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46-493: In Audiosurf , the player controls a levitating vehicle similar to those found in Wipeout or F-Zero . The player maneuvers it down a colorful multi-lane highway, collecting blocks in a manner similar to Klax . The music used in the game is chosen from the user's own library, from almost any DRM -free format, as well as standard redbook CDs. In addition, Audiosurf includes the soundtrack to The Orange Box as part of

92-437: A 3D space. Pedro Camacho created the soundtrack and was the sound effects supervisor on Audiosurf . "Audiosurf Overture" was a track previously done by Camacho as the main demo track for a virtual synthesizer called Predator from Rob Papen. The IGF awarded composer stated on his website that "this award would have never been possible to achieve if not coupled with such an amazing game by Dylan Fitterer". A portable version of

138-541: A beautifully realised and well-produced game which [exploited] the PlayStation's power so well", but did show similar concerns over the game's longevity regarding its "reliance on track-based power-ups" that would "limit Wipeout's lifespan" in comparison to Super Mario Kart . GamePro gave the PlayStation version a rave review, predicting that "Wipeout's taut action and grueling courses will lure many diehard racing fans to this new system." They particularly praised

184-643: A pub in Oxton, Merseyside . Bowers then started on a concept film which was shown around Psygnosis' offices. It proved popular, and Wipeout was approved and production began. An early demo video was shown at the April 1994 European Computer Trade Show (ECTS). The marketing and artwork were designed by Keith Hopwood and The Designers Republic in Sheffield . Aimed at a fashionable, club-going, music-buying audience, Keith Hopwood and The Designers Republic created art for

230-505: A reviewer for Maximum argued that the Saturn version is noticeably not as polished as the PlayStation version but still excellent in absolute terms, making it a pointless purchase for PlayStation owners but recommended for Saturn-only players. In 1996, GamesMaster ranked the PlayStation version 41st on their "Top 100 Games of All Time." The game's initial success led to Psygnosis developing several sequels which would later become part of

276-442: A selection of craft in races on several different tracks. There are four racing teams to choose from, and two ships for each team. Each ship has its distinct characteristics of acceleration, top speed, mass, and turning radius. By piloting their craft over power-up pads found on the tracks, the player can pick up various weapons and power-ups such as shields, turbo boosts, mines, shock waves, rockets, or missiles. The power-ups allow

322-409: A selection of craft in races on several tracks around the world. Unique at the time, Wipeout was noted for its futuristic setting, weapons designed to slow opponents and its marketing campaign designed by Keith Hopwood and The Designers Republic . The game features original music from CoLD SToRAGE , with tracks by Leftfield , The Chemical Brothers , and Orbital appearing on some versions. The game

368-534: A significant amount of controversy on its initial release. A marketing campaign created and launched by Keith Hopwood and The Designers Republic included an infamous promotional poster, featuring a bloodstained television and radio presenter Sara Cox , which was accused by some of depicting a drug overdose. Next Generation printed the ad with the blood erased; the magazine staff explained that not only had they been under pressure from newsstand retailers about violent imagery in games magazines, but they themselves felt

414-432: Is source-available . Eurogamer Eurogamer is a British video game journalism website launched in 1999 alongside parent company Gamer Network . In 2008, it started in the formerly eponymous trade fair EGX (Eurogamer Expo until 2013) organised by its parent company. From 2013 to 2020, sister site USGamer ran independently under its parent company. Eurogamer (initially stylised as EuroGamer )

460-461: Is a "Watch Lightshow" mode, in which the player does not collect blocks at all. Simply put, it is similar to a full-screen display that matches up to music in many popular music player applications ( Windows Media Player , Xbox 360 , etc.). Audiosurf was positively received with the broad majority of critics. On Metacritic , the title holds an average of 85 out of 100, suggesting favorable reviews. 1Up.com awarded Audiosurf an "A" rating citing

506-675: Is a 1995 racing video game developed and published by Psygnosis , originally released for PlayStation and DOS , followed by Sega Saturn the next year. It was a launch title for the PlayStation in Europe. Wipeout was re-released as a downloadable game for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable via the PlayStation Network in 2007. Set in 2052, players compete in the F3600 anti-gravity racing league, piloting one of

