SingStar

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This article concerns the series as a whole. For the PlayStation 3 version, see SingStar (PlayStation 3).
SingStar logo
SingStar logo

SingStar is a competitive karaoke video game series for the PlayStation 2, developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. Thirteen English-language installments of the series have been released for the PlayStation 2, with a version for the PlayStation 3 released in December 2007. The games have also undergone a number of non-English releases in various European countries.

SingStar games are distributed either as the software alone, or bundled with a pair of USB microphones - one red, one blue. The games are compatible with the EyeToy camera, allowing players to see themselves singing.

Contents

[edit] Overview

[edit] Gameplay

Screenshot from SingStar Rocks!, featuring Stereophonics - "Dakota". Player 1 is shown in blue, Player 2 in red.
Screenshot from SingStar Rocks!, featuring Stereophonics - "Dakota". Player 1 is shown in blue, Player 2 in red.

SingStar games require players to sing along with music in order to score points. Players interface with their console via SingStar USB microphones while a music video plays in the background. The pitch players are required to sing is displayed as horizontal grey bars, which function similar to a musical stave, with corresponding lyrics displayed at the bottom of the screen. The game analyses a player's pitch and compares it to the original track, with players scoring points based on how accurate their singing is. Different modes of SingStar may vary this basic pattern, but the principle is similar throughout.

SingStar includes a variety of game modes. The standard singing mode allows one or two people to sing simultaneously, either competitively or in a duet. The game also offers a "Pass the Mic" mode, which allows up to eight people to play a series of rounds in two teams. The original SingStar for PlayStation 2 also featured "Star Maker", a single player career mode, however this was dropped in subsequent releases due to the popularity of the multiplayer and party modes.[1]

[edit] Track lists

Most SingStar games for PlayStation 2 differ only in the track list contained on the game disc. SingStar games typically ship with 30 songs, the maximum which can fit onto a single-layer DVD.[2] Individual SingStar games are loosely based upon genres, such as rock or pop music (SingStar Rocks! and SingStar Pop respectively). SingStar games are sometimes localised for release in different regions, with customised track lists to suit foreign markets and territories. In addition, a number of non-English language SingStar games have been released exclusively in some European countries.

All PlayStation 2 SingStar games allow players to swap out the current disc (called the master disc) for another SingStar disc. This allows access to the songs on other versions without the need to reset the console. When a new disc is swapped in, the game retains the functionality and appearance of the master disc. By starting with a new version, players can swap in their old SingStar disc and experience them with the functionality and cosmetics of the master disc.

[edit] Network features

The PlayStation 3 version of SingStar introduced a number of online features, accessed through the PlayStation Network. Users are able to purchase songs online from the SingStore, allowing them to expand their current music selection. The SingStore launched with 41 songs,[3] with 372 songs currently available for download.[4] All music videos are currently in standard definition, although videos will be offered in high definition if possible.[5]

My SingStar Online is the online community component of SingStar for the PlayStation 3. The idea for My SingStar Online was inspired by people uploading photos and videos of SingStar parties to websites such as Flickr and YouTube.[6] The game will record photos and videos of players singing with the PlayStation Eye (or other compatible USB camera), which can then be saved to the PlayStation's HDD or uploaded to the My SingStar Online network. Users are able to rate each others performances and leave comments on other people's profiles.

[edit] Releases

Over 70 SingStar SKUs have been released worldwide, including 14 titles in the United Kingdom, 12 titles in Australasia and 6 in the North America. In addition, a number of non-English titles have been released exclusively in some European countries, including titles in Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Norway, Sweden and Finland. A majority of SingStar titles are designed for the PlayStation 2 platform, with only one version currently released for the PlayStation 3.

