This thing has completely gone beyond the scope of a "product".
It's like a concept car that a car company comes up with.
It may never go into production in this lifetime, but it will transcend its time.
There is only one of its kind in the entire world.
Even Gamenova doesn't have the capability to make an exact replica now.
Hans Zimmer opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single syllable.
If " MJ's Moonwalker " was what made him rediscover the music of video games, then this thing—completely destroyed his understanding.
"What year is it now?"
Just like how FairlightCMI, upon its birth in 1979, transported musicians into the fantastical 1980s.
This machine gave Hans Zimmer a glimpse of the 1990s.
Alien technology!
"Well, it's still an experimental machine after all, so there might be some issues with the details, but the core functions have all been tested and are working perfectly."
"I—I can't accept this, it's too precious."
Hans Zimmer shook his head.
If it were something like FairlightCMI, he might have agreed.
After all, the other party is the CEO of GAMENOVA, so it's quite normal for them to make such a move.
But this thing is completely different.
This is something that can't be measured in money.
If we really had to give it a price—it probably wouldn't even be worth a house in Hollywood's upscale neighborhood.
"Hey, what's the big deal? There's an old Eastern saying: 'A skilled craftsman must first sharpen his tools.' With better equipment, you can create even better works for ' Pirates!!', right?"
No, I simply cannot bear it.
Hans Zimmer is not yet the god who will stand at the pinnacle of film music; he is far from reaching an unattainable level.
For him, the impact of such a piece of equipment must have been immense.
This is far beyond my means. If I accept this generous gift, it will only become a burden.
A terrible psychological burden.
"I can borrow this machine during the collaboration, and return it to its rightful owner once the project is finished."
"Just take it when I tell you to, why are you being so fussy?"
Lin Lixin shook his head helplessly, then suddenly his mind raced. "Hey? I have a good idea."
Unlike many reclusive artists who pursue the idea of "I just want to create quietly by myself," Hans Zimmer.
On the contrary, because of his creative style, he highly admired industrialized production systems.
He has a natural inclination to build his own system.
After all, it's impossible to embrace digital music without money.
Whether it's Fairlight or Synclavier, each one is equivalent to a luxury mansion.
For Hans Zimmer, having a major corporation with expertise in consumer electronics and semiconductors as his backer would be like heaven.
" Zimmer, do you know about NM B, the game music team at GAMENOVA?"
"Of course I know."
A game music team that has been nominated for Grammy is naturally a well-known name in the industry.
" Lucas had been talking to me a while ago about wanting me to compose music for his movies, so I was thinking, should I just reorganize NMB and formalize it into a music production company?"
Having said that, Hans Zimmer understood what Lin Lixin meant.
This is an attempt to appease them.
"Come work with us, and this thing will become company property, you can do whatever you want with it. I'll have Dell arrange a few more servers for you later."
Even if he doesn't try to win them over now, Hans Zimmer will still build his own team in the future.
RemoteControlProductions, commonly known as Hans Zimmer Studio.
One of the world's most influential film and television score production centers, bringing together renowned music producers from around the globe.
Our business scope covers various cultural and entertainment fields, including film, television series, and video game soundtracks.
Moreover, its headquarters are located in Santa Monica, California, very close to Activision.
"Of course!"
Hans Zimmer himself is a person who advocates teamwork and technology, so there's no reason for him to refuse such an invitation.
"Well, this matter is rather complicated, we'll discuss it in detail later. Let's get back to our new work for now."
After the contract was signed, Hans Zimmer immediately took over as the music director for " Pirates!!".
Kojima, who was originally in charge of this task, was completely freed up to focus on designing Lucasfilm's cutscenes.
It just so happened that the young actor he had arranged to audition was also there, so Lin Lixin simply went along with him.
Inside the photography studio.
Lucas had already set up a simple set here.
It's basically a fake ship.
A young John Depp held the helm with one hand and put the other on his hip.
A rapier, gleaming with a cold light, was tucked at his waist.
A powerful fan blew directly into his face, simulating the feeling of a storm at sea.
However, he didn't even squint, his gaze fixed resolutely on the distance.
A calm sea cannot produce excellent sailors.
The young Depp was completely different from the iconic Captain Jack he would become in Pirates! of the Caribbean.
He was young and inexperienced, having only recently entered the film and television industry.
However, it is precisely this youthful vigor that perfectly matches the theme of this new work.
Young Adventure are about to set sail and ride the wave of the golden age.