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552-468: Is also available during character selection, which makes the game more difficult. The game was the brainchild of Dylan Fitterer who worked for a majority of the project alone, only bringing in outside help near the end. Flitterer wanted to create a game that would fuse gameplay with a music visualizer . Fitterer has cited the game Rez as his biggest influence. Flitterer also cited a music visualizer from WildTangent , which got him thinking about music in

598-401: Is credited with exposing millions to underground club and rave music and inaugurating a new era of music in video games. In 2021, Mat Ombler wrote that the game "brought the nightclub experience into bedrooms and living rooms across the globe." Writer Adam Ismail described Wipeout as a "cultural force," a game "where the music and visual style were as crucial—if not, arguably more so—than

644-488: The PAL version of the PlayStation game include tracks from Leftfield , The Chemical Brothers , and Orbital (also appearing on Wipeout: The Music ), while the Saturn version includes three additional tracks by Rob Lord and Mark Bandola. Orbital's "Wipeout (P.E.T.R.O.L.)" was at least partially written before Burcombe met the musicians, and Leftfield's "Afro Ride" and The Chemical brothers' "Chemical Beats" are remixes of songs

690-453: The Wipeout franchise. A direct sequel, Wipeout 2097 , was released for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn in 1996, which was met with positive reviews, especially aimed towards the vastly improved game engine and new physics the game offered. A Nintendo 64 spin-off, Wipeout 64 , was released in 1998 and was met with considerable praise from critics, but was noted to be too similar to

736-400: The 2002 European Computer Trade Show . Eurogamer hosts content from media outlet Digital Foundry since 2007, which was founded by games journalist Richard Leadbetter in 2004. In February 2015, Eurogamer dropped its ten-point scale for review scores instead highlight some games the reviewer felt particularly strongly with labels such as 'Essential', 'Recommended' or 'Avoid'. The change

782-512: The PlayStation version's soundtrack, new music was added for the Saturn version by Rob Lord and Mark Bandola. The Sega Saturn version was released by Sega in North America. The game's electronica soundtrack featured licensed tracks from more established electronica acts for the PAL and Saturn versions of the game, as well as the promotional album, Wipeout: The Music . Music featured in

828-446: The PlayStation version. In Sega Saturn Magazine , Rad Automatic praised the large number of tracks and the distinctive flavour of each one, and remarked that the gameplay is very easy to get into but provides more than enough challenge. He criticised it as not being as good as the PlayStation version, though he noted that none of the shortcomings impact the gameplay. The four reviewers from Electronic Gaming Monthly similarly praised

874-452: The artists had already recorded. The 1995 North American release, as well as the 1997 "Greatest Hits" reissue, only feature tracks composed by video game music composer CoLD SToRAGE . The promotional album Wipeout: The Music was released on CD and vinyl in 1996, and features the aforementioned three tracks by Leftfield, The Chemical Brothers and Orbital, as well as additional tracks by New Order and The Prodigy . Burcombe explained that

920-455: The best playing racing game yet beheld on a next generation super console." Making particular note of the lack of pop-up, the coherent style and concept, the soundtrack, the unlockable Rapier mode, and the PAL optimisation, they gave it their "Maximum Game of the Month" award. The later Saturn version also received generally positive reviews, though most critics agreed that it was not as good as

966-481: The blood added nothing to the ad other than shock value . The poster branded Wipeout "a dangerous game", with Wipeout ' s lead artist Neil Thompson suggesting—and designer Nick Burcome denying—that the "E" in Wipeout stood for ecstasy . Wipeout was first released alongside the PlayStation in Europe on 29 September 1995. It was the PlayStation's best-selling launch title in Europe. The game

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1012-485: The challenging gameplay and precise controls. They said the fact that multiplayer is only through the PlayStation Link Cable is the game's one major flaw, since the PlayStation still had a low installed base at this point and thus this would not be an option for most players. A reviewer for Next Generation applauded the stylish and detailed visuals, the "heart-pounding soundtrack", and particularly

1058-406: The choice of genres was based on an experience he had while playing Super Mario Kart : he had just finished in first place but had " The Age of Love " playing instead of the game's soundtrack, and thought it fitted the moment. Persuading record companies to get involved with the promotional album proved difficult as they did not understand what the development team wanted. Upon release, the game