Platform Title UK Release Date US Release Date
PS2 SingStar 02004-05-21 21 May 2004 2010
PS2 SingStar Party 02004-11-19 19 November 2004 2010
PS2 SingStar Pop 02005-05-13 13 May 2005 02007-04-03 3 April 2007
PS2 SingStar '80s 02005-11-04 4 November 2005 02007-09-18 18 September 2007
PS2 SingStar Rocks! 02006-04-13 13 April 2006 02006-11-14 14 November 2006
PS2 SingStar Anthems 02006-08-04 4 August 2006 2010
PS2 SingStar Legends 02006-10-27 27 October 2006 02008-10-07 7 October 2008
PS2 SingStar Pop Hits 02007-04-27 27 April 2007 2010
PS2 SingStar 90s 02007-08-03 3 August 2007 02008-03-19 19 March 2008
PS2 SingStar Amped 2010 02007-09-18 18 September 2007
PS2 SingStar Rock Ballads 02007-09-21 21 September 2007 2010
PS2 SingStar R&B 02007-10-26 26 October 2007 2010
PS2 SingStar Summer Party 02008-04-25 25 April 2008 2010
PS2 SingStar Girl Power vs Boy Bands TBA 2010
PS2 SingStar Seduction TBA 2010
PS3 SingStar 02007-12-07 7 December 2007 02008-05-20 20 May 2008 [7]
PS3 SingStar Vol. 2 02008-06-20 20 June 2008 [8] 2010

[edit] Development

[edit] Initial design

The technology behind SingStar began as research project into sound input by SCE London Studio's prototyping department.[9] The project was initially focused on developing a pitch detection system and game concepts aimed at a children's audience. Two main game concepts were developed: Songlines, a third-person adventure game in which the player would sing to unlock new environments, and SingAlong Safari, where players would complete missions by singing along with animals.[10]

In 2003, the game underwent a direction change. The new concept featured contemporary music, and would use two microphones to allow for multiplayer scenarios.[11] A prototype game was developed, which included pitch detection technology, a basic interface display, a scoring system and samples of (then unlicensed) music. The first game demonstration took place at a Team SCEE conference in Paris, featuring the songs "Wonderwall" by Oasis and "Independent Women" by Destiny's Child.[10]

[edit] Hardware

SingStar games come bundled with two USB microphones
SingStar games come bundled with two USB microphones

The SingStar games come bundled with SingStar-branded microphones – one red and one blue – which connect to the PlayStation console via a single USB converter. The USB converter was required so that both microphones would use a single USB port; the PlayStation 2 only has two USB ports, and the second port needed to remain free for EyeToy functionality.[12] The PlayStation 2 Headset was originally considered as an alternative to microphones, however the headset was not technically sufficient, and London Studio felt that handheld microphones were important to the authentic experience.[10]

Wireless bluetooth microphones are currently in development for the PlayStation 3. The microphones were planned to launch with the game, but running two bluetooth microphones together was found to be difficult.[13] As a result, Singstar for the PlayStation 3 launched with USB microphones, with wireless microphones expected to launch in 2008.

[edit] Audio technology

The microphones detect pitch using digital signal processing, which analyses the frequency of the incoming signal. The frequency is then compared to stored information to evaluate if the note is correct. Regular singing segments do not feature speech recognition, and so humming into the microphones at the correct pitch will also score points.[2] Rap sections use a combination of speech recognition and rhythm detection.[14]

Tracks on the original SingStar for PlayStation 2 were mixed from master records, which allowed the artist's voice to be completely removed from the song. This feature was dropped in subsequent games because the requirement for master tracks would have restricted the studio's choice of songs.[13] SingStar for PlayStation 3 introduced the ability to digitally suppress vocals, using ADRes technology developed by the Dublin Institute of Technology. The ARDes settings vary for each track, and the technology is able to successfully remove the vocal tracks from 80% of songs.[15]

The PlayStation 3 version also includes various VST plugins developed by Sound Forge, adapted to run natively on the console. The input signal undergoes a vocal signal chain which includes high-pass filter, wave hammer compressor and a reverb with a 1.2 second decay. Users are able to control the audio processing during playback, adding features such as pitch shifting.[15]

[edit] Marketing

The SingStar series has been promoted through a number of advertising platforms, including television and cinema, print and digital advertising. SingStar advertisements are designed to convey the social aspects of the game. The advertisement for the PAL release SingStar Rocks! features two men singing Song 2 by Blur on a public rooftop, while onlookers watch in surprise.[16] Tony McTear, creative director of the advert, said that "the commercial really captures the spirit of the game."[17] Similar style advertisements were created for the American launch of SingStar Rocks!, which feature public performances in a mall,[18] a subway,[19] and a fire escape.[20]

In September 2006, SingStar took part in a television sponsorship deal with MTV in the United Kingdom. SingStar sponsored MTV's Throwdown program, which consisted of a 3 minute clip of viewers lip syncing to a song. Viewers were requested to upload a video of themselves singing to the SingStar-branded MTV Flux website, with a compilation of the most viewed videos being shown on Throwdown.[21] The campaign ran until February 2007, and resulted in a 15% boost in SingStar sales.[22]

