Video Games Orchestra sells out Berklee gig

A Google alert pointed me to an article on an orchestra performing video game compositions at the Berklee College of Music. Nice enough, but it buried the lead. It turns out that there is a group called VGO (Video Game Orchestra) that comprises a 45-piece chamber orchestra, a 40-plus member choir, and a five-piece rock band. These guys are going all-out.

The VGO's members are drawn from Berklee, The Boston Conservatory, the New England Conservatory, and Boston university, and represent 20 different countries. Not only that, but last week the VGO sold out a concert at the Berklee Performance Center, apparently the first time a student project has ever done so.

Started last year by Shota Nakama with classmates Simon Lee and Kian How, the VGO has a 25-song setlist that includes the Super Mario and Sonic The Hedgehog themes (old skool!), and selections from Metal Gear Solid, God of War, and Silent Hill among others. The VGO YouTube channel is worth a stay. Here's a crowd-pleasing rendition of One Winged Angel from Final Fantasy VII.

Boston as next game design hub?

Notwithstanding New York's obvious status as center of the known universe, I latched onto an AP story playing up Boston and Massachusetts' potential as a game design hub, and efforts to lure new companies there following the success of Harmonix, among others. If successful, this would be a graceful elucidation of some of Richard Florida's Creative Class ideas. Also good to see the music scene there highlighted as a contributing factor.

"Building the company in the Boston/Cambridge area, home to MIT, Harvard and other colleges, ensures a deep well of talent, according to Harmonix co-founder and CEO Alex Rigopulos. The Boston area had another big plus a thriving music scene centered on local clubs and the Berklee College of Music.

"...the rise of video games is due in part to their ability to take advantage of new mobile and web technologies that demand expertise in software, design, animation, audio and music. Successful games can also be branched out into ring tones, toys and other forms of merchandise, including the Massachusetts College of Art and the Rhode Island School of Design."

wrt Harmonix, may I request that they please sort out an iPhone version of Phase? kthxbai.