1104-500: The default color setting of the game, blocks that appear in hot colors such as red and yellow are worth more points, while cool colors such as blue and magenta are worth less. Players are also awarded bonus points at the end of each track based on the feats they achieved. These include finishing the song with no blocks left in the grid or collecting all the blocks of a certain color. Each track for each difficulty level has three medals: bronze, silver, and gold. These are awarded upon reaching

1150-494: The download. An "Audiosurf Radio" tab is included on the "Song Select" screen that allows the user to play the Audiosurf Overture, as well as a shifting selection of songs by featured independent artists. The goal of the game is to score points by collecting colored blocks (called 'cars') and forming clusters of 3 or more of the same color. The more blocks one accumulates in a cluster, the more points are scored. In

1196-421: The exhilarating feel of the racing. He commented that the controls have a potentially frustrating learning curve but are worth mastering, and deemed the game "A new high-water mark". Maximum opined that of all the games in the PlayStation's European launch line-up, "not one title can match up to the awesome nature of Psygnosis' WipeOut . It's an amazing spectacle to behold, it sounds absolutely fantastic and it's

1242-619: The game called Audiosurf: Tilt was released on November 11, 2009 for the Zune HD . It was available to download for free from the Zune Marketplace . The gameplay is largely simplified, though it retains the same basic principles. There are no characters to choose from in this version, nor is there an Ironmode. The game follows one basic formula, in which the player tries to collect all the blocks while dodging roadblocks (it can be played at "normal" and "turbo" speeds). In addition, there

1288-557: The game engine, and an ASH file (containing the dynamics of the sounds and how the track and blocks are arranged) associated with the music is created and saved. The game loads the environment from the ASH files, with the track's elevation, surface, and layout reflected in the dynamics of the music being played. The player can choose between 14 different characters to play in the game. The characters are divided between three difficulty levels and each has its own unique ability. An "Ironmode" option

1334-431: The massive replay value. IGN gave the title an 8.6 out of 10, and stated that "[ Audiosurf is] one of those games that offers something for everyone". Eurogamer were slightly less impressed, giving the game a 7 out of 10, criticizing its rough edges, yet remained convinced that the title had enough potential to become "a bite-sized obsession". Wipeout (video game) Wipeout (stylised as wipE′out″ )

1380-512: The music in their games. Wipeout' s visual identity, graphic design, logos, and typography made by The Designers Republic have been credited as a significant achievement in both game and design history. In 2016, game journalist Luke Plunkett wrote "the visual influence the game has had is staggering" and "its bright, neo-Tokyo style still being admired today (you can see echoes of it in everything from Mass Effect to Mario Kart 8 to Destiny )." In 2023, an art book entitled WipEout: Futurism

1426-428: The number and variety of tracks along with the strong challenge the game presented, and were much more approving of the graphics than Sega Saturn Magazine , describing them as "vibrant" and "gorgeous". A Next Generation critic said that while the graphics are slightly less sharp and the controls feel different, the Saturn version is essentially the same game as the PlayStation version. Both Air Hendrix of GamePro and

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1472-505: The original Wipeout . Wipeout has been described as being synonymous with Sony's debut gaming hardware and as an early showcase for 3D graphics in console gaming. It has since been re-released as a downloadable game for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable via the PlayStation Network in 2007, and then in 2011 on Xperia Play via the PlayStation Pocket service. The game's soundtrack and musical sensibility

1518-399: The packaging, in-game branding, and other promotional materials. A non-playable CGI film mock-up inspired by the game appeared in the teen cult film Hackers (1995), in which both protagonists play the game in a nightclub. The team was under pressure, as it consisted of around ten people, and they were on a tight schedule. Carus stated that the code had to be rewritten three quarters of

1564-401: The physical experience of actually playing it." In 2023, CoLD SToRAGE's soundtrack was remastered, rereleased, and pressed onto vinyl for the first time, with added remixes from contemporary electronic artists such as Kode9 and μ-Ziq . The soundtrack, especially its use of tracks by popular contemporary artists, has been credited with prompting gaming developers to allot greater importance to

1610-604: The player to either protect their craft or disrupt the competitors' craft. There are seven race tracks in the game, six of them located in futuristic versions of countries such as Canada , the United States and Japan . After all tracks have been completed on the Rapier Championship, a hidden track (Firestar), set on Mars is unlocked. Wipeout features a multiplayer mode using the PlayStation Link Cable , allowing two player to race against each other and

