Game Audio Veterans Shape Sound for ArenaNet’s Highly Anticipated Competitive Roleplaying Game
April 18, 2005
[This unedited press release is made available courtesy of Game Developer and its partnership with notable game PR-related resource Games Press]
Omni Interactive Audio | Redmond, Washington, April 18th, 2005 - Omni Interactive Audio (www.omniinteractiveaudio.com) - a leading full service audio production company for the video game industry - today revealed they have signed an ongoing, long-term deal to create and integrate all the sound effects for future chapters of Guild Wars®, the new online role playing game developed by ArenaNet® and published by NCSoft®.
Headed by Alistair Hirst, former senior audio director at Electronic Arts Seattle, and a veteran team of audio producers featuring noted sound designers, composers and recording engineers from both the video game and music industries, Omni Interactive Audio provides music, sound effects and voice production services for AAA videogame titles. In addition to creating and implementing all the sound effects for Guild Wars, their credits include Halo 2 (cinematics), NHL Rivals, Men Of Valor, and The Sims 2.
"Working with ArenaNet was a very enjoyable, free-flowing process," said Hirst. "The game world and creatures look fantastic and it is incredibly inspiring creating sounds for those beautiful visuals. There is a wide variety of creatures and gameplay skills, which leave plenty of room for creative approaches to the sounds."
By contracting out audio work to Omni, game companies are able to take advantage of their large team with a broad range of expertise and experience, and there is no capital overhead tied up in audio equipment and studio space.
Jeff Strain, cofounder of ArenaNet, commented, "Omni has a tremendous amount of industry experience and it really shows. They handle the entire chain of sound creation for us, from raw sound production, to actually integrating the sound into the game world. We are very happy with their contribution to Guild Wars and look forward to working together on future chapters."
Guild Wars is a competitive online roleplaying game that rewards player skill. Players explore a rich fantasy game world, acquire skills, build personalized characters and compete in head-to-head guild battles with friends around the world. It is the first title from ArenaNet, which was founded by some of the key members of the creative teams behind the hit games Warcraft®, StarCraft® and Diablo®, and the creators of Battle.net®. Guild Wars will be available at retail in North America and Europe on April 28, 2005. For more information on the game please visit www.guildwars.com.
About Omni Interactive Audio
Guild Wars, Halo 2, Men Of Valor, The Sims 2 and five versions of Need For Speed are just some of the games where you can hear the soundtrack work of Omni Interactive Audio. When major developers and publishers like Electronic Arts, Microsoft, NCSoft and Vivendi-Universal are looking for creative sound design with impact, music that hits the mark, voice work that speaks to you, and a team that smoothly puts it all together and into the game, including a polished final mix, they have turned to Omni Interactive Audio. For more information on Omni Interactive Audio visit www.omniinteractiveaudio.com
About ArenaNet
ArenaNet, located in Bellevue, Washington, is a wholly owned subsidiary of NCsoft and was founded by some of the key members of the creative teams that developed the hit game series StarCraft, Warcraft, and Diablo as well as Battle.net. ArenaNet has built a state-of-the-art, interactive game network and is developing premier multiplayer online games for dedicated game players. More information about ArenaNet can be found at www.arena.net.
About NCsoft Corporation
Headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, NCsoft Corporation is the world's leading developer and publisher of online games. Founded in 1997, NCsoft is home to Lineage®, the world's most successful online roleplaying game. NCsoft has joint venture offices located in Japan, Taiwan, and China, as well as branches in North America and the United Kingdom. In fiscal year 2003, NCsoft posted revenues of KRW (Korean Won) 166.5 billion or approximately US$143 million. More information about NCsoft can be found at http://www.ncsoft.net.
NCsoft, the interlocking NC logo, Guild Wars, ArenaNet, Lineage, and all associated NCsoft logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCsoft Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Omni Interactive Audio Press Contact:
Greg O'Connor-Read
Email: [email protected]
Tel: (USA) 702-407-0935
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