2K Games' "BioShock 2" arrived on February 9th and, as expected, the positive reviews are rolling in.

One consistent thread throughout the reviews has been the quality of the voice acting. In a story-driven game, well-recorded voice acting is essential to create an engrossing, believable experience for players.

Pyramind Studios is proud to have helped Michael Csurics and 2K Games create a V/O pipeline to record such major game characters as in-game narrator Augustus Sinclair, and others.

A sampling of reviews:

"Strong voice acting lends believability to characters you interact with mostly through audio logs." - IGN

"Wired: Beautiful environments, voices, music." - Wired

"[A] great soundtrack, and a fantastic voice cast all team up with a powerful story to create an atmosphere so thick and intense that it is at times downright chilling." - Gamespot

"One of the best soundtracks I’ve heard in awhile. The voice acting is also top notch." - Game Informer

Zipper Interactive's PlayStation 3-exclusive shooter MAG broke new technical ground in 2010 with its "massive" 256-person online battles. But for a gaming culture raised on free-for-all deathmatches, learning to fit into a command hierarchy isn't as natural as emptying a clip or throwing a grenade.

That's where Pyramind Studios comes in.

To instruct players in how to get the most out of their MAG gaming experience, Sony PlayStation and Zipper commissioned a series of 14  video "vignettes" introducing players to the core concepts and player classes in the game.

Pyramind Studios' Senior Engineer and resident mixing guru Steve Heithecker performed the audio mixes on all 14 of these 1-to-3 minute videos.  Using Pyramind's 832 Folsom HD studio, and working in concert with the team at SCEA, Steve performed all the mixing, editing, post-production, and sync for the videos, creating stereo mixes to picture from dialogue, music, and FX stems.

The "MAG Developer Tips" videos are currently available on many major online media outlets including IGN.com, The Official PlayStation Blog, PS3News.com, and other gaming sites. You can also check them out by visiting The Official MAG Homepage at:

www.mag.com

Pyramind Studios starts 2010 with a bang – showcasing its work on the highly-anticipated "BioShock 2", 2K Games' follow-up to the acclaimed 2007 hit.

Pyramind Studios worked with V/O Director Michael Csurics to create a comprehensive voice-over pipeline for 2K Games, recording hours of dialogue by top V/O actors playing leading roles in the game.  All recording was done in Pyramind's state-of-the-art studios in San Francisco.

Stay tuned for launch info and more news about Pyramind Studios' contributions to what is sure to be one of the biggest titles of 2010.

Pyramind Studios Team Chosen for Comprehensive Music Pipeline

Pyramind Studios’ dynamic composing team of David Earl and Paul Lipson has been chosen to create a thunderous original score for SEGA® of America’s upcoming Iron Man 2® videogame. The duo’s signature, expansive sound covers over one hundred minutes of dynamic music and converges innovative orchestration techniques with live ensemble recording and custom sound design. The videogame, based on the popular Marvel® franchise, is scheduled for release alongside the film debut in early Q2 of 2010.

“David and I are thrilled to be supporting SEGA of America and Marvel to bring the sound of Iron Man 2® to life” says Paul Lipson, Pyramind’s COO/Composer and President of the Game Audio Network Guild. “SEGA Studios has given us a lot of creative freedom, and we are crafting a unique sound that really supports the IP”.

“Our score reflects a willingness to take chances, and we appreciate and are inspired by SEGA’s bold vision for the game,” says David Earl, Pyramind’s Director of Production Services/Composer. “We’ve had an unprecedented amount of collaboration with the SEGA Studios team, extending all the way to implementation strategies; and we think the music reflects that.”

The Pyramind Studios production team has also been tapped to work on the VO/dialog production pipeline of the game, recording top actors in its state of the art HD production suite in the new 832 Folsom street facilities. The adjoining live room also captured the sound of a full chamber orchestra during multi-day recording sessions for the score.

For More Information Please Contact:
Gregory J. Gordon
Pyramind Studios CEO
Tel. 415-896.9800 x201
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For Press Inquiries Please Contact:
Will Spencer
Pyramind Studios Director of Marketing
Tel. 415-896-9800 x227
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"Indiana Jones" is one of the most recognizable film franchises in movie history.  Pyramind Studios is proud to have contributed to the latest of the films' series of tie-in games, "Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues".

