We recently had a chance to talk with Wintory about how he composed the soundtrack, what games he is currently playing and his response for being nominated for a Grammy.
This year at Spike’s Video Game Award show, Journey led the pack with seven nods this year, including a game of the year nomination. ThatGameCompany, the developers behind the game, players go on an adventure through a desert canvas that leads up towards a mountain in the distance. Journey features some of best coop allowing two players to assist each other, but the key part is that they cannot communicate via speech or text and are not shown each other's names.
Austin Wintory, has recently been nominated for a Grammy for his work in Journey. The highlight of the package for many is the overarching score that captivities the very journey players are embarking on, becoming the voice of the game. We recently had a chance to talk with Wintory about how he composed the soundtrack, what games he is currently playing and his response for being nominated for a Grammy.
GamerHub.TV: What’s it like composing a song for a videogame rather than like a film?
Well, they have more in common than they have different. The goal is to write good music, so the details are pretty different but at the end of the day the music is what counts and you get to work with amazing people in films and in games.
GamerHub.TV: And tell us about the game you composed music for.
Austin Wintory: It’s called Journey. It’s a Playstation 3 game. It came out this past March and it’s like a videogame poem. It’s really, really different than most games, but it was a dream to work on. Very emotional and introspective.
GamerHub.TV: Were you expecting it to get nominated?
Austin Wintory: I haven’t expected anything about it that’s happened. The awards and the sales and all that have been far beyond anything I could have ever dreamt of.
GamerHub.TV: And naturally are you a gamer yourself?
Austin Wintory: Oh, yeah.
GamerHub.TV: What’s your favorite game of 2012?
Austin Wintory: Well, I’ve been so busy this year I’m way behind. I mean I’ve been playing Assassin’s Creed 3 which has been about as opposite as out there, but it’s a good time, so. Unfinished Swan might be up there too. It’s a new Playstation 3 game, so.
GamerHub.TV: Do you ever play multiplayer with Assassin’s 3?
Austin Wintory: Yeah, it’s funny. I’m into storytelling so I tend to play single player games like Mass Effect tend to be a little bit more my frame of reference than like Warcraft that kind of thing for me.
GamerHub.TV: And is there a game in 2013 that you’re looking most forward to?
Austin Wintory: Well, I’m working on a few that I’m really excited about and my head’s still in the sand on that. Yeah. I’m working on a game that was one of these runaway Kickstarter projects called the Banner Saga and another game called Monaco and actually very excited to announce – no one – this hasn’t been said before today, but a classic franchise that I – Leisure Suit Larry is being remade and today I’ll just say I’ll be doing that too. So hugely excited.
