite panpipes:

The feedback from the team was that this was a little too predictable. However, it did have a catchy melody, which is something we strive for in the Astro Bot games because they are, at their heart, ‘old-skool’ platforming experiences. So, before moving on, I had a go at making it a little more “digital” or synthetic sounding:

That certainly felt more appropriate for Astro, but we were still concerned that folks unfamiliar with video game music culture might not “get it.” So, I started exploring something a little more contemporary sounding and began playing around with the idea of writing a song.

Before I’d even started working on the game I had been thinking about personifying the PlayStation 5 console by giving it a voice. This tapped into the idea that perhaps you’ve always known PS5 or somehow encountered it before, as if it were your true love. But I had been saving this idea for the CPU Plaza area as it felt like the most appropriate spot. But now that I was starting again on the music for the GPU Jungle, I saw an opportunity to introduce this concept to the team. Here’s my first sketch:

Worlds of Sound

The first version of the theme was a simple collection of melodies, inspired by previous Sackboy adventures, which we shared with the team of composers. We really wanted the theme to represent the cornucopia of musical sounds that were explored in the game, so we took elements from each of the worlds to help create a musical jamboree. We came up with a general music palette for each of the worlds, which also helped inspire our choice of composer that would look after that world . These included:

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Genshin Impact version 1.4 celebrates love and life with the Windblume Festival

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Greetings, Travelers! Genshin Impact’s dev team here once again with exciting news and previews of the game’s upcoming version 1.4 update, launching March 17. We hope you’ve all had a wonderful time exploring and taking part in Liyue Harbor’s Lantern Rite. As the chill of winter begins to fade across Teyvat to make way for spring, we’d like to share an inside look at a traditional annual festival in Mondstadt — the Windblume Festival. As the beauty of spring fills the city, we hope that everyone will join the citizens of Mondstadt in a heartfelt celebration of freedom and life.

All Travelers who are at Adventure Rank 20 or above and have completed the Archon Quest “Song of the Dragon and Freedom” will be invited to join the cordial celebration of the Windblume Festival. Throughout the festival, there will be numerous mini games to play with tons of rewards and prizes. Players will even have a very special chance to spend time hanging out with Barbara, Noelle, Bennett, and Chongyun, with the possibility of experiencing different endings and memories depending on your choices and interactions with each character.

A time for special memories

As swirling dandelions begin to fill the warm spring air, the people of Mondstadt gather together to celebrate the Windblume Festival. The festival’s origin can be traced back to the liberation of Mondstadt two thousand six hundred years ago.

However, as the traditions of the Windblume Festival were passed down through the generations, the festival has gradually come to signify a cultural celebration of romance and passion. Couples and love birds alike will use the occasion as a chance to spend a lovely time together, and Mondstadt locals will often recommend Cape Oath as the perfect spot to confess one’s feelings and pledge romantic vows. During this time of love and freedom, Travelers will also have a unique chance to spend a special time together with Barbara, Noelle, Bennett, and Chongyun. Choices and interactions that players make with the characters may lead to different endings, with each actual ending awarding players with a Hangout Memory illustration.

Festive challenges await

In preparation for this year’s festivities, the Knights of Favonius and the Adventurers’ Guild have assembled the most festive mini games the city has ever witnessed, with a variety of activities awaiting both Travelers and Mondstadt locals alike. The majority of the Windblume mini games will support both single-player and co-op mode, so whether you’re playing solo, with a group of buddies, or together with that special someone, the games are sure to leave fun, lasting memories for all that participate. 

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Official PlayStation Podcast Episode 390: Fully Immersed

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Email us at PSPodcast@sony.com!

Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google or RSS, or download here


Welcome back y’all! This week we dive deep into some recently announced PS VR titles, and share short and sweet games that can be beat in one night.

Stuff We Talked About

  • Doom 3: VR Edition
  • Song In The Smoke
  • Fracked
  • Zenith
  • I Expect You To Die 2: The Spy and the Liar
  • After the Fall
  • Hitman 3
  • Maquette
  • When The Past Was Around
  • Outriders

The Cast

Tim Turi –  Senior Content Communications Specialist, SIE

Kristen Zitani – Senior Content Communications Specialist, SIE

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