Hans Zimmer was not a conservative old-fashioned man.
He himself is a tech geek who plays with synthesizers.
Hans Zimmer actually had a very open attitude towards video games, a relatively new phenomenon.
But being able to accept it doesn't mean one is willing to compose music on it.
Neither FM audio sources nor PCM synthesized waveform sources can fully capture his expression.
The rigid and monotonous looping background music and the limited sound effect logic prevent video games from designing emotional narratives as smoothly as movies.
The gaming industry has great potential, but it's not mature enough yet—is that right?
GAMENOVA Headquarters.
"Billy Jane ~Is Not My Lover~"
Michael Jack's classic song "Billie Jean" played from the speakers.
As Hans Zimmer operated the microphone, the music also underwent subtle changes, faithfully reflected to him through a pair of speakers on either side.
As a professional musician, Hans Zimmer's ears are far more discerning than most people's.
Especially someone like him, a genius among geniuses who is exceptionally skilled at conveying emotions, adept at thinking about how to use music to construct psychological spaces, and to use music to serve the characters.
However, it is precisely this keen insight that has plunged him into deep horror.
Michael Jack's Moonwalk, a seemingly ordinary piece, actually takes music to a whole new level.
He was not unfamiliar with Gamenova video games.
On the contrary, because of GAMENOVA's inextricably linked and ambiguous relationship with the music industry, GAMENOVA is a familiar face to musicians.
From the Grammy Award -winning " Civilization " and the nominated " Castlevania " to " Rocksmith," a love letter dedicated to musicians.
GAMENOVA has always had a lot to do with music.
But " MJ's Moonwalker " is even more exaggerated.
A fully physical sound field, Hi-Fi level ultra-high sound quality----
It's even quite possible that MJ himself was personally involved in music direction, which is why such a seamless sound effect was achieved.
This experience is even more impactful than attending his concert in person.
"This is a project we collaborated on with Maikou when we were experimenting with our new music chip. How was it?"
Lin Lixin stood beside him, his expression slightly proud.
It's worth all the effort they've put in to impress even future Hollywood composers.
Hans Zimmer's visit came sooner than he had expected.
Tom Cruise was very savvy; he contacted the other party as soon as he got back yesterday.
Having previously collaborated on " Rain Man," the two knew each other.
Hans Zimmer obviously didn't waste any time and rushed to GAMENOVA this morning.
"That's amazing! I never thought that current game technology was capable of supporting the same flexible expression as movies—"
Clearly, my understanding was too primitive and outdated. "This is a medium that is far more flexible than film!"
It's not some sharp, piercing 8-bit synthesizer, nor is it monotonous MIDI; it's complete, showcasing MJ's songs in their entirety.
It even incorporated many of its own unique elements.
For example, the sense of space and the changes in the game environment.
Trust me, you'll love this new medium.
Lin Lixin laughed heartily.
Hans Zimmer isn't just Hollywood's go-to composer; he's also a long-time friend in the gaming industry.
Future titles like * Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2*, * Crysis 2 *, * Beyond: Two Souls *, and even those from a mysterious Eastern superpower...
His voice can be heard in national-level MOBA mobile games.
"I'm starting to feel that way."
Hans Zimmer, looking somewhat dazed.
This was truly a tremendous surprise; the Daimon to a completely new realm had been opened for him at this moment.
"Let's go upstairs and talk."
Lin Lixin did not take him to the meeting room, but took him directly to the development department.
With such a large project, Will had already finished the handover at Bullfrog and rushed back, and Carmack had also put aside the follow-up maintenance of NovaScript.
"I've noticed that Mr. Zimmer is very skilled at using orchestral music to create atmosphere and emotion, and our project has very high requirements in this regard."
Hans Zimmer listened while observing the layout and decor.
It's not quite what I imagined.
The room was bright and clean, with intense sunlight streaming through the glass curtain wall and glaring fluorescent lights overhead, making it unbelievably bright.
Having the means to light up the entire company is a feat that few others can easily accomplish.
Lighting is a luxury item, and GAMENOVA has countless halogen lamps installed.
A Steinway grand piano stands against the wall, very clean and dust-free, either because someone uses it frequently or because it is carefully cleaned every day.
GAMENOVA seems to be a game company that cares a lot about music.
"Oh, by the way, Mr. Zimmer, have you heard my demo? Although I only used MIDI due to limited resources, this is roughly the style I wanted."
"Of course I've heard it. It's a piece about Pirates!, isn't it?"
Upon hearing this, the entire development department fell silent for a few seconds.
Lin Lixin was also slightly taken aback.
