Zombie Smash Title Screen Song Competition

General Discussion
1

Hello there,

My name is Eric Vaughn and I am an independent game designer. A couple of pixel artists and I have banded together to create a platform shoot’em up by the name of Zombie Smash. The plan is pretty much to recreate the atmosphere of the golden age of Super Nintendo while utilizing newer computer technologies and breakthroughs in game design. You can read more about the project here --> http://www.zombiesmash.com

I’ve worked with a few musicians in the past, but my experiences with them haven’t been as satisfying as I would have hoped. Perhaps I was just unlucky, but regardless, I want to try something a little bit different this time around. My idea is that I will hold a competition on the internet to create a title screen and menu song. Cash prizes will be available for the best entries, and the very best entry will be featured in the game itself.

I’ve listened to a lot of music written with Renoise lately, and I have to say that many members of this community are very talented. For this reason, I would like to stage the competition here.

Here are the rules:
1) All tracks must be written with the Renoise software package. You can use other software in combination with Renoise if you wish.
2) The finished track must be in mp3 format, uploaded to somewhere safe and secure and then posted in this thread. Make sure to include your artist name and the name of the track (it can be a bit more interesting than “Title Screen Song”).
3) You may enter as many times as you wish. In the end, however, I will only accept one of your tracks, that being the one I think sounds the most suitable for the game.
4) Any tracks entered into this competition must be original ones written exclusively for the competition.
5) By submitting a track to the competition, you agree to allowing me to possibly use it in my game (insert legal stuff here).
6) Make sure you have paypal, so I can give you the cash if you happen to win a prize.

Guidelines
1) While most of the in game music will most likely be fast-paced and adrenaline pumping, I want the title screen music to be a bit slower. I’d like it to create an atmosphere of suspense and impending doom, giving the player a hint of the danger to be found inside the zombie infested space colony he is about to enter. Apart from that, go nuts. Try any particular style of music you like.
2) Although I am trying to appeal to retro gamers with this game, I’d like to avoid having any Commodore 64 blips and bloops scattered about the game. It might have sounded like a good idea before, but DON’T DO IT.
3) Don’t throw any ambient sound effects, cartoon samples or anything silly like that into the track. I can make an exception for industrial music (except with no cartoon samples).
4) The finished track needs to be at least 2 minutes long, but it can go on for as long as you like.

Prizes
1st Place - $250 and the track being used in the game.
2nd Place - $150
3rd Place - $50
4th to 8th Place - $10

You have a chance to win at least a little bit of money, so don’t be shy ;)

All entries must be submitted by the 19th of December. That is roughly two months away from the original posting of this thread. Winners will be announced on the 20th of December.

If you have any questions, post them here. You can email me at eric (at) zombiesmash.com as well.

Thanks!

Edit: Zombie Smash will be a commercially released game. This implies that people will have to pay money to obtain the game. If you do not agree to this, then you are not obligated to enter.

2

if we submit a track and it doesnt get used where do you (we?) stand with the “rights” for using it?

3

If your song doesn’t win, then I will relinquish any rights I have over it.

4

good to know.

well I’ll try and make something for you to compare the good entries against ;)

5

Hello,

I am going to have to cancel the competition unfortunately. I have a pile of expenses to pay off at the moment and I have seen very little interest in the competition regardless, so I don’t think it should be too much of a blow.

This is the life of an independent game designer :confused:

Thanks anyway!

  • Eric
6

Too bad, mon… Still, advertise a bit more on the RNS boards and ask nicely, and you might just end up with a neat tune anyway. Without the big cut in your expenses. ;)

7

yeah, i don’t think you need to give out cash prizes.

having your name in the credits of an indie game is a bigger prize than most tracking compos

8

Hell yeah. Would you still consider accepting tracks for consideration, even if it’s not in a competition format?

Also, do you need any sound design work? I’ll tape the dog while eating and run it on half-speed. Makes a wicked meaty-brain-sound. And there’s a crackhead down the street who zombie-howls like nobodys business.

9

If you guys are seriously interested in giving me a hand, then I can probably make the arrangements. Although at the moment, all of my ZS related problems need to be taken care of myself, not other people.

10

And right you are. We’ll leave you to it. ;) Anyways, check through my libraries on www.thekhin.com and see if you find anything of interest in the weird-ambient-section. Or no, that was not what you were after… Hum. The electro then?

Personally, for an indie game I wouldn’t charge for music-use. If the game rocked, that is. If it sucks I wouldn’t want my music in there, but I trust your game is teh sith.