Using the original, unforgettable John Williams score from both the movie and television series, Paul Lipson and David Earl provided music editing and sync for more than 80 cutscenes in the game.

"Lego Indiana Jones 2" was released by LucasArts on November 17th on every major platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Sony PSP, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, and PC.

1up.com gave the game an "A-minus" rating, saying:

"All in all, it's amazing the amount of content that's packed into this game -- this is more than a sequel, even while including a redux of the first game's three movies. There's a little bit of something for everyone here, be it the completionist, level-builder, or those who simply like to explore the Indiana Jones world.... Truly, this is a treasure of a game." - 1up.com – November 17, 2009

Pyramind Studios continued its string of high-profile clients by working with renowned branding firm Landor to help them rebrand AECOM, a large infrastructure and engineering consulting firm.

On behalf of Landor and the production team at BeyondPix Studios, Pyramind Composer and Director of Production Services David Earl composed, edited, and synced a new original score for AECOM's global rebrand video.

Pyramind Studios earned another Wii credit for its Sound Design work on the game tie-in to the new movie "Alvin and The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel."  David Earl, Paul Lipson, and Pyramind alum Liam Shy worked with 20th Century Fox Interactive and Imaginengine on sound design for gameplay and UI.

"Alvin and The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" will be released on December 1st for Nintendo Wii and DS.

The Hollywood Music In Media Awards nominees have been announced, and Tom Salta's score for Ubisoft's "H.A.W.X." has been nominated for "Best Original Score – Video Game".  Pyramind's Matt Donner worked closely with Tom Salta to master the "H.A.W.X." soundtrack in our 5.1 ICON HD mixing studio.  Congratulations, Matt! 

Check out the full nominees list:

Best Original Score – Video Game
Jesper Kyd – “Assassins Creed II” (Ubisoft)
Inon Zur – “Dragon Age: Origins” (BioWare EA)
Martin O’Donnell / Michael Salvatori – “Halo 3: ODST” (Bungie Studios)
Stephen Rippy – “Halo Wars” (Ensemble Studios)
Tom Salta – “H.A.W.X.” (Ubisoft)
Jim Dooley / Amon Tobin / Mel Wesson / JD Mayer – “InFamous” (Sucker Punch)
Joris de Man – “Killzone 2″ (Guerrilla Games)
Winifred Phillips / Winnie Waldron – “Spore Hero” (EA)
Greg Edmonson – “Uncharted 2: Among Thieves” (Naughty Dog)

Other nominating categories included "Best Original Song – Video Game" and "Outstanding Music Supervision – Video Game."

The Hollywood Music In Media Awards (HMMA) will be presented Thursday, November 19th, 2009 at The Highlands in the world famous Hollywood & Highlands / Kodak Theater complex in Hollywood, CA.  The awards recognize and honor the music of visual mediums, the talented individuals responsible, and the music of independent artists from around the globe.

For more information about the Hollywood Music In Media Awards, visit:  www.hmmawards.com

Matt Donner and the Pyramind Production team worked closely with famed composer Tom Salta to master and polish the soundtrack to Ubisoft's "HAWX." HAWX is the next gen installment in the venerable Tom Clancy franchise, and the pulse-pounding soundtrack showcases Salta's signature sound and compositional depth.

"We really wanted to bring out the power of the tracks without losing the sparkle," says Matt Donner, Pyramind's Chief Academic Officer and Senior Mastering Engineer. "One of the challenges was to add warmth and punch without adding any dynamics processing as the final mixes were already hot! But we have a few tricks up our sleeve, and the final release is a great compliment to the game."

For more information, check out www.tomsalta.com, and visit our Production page: www.pyramind.com/production.

Also, check out the soundtrack review on Music4Games.net.

"There is an intangible effervescence that permeates the H.A.W.X. score that excites, ignites, and electrifies the gaming experience.... [H.A.W.X.] is a perfect marriage of thoughtful composition and effective production techniques.

Tony Porter
Music4Games.net