SingStar's advertising campaigns have targeted a variety of demographics typically ignored by the gaming industry. The games have received coverage in women's and girls' magazines, including Heat and Harpers and Queen in the United Kingdom.[23]. In 2004, Sony PlayStation launched its first online advertising campaign targeted towards teenage girls,[24] and in 2006 ran an advertisement in Attitude targeted towards gay males.[25]

[edit] Reception

Aggregate Reviews
Game Game Rankings[26] MetaCritic[27]
SingStar
84%
82/100
SingStar Party
74%
78/100
SingStar Pop
UK: 74%
US:73%
74/100
SingStar '80s
UK: 78%
US:78%
78/100
SingStar Rocks!
72%
69/100
SingStar Anthems
63%
65/100
SingStar Legends
78%
78/100
SingStar Pop Hits
73/100
SingStar 90s
76%
72/100
SingStar Amped
78%
76/100
SingStar Rock Ballads
73%
73/100
SingStar R&B
70%
70/100
SingStar Bollywood
74%
74/100
SingStar Summer Party
74%
71/100
SingStar (PS3)
83%
83/100

The SingStar series has been largely successful in Europe and Australia, and has collectively sold over 12 million units in the PAL region,[28] and an additional 1.5 million units in the United States.[29] Over 1 million songs have been downloaded from the online SingStore.[28] In 2005, SingStar and SingStar Party jointly received the award for originality at the BAFTA Games Awards.[30]

[edit] Critical reception

The first SingStar game was well received by gaming critics. Eurogamer described it as the "definitive social game", and commented that the game was "buffed, polished and arranged to generate the maximum degree of entertainment." They did however criticise the scoring system for occasionally getting out of sync with the song.[31] Australian website PALGN described the single-player as "a little lacklustre", but praised the multiplayer component as "the best asset of SingStar" and described the game as "addictive."[32]

SingStar debuted in the US with the release of SingStar Rocks!, where it was compared against the Karaoke Revolution series. IGN criticised the lack of ability to remove the artists vocals, and said that the use of original music videos "hurt the ability to really get lost in the song." They also described SingStar's interface as a "crude hacked together system" compared to the scrolling timeline interface of Karaoke Revolution.[33] 1UP criticised the lack of character generation, rewards and unlockable features, and said SingStar "[lacks] the 'game' feel of Karaoke Revolution."[34]

A number of PlayStation 2 titles have offered additional gameplay features. The duet mode added in SingStar Party was described as "hit and miss [with some songs split] into 'fun bits' and 'boring bits' seemingly on purpose."[35] The rapping segments introduced in SingStar Pop were described as "the hardest parts of the entire game", and were a feature which added variety to the series.[36] SingStar Pop also introduced Medleys, which consist of a random combination of song choruses. The new medleys were described as "funny to watch, and intense to play", although potentially frustrating.[37]