Because he hadn't revealed a single word about the subject matter to the other party yet.
Tom Cruise only knew that he was looking for Hans Zimmer, and nothing else.
Where did you get that guess?
"Uh—sorry, did I guess wrong? I just thought it had a Pirates! vibe, so I took a guess."
Sensing something was off, Hans Zimmer was taken aback, thinking he had made a mistake.
Lin Lixin then understood and nodded in satisfaction.
"Goodness, I knew I hadn't chosen the wrong person. Let's sign the contract today; this project is absolutely necessary with you."
After saying that, he turned to look at the crowd, his expression carrying a hint of self-satisfaction.
It's like saying, "How about that? Isn't my taste amazing?"
Of all the producers present, only Kojima had a background in film and held a completely different view on the matter.
Lin Lixin's eye for talent is indeed sharp; he has almost never made a mistake in this regard.
But—Lin's own composing ability is a bit too frightening, isn't it?
Someone casually wrote a piece of synthesized music using MIDI, and a professional film composer could immediately discern its theme?
Conveying emotions through music? This is practically conveying images through music!
Hans Zimmer had no reason to refuse the invitation.
If he was previously worried about the drastically different compositional environment and expressive abilities in the video game industry, now he is truly uninhibited.
The musical quality displayed in " MJ's Moonwalker " completely reshaped his understanding of the emerging phenomenon of video games. After simply signing a few cooperation and confidentiality agreements, Hans Zimmer officially joined the project team.
"As a small gift to mark our meeting, we've prepared one for you."
Lin Lixin picked up the receiver on the table and dialed an internal company line. " Cerny, is what I ordered ready? It arrived this morning? Good, thank you for your hard work."
After hanging up the phone, he smiled mysteriously and looked at the bewildered Hans Zimmer, "Let's go, the thing is a bit hard to get; it's still upstairs being tested."
What is it?
Hans Zimmer felt his heart beat faster than usual.
Lin Lixin is actually going to give me a gift!
This is just a huge gilding of their own ego!
"Hmm---- Zimmer, you really enjoy playing with sampling, don't you? Tinkering with all that high-tech stuff like digital sounds."
"Yes, I believe technology can help my creative process to some extent."
What equipment do you usually use for sampling?
At this point, Hans Zimmer pursed his lips, his face taking on a proud expression.
Because the equipment he uses is something that most people can't actually use.
FairlightCMI, Digital Music Workstation.
His voice rose several decibels.
This is a computer that integrates various tools needed for digital music creation, including digital sampling, MIDI control, sequencer, waveform editing, graphical user interface, and digital audio processing!
Although it was released in 1979, it is still a top-of-the-line digital music device even today.
Just one of these machines costs over ten thousand US dollars.
Only the most prestigious recording studios or Hollywood- level producers like him can sustain such production.
In a sense, this thing is a symbol of identity for several music lovers.
"Ha, I guessed so."
Lin Lixin nodded and led Hans Zimmer to the Hardware Department.
When a giant spanning both consumer electronics and semiconductors decides to use high-quality components regardless of cost, what kind of products can it actually create?
Hans Zimmer stood quietly in front of the table, remaining silent for several minutes without uttering a single word.
His eyes were fixed on the ridiculously beautiful thing on the table.
A culmination of industrial design, a miracle of semiconductors.
This is a digital music workstation.
It's like Hans Zimmer's own Fairlight CMI, only lighter, more luxurious, and more modern.
Lin Lixin gently placed his hand on the machine.
This thing is purely a product of material stockpiling.
From the very beginning of its research and development, it never considered any so-called commercial value.
This device was developed at the request of N.M.B Music Studio in Japan and was originally intended for internal distribution only.
This is the first one to arrive at the airport, and it's also the only one in the world.
"The TFT-LCD screen features a full-size resistive touchscreen. The chip uses a 32-bit ARM processor in conjunction with an Athena chip, complementing each other's weaknesses. It also incorporates six Texas Instruments DSP processors with a maximum frequency of 45MHz."
"A full-color graphical user interface, processed by two Radeon 2 chips, supports touch screen operation, mouse operation, multi-track editing, and waveform visualization."
"Hi-Fi grade 24-bit stereo, true Hi-Fi grade sampling. It also features—real-time digital effects! Yes, real-time!"
"In addition, it has a built-in native support library for game interactive music, and the exported files contain all the original information, allowing for one-stop design directly on the workstation according to the game's needs."
Lin Lixin explained the parameters of the device to Hans Zimmer, one by one.
But he couldn't hear a single word; his ears were ringing.
At this moment, only one word kept echoing in his mind.
"A sacred relic!"