1656-410: The point total required for them. There are also additional game modes in the game where the goal of the game changes. There are three different high score lists for each song, for casual, pro, and elite characters respectively. Audiosurf synchronizes the environment, traffic patterns, and scenery with the events in the current song. Each music file imported to the game by the user is first analyzed by

1702-497: The six remaining AI competitors. The game also supports the NeGcon , a third-party controller designed by Namco . Wipeout was developed and published by Liverpudlian developer Psygnosis (later known as Studio Liverpool), with production starting in the second half of 1994. According to Lee Carus, one of the artists, Wipeout took 14 months to develop, and the concept began as a conversation between Nick Burcombe and Jim Bowers at

1748-508: The way through development, and that the team was confident that they could complete the game on time. The vehicle designs were based on Matrix Marauders , a 3D grid-based strategy game whose concept was developed by Bowers and released for the Amiga in 1990. Burcombe, the game's future designer, was inspired to create a racing game using the same types of 'anti-gravity' vehicles from SoftImage's animation of two ships racing. The name "Wipeout"

1794-531: Was acquired by Reed Exhibitions, a division of RELX . In September 2021, the community forum for Eurogamer closed, with the site recommending other platforms such as Discord instead. In the same month, Eurogamer also launched a supporter program, offering readers an ad-free experience and access to paywalled content. In May 2024, the Gamer Network was sold to IGN Entertainment , a subsidiary of Ziff Davis . In January 2008, Tom Bramwell overtook

1840-568: Was announced to be published in 2024, focused on commemorating the game's artistic and graphic style. The source code for the PlayStation and the Windows versions of the game was leaked on 27 March, 2022 by the video game preservation group Forest of Illusion. Based on this leaked code, there were two source ports by enthusiasts: WipeOut Phantom Edition for Microsoft Windows , which is closed source and wipEout Rewrite for Windows , macOS , Linux and WebAssembly by Dominic Szablewski, which

1886-421: Was critically acclaimed on release; critics praised the game for its originality and its vast "unique techno soundtrack", but was criticised for its in-game physics. It spawned the Wipeout series , with its follow-up Wipeout 2097/XL coming out in 1996. Wipeout is a racing game that is set in 2052, where players compete in the F3600 anti-gravity racing league. The game allows the player to pilot one of

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1932-399: Was critically acclaimed. IGN staff praised the game for its originality and unique techno soundtrack, but criticised the difficulty with manoeuvring the vehicles and also the difficulty of the game itself, stating that "there aren't nearly enough competitors" and that the player would have "[pulled] ahead of the other racers with no problem". Edge cited that it was hard to criticise "such

1978-429: Was driven by doubt about the score system's usefulness and its desire to be delisted from review aggregator Metacritic because of its "unhealthy influence" on the games industry. In May 2023, Eurogamer returned to scoring reviews, opting for a five-point scale due to them being "universally understood, simple to take in at a glance, and easily shared." In February 2018, Eurogamer's parent company, Gamer Network ,

2024-474: Was given to the game during a pub conversation, and was inspired by the instrumental song " Wipe Out " by The Surfaris . Designing the tracks proved to be difficult due to the lack of draw distance possible on the system. Players received completely random weapons, resembling Super Mario Kart in their capability to stall rather than destroy opponents. Burcombe said that Wipeout was influenced by Super Mario Kart more than any other game. Wipeout gained

2070-540: Was launched on 4 September 1999 under company Eurogamer Network . The founding team included John "Gestalt" Bye, the webmaster for the PlanetQuake website and a writer for British magazine PC Gaming World ; Patrick "Ghandi" Stokes, a contributor for the website Warzone; and Rupert "rauper" Loman, who had organised the EuroQuake esports event for the game Quake . It became the official online media partner of

2116-514: Was released in the United States in November. The game went to number one in all the format charts, with over 1.5 million units of the franchise having been sold to date throughout Europe and North America. Wipeout was ported to the Sega Saturn in 1996 by Tantalus Entertainment . Because the company behind the PlayStation, Sony , owned the applicable rights to the last three tracks of

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