The main difference between PlayStation 2 SingStar titles is the track list contained on the game disc. Some SingStar track lists have been better received than others. Eurogamer described the UK track list for SingStar Legends as "simultaneously eclectic and fantastic"[38], whereas SingStar Pop Hits felt like "a loosely thrown together collection of what the charts say is cool, with little regard for what will make for a fun karaoke party."[39] The localisation of some SingStar games also has played a part in their reception; PALGN praised the localised Australian content in SingStar Rocks![40], whereas SingStar Pop Hits (which featured an almost identical track list to the UK release) had songs Australians had never heard of.[41]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Q&A: SingStar senior producer Paulina Bozek. Yahoo!. Retrieved on 2007-12-10.
  2. ^ a b Interview with SingStar Producer Paulina Bozek. GamePro Australia (2004-07-05). Retrieved on 2007-12-10.
  3. ^ Van Leuveren, Luke (2007-12-06). Australian Singstar Store launches. PALGN. Retrieved on 2007-12-10.
  4. ^ SingStar - Your Questions Answered. Three Speech (2008-04-17). Retrieved on 2008-04-18.
  5. ^ Why SingStar PS3 is the Future. Kikizo (2007-05-22). Retrieved on 2007-12-10.
  6. ^ Mason, Kevin (2007-04-16). My SingStar Online. IGN. Retrieved on 2007-06-17.
  7. ^ Klepek, Patrick (2007-10-30). SingStar PS3 Delay Due to Licensing, No US Date. 1UP. Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
  8. ^ SingStar 2. Consoleshop. Retrieved on 2008-05-21.
  9. ^ Cocker, Guy (2006-07-25). Q&A: SingStar senior producer Paulina Bozek. Retrieved on 2007-12-11.
  10. ^ a b c Carless, Simon (2005-09-02). Postcard from GDC Europe 2005: SingStar - That's Entertainment. Gamasutra. Retrieved on 2007-12-11.
  11. ^ Paulina Bozek - Senior Producer. Skillset. Retrieved on 2007-12-10.
  12. ^ Bates, Richard (2007-02-19). Pass the Mic. Sony_SingStar's Blog. IGN. Retrieved on 2007-12-11.
  13. ^ a b Mason, Kevin (2007-07-16). Your SingStar Questions Answered!. Sony_SingStar's Blog. IGN. Retrieved on 2007-12-11.
  14. ^ Bedigian, Louis. Striking a Chord with SingStar Pop’s Tamsin Lucas. GameZone. Retrieved on 2007-12-11.
  15. ^ a b Broomhall, John (2008-04-03). Heard About: SingStar PS3. Develop Magazine. Retrieved on 2008-04-19.
  16. ^ Canavan, Avril (2007-04-07). TBWA\LONDON launches Sony PlayStation’s ‘SingStar Rocks’ through international TV Campaign. TBWA\LONDON. Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
  17. ^ SingStar Rocks commercial. mad.co.uk (2006-04-21). Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
  18. ^ mall 30. MySpaceTV Videos (2006-12-19). Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
  19. ^ subway 30. MySpaceTV Videos (2006-12-19). Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
  20. ^ fire escape 15. MySpace TV Videos (2006-12-19). Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
  21. ^ MTV Networks. "invENTS at Manning Gottlieb OMD develops groundbreaking TV sponsorship campaign for SingStar on PlayStation 2". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
  22. ^ Introducing PlayStation to the female market. UTalkMarketing. Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
  23. ^ Hill, Jason (2005-03-31). Boys' zone. The Age. Fairfax Digital. Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
  24. ^ "PlayStation taps into girls' market for SingStar game", New Media Age, 2004-05-27. Retrieved on 2007-12-12. 
  25. ^ Sliwinski, Alexander (2006-10-19). British gay gamers get pitched. Joystiq. Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
  26. ^ Rankings. Game Rankings. Retrieved on 2008-04-29.
  27. ^ Search Results. Metacritic. Retrieved on 2008-04-29.
  28. ^ a b Yoon, Andrew (2008-04-27). SingStar reaches 1 million downloaded tracks. PS3 Fanboy. Retrieved on 2008-04-27.
  29. ^ Kennedy, Sam (2008-04-20). Previews: SingStar. 1UP. Retrieved on 2008-05-03.
  30. ^ 2nd Annual BAFTA Games Awards Winners Announced. Gameinfowire.com (2005-03-03). Retrieved on 2008-04-25.
  31. ^ Bramwell, Tom (2004-06-01). SingStar review. Eurogamer. Retrieved on 2008-04-25.
  32. ^ Van Leuveran, Luke (2004-06-28). SingStar review. PALGN. Retrieved on 2008-04-25.
  33. ^ Lewis, Ed (2006-11-14). SingStar Rocks! Review. IGN. Retrieved on 2008-04-25.
  34. ^ Chu, Karen. Reviews: SingStar Rocks. 1UP. Retrieved on 2008-04-25.
  35. ^ Bramwell, Tom (2004-11-09). SingStar Party review. Eurogamer. Retrieved on 2008-04-25.
  36. ^ Van Leuveran, Luke (2005-06-03). SingStar Pop review. PALGN. Retrieved on 2008-04-25.
  37. ^ Hamer-Morton, James (2005-05-25). SingStar Popworld review. Boomtown. Retrieved on 2008-04-25.
  38. ^ Fahey, Rob (2006-11-01). SingStar Legends Review. Eurogamer. Retrieved on 2008-04-25.
  39. ^ Fahey, Rob (2007-04-11). SingStar Pop Hits review. Eurogamer. Retrieved on 2008-04-25.
  40. ^ Van Leuveran, Luke (2006-05-06). SingStar Rocks! review. PALGN. Retrieved on 2008-04-25.
  41. ^ Van Leuveran, Luke (2007-07-02). SingStar Pop Hits review. PALGN.

[edit] External links