Music4Games’ Jayson Napolitano was recently able to “score” some time with Jeremy Soule to ask him about his recent work on Guild Wars: Eye of the North.  Jeremy Soule has been responsible for the music for numerous blockbuster titltes, including Morrowind, Oblivion, Supreme Commander, and all of the Guild Wars titles and expansions. 

His score for Eye of the North is some of his most brilliant, stand-alone work, so it’s great to hear Soule’s thoughts on the Guild Wars franchise and his inspiration for this score in particular.  He also reveals a project currently in the works that will see his music performed in concert halls throughout North America.

Please be sure to check out the Music4Games music player (upper-left side of the page) for clips from Eye of the North.

M4G: This is now the third expansion for the original Guild Wars title that was released in 2005.  Tell us a little bit about your work on the franchise, and what Guild Wars means to you.
Jeremy Soule:  Guild Wars is one of the greatest online games in history.  With over 3.5 million active competitive players from around the world, I’ve worked to bring musical sounds from many different cultures and influences.  It’s been a very careful and precise production and I’ve enjoyed every minute of my time working with the team and fans of the game.

M4G: Having composed quite a bit of music for the Guild Wars franchise, tell us about your approach to Eye of the North.  It sounds like I’m attending a classical symphonic concert when I listen to pieces like “Ballad of Ice and Snow” and “Iron Footfalls.”  Can you tell us anything about these pieces in particular? 
Jeremy Soule:  I love the European influence that is so prolific with traditional fantasy settings.  With Eye of the North, I wanted to achieve a sense of timelessness.  The concert hall is almost like a temple for Classical music and there’s an otherworldly quality in the music of Richard Strauss, Johannes Brahms and Ludwig Van Beethoven.  These three composers provided some basis for my score.  Of course, there are other influences including traditional film scoring sources. 

M4G: Would you agree that the many touring videogame music concerts have put musicians on the spot as far as creating performance-oriented music for games?  Has your recent association with the PLAY! Video Game Symphony had any influence on your composition of this score? 
Jeremy Soule:  Composers, when given the freedom, can deliver music for a game that will hold up outside the game experience.  Ultimately, what I hope to accomplish as a composer is to create music that works in the game as well as in the concert hall.  PLAY! hasn’t had any bearing on Eye of the North but it would be nice to see some of this music in a live performance setting soon.

M4G: Given the popularity of your music, have you considered putting on your own orchestral concert?  If you have given this idea any thought, would you be interested in focusing on a single title, or revisiting older titles you have composed?  Are there any pieces of yours that you are exceptionally proud of and would consider musts for any such production?
Jeremy Soule:  I have not considered a game tour but am working on a project that will see me in concert halls in a few years.  I wish I could say more but it’s a work-in-progress.

M4G: Sixty minutes is a lot of music for an expansion pack.  Given the large body of work you’ve created for Guild Wars in the past, was it difficult developing new ideas that were consistent with the previous works, especially taking into considering the goals you had for the music in Eye of the North?
Jeremy Soule:  The development of new ideas is not hard when I have such a talented team working with me.  Julian Soule provided some of the action music and the art and design team gave us some great visual inspiration.   I’ve worked with ArenaNet for years and I can say they have many huge things in store for fans of the franchise.  We’re just warming up!!

M4G: As this has been the only MMORPG you’ve scored, what steps have you taken to ensure the music stays fresh and exciting to players?  There are a number of minute long cues, for example.  Are these for portions of the game that are not repeated?  Have you had the opportunity to play the game yourself?
Jeremy Soule:  Guild Wars has a number of cinematic moments of varying lengths.  Some of these scenes are about a minute long.  As far as keeping things fresh, I’m always growing and learning as a composer.  I’ve spent time playing the game under a dev account but I’m admittedly not a very skilled game player.  Mostly, my efforts are spent observing the game dynamics and design.

M4G:  You have jokingly said in the past that the next ten years of your life are going to be wrapped up in Guild Wars.   What are your predictions for the future of the Guild Wars franchise?
Jeremy Soule:  I know the team is very committed to delivering the best experience possible and it would be a great thing to say that we’ll be here in ten years.  If we do our jobs, this will hopefully happen.  I know the desire is certainly there!  Online games are here to stay.

Jayson Napolitano

Related links:
www.guildwars.com
www.directsong.com.