"He performed well; his acting skills have been honed. Although he still needs some refinement, he's already quite convincing."
Lucas commented as follows.
If he gets a leading role in the future, he certainly won't disappoint the director.
"Don't you think he'll become a character actor specializing in Pirates! roles in the future?"
Lin Lixin smiled and looked at the young man on the deck.
His portrayal of pirates in " Pirates! of the Caribbean " is so iconic that when Pirates! are mentioned, he is the first real-life figure that comes to mind for many people.
As for that super rubber man, that's a matter of another dimension.
"Hey, I don't see it that way. The Pirates! I remember aren't like this kind of sunny, handsome young man."
Lucas had no idea what Lin Lixin was thinking, assuming he was just joking. "By the way, I heard you brought Hans Zimmer into the project team?"
Hollywood isn't a big circle; it's all about people you see all the time.
"Yes, his style is quite unique, and he's a rare talent who enjoys experimenting with digital music. Why not give him a try?"
Lucas's eyes flickered, he nodded, and said nothing more.
Hans Zimmer the GAMENOVA camp actually benefited him the most, as he works in film.
After all, Hans Zimmer comes from a film music background, so he's much more professional in this area.
Lin Lixin's offer was to fund the establishment of an independent United States label, NMB.
Unlike the NMB Japan Business Headquarters led by Yuzo Koshiro, Lin Lixin simply abandoned the plan to directly integrate the two sides due to the huge differences in musical styles between the two locations.
Instead, two separate offices were set up.
Yuzo Koshiro continued to scout out outstanding local talent and consistently produced uniquely styled pieces.
As for Hans Zimmer, he naturally led the United States team to assemble a new "Galactic Fleet".
With GAMENOVA's funding, solutions have been found for all kinds of top-of-the-line digital music equipment.
In this way, he might be able to grow at an even more exaggerated pace.
"That digital music workstation----"
"It's really gone. There was only one in the whole world."
Lin Lixin interrupted Lucas, somewhat helplessly.
This isn't because he's keeping something from himself; it's just that it's genuinely very difficult to make a second one.
"That was just a prototype for technology verification; it will definitely need several iterations before we try to produce it. But even if it's built, I'll definitely prioritize supplying it to my own music team."
Lucas sighed.
I'm so hungry!
Tell me, who in Hollywood wouldn't want this thing?
Although Lin Lixin has always been involved in games, each of his ventures has resulted in a side effect that stirs up a storm in the film industry.
For example, the graphics workstations developed from graphics cards are still highly regarded in Hollywood's CG industry today.
Needless to say, the experimental optical motion capture technology is another story.
It's really expensive, but it's also really useful.
If you rely on modeling and keyframes to recreate Michael Jack's dance moves, stiffness and rigidity are to be expected.
The subtle nuances in human movements are difficult to capture using simple modeling.
In a 2D environment, it can be roughly copied by rotoscoping, just like in " The King of Fighters " and " Street Fighter ".
But in 3D, if it can't be done, it simply can't be done.
The advent of optical motion capture has changed many things.
Although several film companies are still negotiating with him about the price.
Such enthusiasm alone is enough to demonstrate the vast market potential of motion capture technology.
Adhering to the principle of "being close to the water tower, one gets the moon first," he would contact Lin Lixin as soon as possible whenever Lin Lixin came up with something new.
It's a pity that this music workstation really won't be able to be mass-produced.
"Alright, stop arguing. If we can resolve those key technical issues later, we'll definitely equip you with them."
Lin Lixin waved his hand, putting the matter aside, "It's him. Get the face model recorded for Depp as soon as possible. For the other extras, use the datasets we've already collected. Oh right, we also need female characters, a ton of them! Work with as many as we can; I'll use them a lot."
Calling Pirates!! a predecessor to Mount & Blade isn't just because of its open-world gameplay.
Even in the original 1987 version, this game had a very outrageous system.
In more academic terms, it's called the "romantic system".
To put it more simply, it was about seducing the governor's daughter.
Whether you arrive at the port or successfully enter the Governor's Palace due to your reputation, you'll always encounter a variety of female characters in the game.
Whether it's helping them resolve their troubles through sword fighting or dancing with them at a ball, it can deepen your relationship.
Even without delving into philosophical discussions in the bedroom, one can still glean some intelligence that will greatly benefit the adventure.
The romance of Pirates! is gold, treasure, rum, and—beautiful women!