Metal is an abstract thibng. A lot of us use the word to convey that a videogame has an indefinable amount of oomph. The word describes a swagger. An emotion. An action. It describes a lot of things. For the Dragon Age: Origins crew, metal is a feeling.
A feeling that can be hard to describe.
I know this because I asked. Over the last few weeks myself and Nick Chester have been asking developers (and characters) a simple question: how f’ing metal is your game? Plucked from our imaginations as a way to extract an interesting answer, we’ve yet to be disappointed.
For the Origins crew, though, answering the question became a journey.
“The question before me was simple enough,” Origins lead designer Mike Laidlaw told me via e-mail, “ ‘How f’ing metal is your game?’ I considered,” he said, “how I might respond. ‘Very’ just wouldn’t work. Metal isn’t something your quantify, it’s something your feel.”
“So let’s talk about how metal Dragon Age: Origins feels.”
Laidlaw proceeded to tell me how Origins feels in three different scenarios. Strange way to reply, right?
Right. This is the desired effect of this spin on an otherwise softball question. Ask any producer, artist, director, or whatever, if a game they’re doing is a great one and they will say yes, perhaps then spinning the answer into a series of talking points. Gameplay. Moral choices. Open-world environment. Blah. Blah. Blah.
Laidlaw's first scenario has a touch of a talking point in it, but it mainly avoids the traditional course. It involves an art director, thoughts of armor, and a mosh pit -- three surprisingly metal things.
“It's deafening, even from up here,” Laidlaw tells me. “On the stage, a man in a costume that mostly consists of prosthetic limbs growls threats against the establishment. He promises dark things for the crowd in the mosh pit, where one of the Origins marketing team pinballs with the wild abandon of a man who has, in absolute terms, taken his glasses off. I turn to Dragon Age`s art director. ‘There's this guy who wants to know how f'ing metal Dragon Age is?’ It's uncertain how many of the words actually get through.”
“ ‘Seven different kinds!’ He bellows it back like a thunderclap, and the crowd around us leans back in terror, assuming only a declaration of war could emerge from his heavily muscled form. I consider correcting him. I want to dig further than the “metals” of our vast collection of arms and armor which come in everything from iron to red steel, but I am distracted by a payload of disgusting cream-like substance showering down on the mosh pit. Our marketing guy emerges from the torrent like he’s starring in Apocalypse Now. He would later report that it was both “cool” and “refreshing.” No one believes him.”
The second scenario given to me also involves music, which is interesting. Music has become an important marketing tool for Origins. Once billed as nothing more than a Baldur’s Gate clone, Origins took on a new life and established a new identity, with the debut of a raucous trailer full of gore, sex and the wails of Marilyn Manson.
In this scenario, we hear about the metal wail of Thorazine's vocalist.
“Dragon Age's lead character artist turns to me as I approach. His is the air of man utterly convinced that each race not only deserves, but needs its own facial tattoos, and that those tattoos will be colorable. He is a man of conviction. He was, after all, the lead singer of Thorazine, Section VIII and Exit Strategy, and thus one of the most f'ing metal people that I know. I deploy the question and he looks away, eyes distant.
"His reply is a torrent of sound. When my brain catches up to the growling assault, I realize they are lyrics of betrayal, of power, of lust and violence, the words dancing deftly between the major themes of the game. In the short burst, ancient curses twist the forms of men, races are enslaved, demons awake and lead teeming armies of foulness to destroy all that is pure. In that moment he is an avatar of primal Metal. He is incandescent. I am seared," he tells me, finishing the scenario.
As Laidlaw describes, the artist's reply was a torrent of sound. The image reminds me of "This is the new shit," the song used in the marketing campaign for Origins. Throaty and powerful, it is a compliment to the on-screen brutality. In a sense, it is everything that is metal. But also nothing. Funny how metal works.
But there are other things that are equally as metal, as proven by Laidlaw's third and touching scenario.
“PAX. She didn't have to wait in line that long to play Dragon Age. From the seat of her wheelchair, she was delivering death with a ruthless efficiency. There was a quest before her, after all. She was going to become a Grey Warden, whatever it took. An arrow sinks into the throat of a darkspawn. She maneuvers her rogue behind another, where a flurry of blows cut the beast down. She does it. Her character reaches the Joining, a ritual in which the Grey Wardens willingly sacrifice all to safeguard the world.
"Then she goes through it in the booth, just as her character had done moments before. She emerges from the Joining, determined to see this thing through. Her reward was a chance to wear the colors and wield the sword of a Grey Warden before the crowd. She rises from her chair, set on doing it right. Then she wavers just a little. Everyone holds their breath, but she finds her center and the blade rises proud and true. And there, before fans that have waited for hours to play the game, for one shining moment, she is a Grey Warden. Her name is called, “Hail the Warden!” is the reply. Cheers resound. I have my answer.”
“THAT is pretty F'ing metal,” Laidlaw tells me.
Contest:
5:40 PM on 10.05.2009
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A little off topic, but 2 games I absolutely hated the metal music in: Devil May Cry 3 (Metal suits the game well, but that fucking battle music drove me nuts, also you couldn't turn it off) and Prince of Persia Warrior Within (Where metal did not suit the tone and atmosphere of the game.)
At least they're being enthusiastic about how poorly they've handled the tone for marketing it.
Seriously.
Agreed. Bioware is among my top five personal favorite developers, but the way EA (?) decided to market this game is unbelievably terrible.
I can't IMAGINE how little respect I'd have for Bethesda if they started similar campaigns for Fallout 3: New Vegas or the new Elder Scrolls.
Well, technically New Vegas is under the auspices of Obsidian, so I imagine a barrage of scripted dev diary videos, then a sudden, unannounced 8 month delay.
Oh God, I'm so sad. I wanted my Alpha Protocol.
@unangbangkay
I'm not the only one waiting for Alpha Protocol and that isn't doing Mass Effect comparsions?
First day buy. Gonna be playing Borderlands, too.
dialogue trees that cover things like should I complement her hair or use a cheesy pick-up line... NOT metal.
moral choices that are NOT a question of whether I should take my time killing this guy now to savor the moment or kill him quickly to maximize my killing efficiency but INSTEAD something like "oh should i help the kid who's cat got stuck in a tree"... NOT metal.
All this pretention about generating emotion and showing "life" or "art" or creating "bonds" or whatever (talking about how long-winded responses to why they have sex in the game)... NOT metal.
Dragon Age: Origins. NOT METAL. Not that that's a bad thing, none of my complaints mean to say that the game is in any way shape or form bad, but you do not know metal if you think this is metal.
Did no one grow up with Heavy Metal style low fantasy? Hell you don't even need to read the comic, just watch the Heavy Metal movie. It's fucking awesome! ;D
And yes, gutting monsters with blood splattering everywhere while rescuing half naked women is fucking metal.
My only complaint about the way Dragon Age is being handled is I might have preferred if they picked something other than Manson to be their metal of choice.
Fuck, I hope there's an option to turn it off, that shit is going to fucking ruin it.
At the start of the game, show a clip of prisoners getting tortured or something, with some good metal in the background. As in, actually good and fitting. Then, show the same scene again, but with normal orchestral set piece stuff.
Pick A or B, and live with the consequences for the rest of the game. There, perfect moral choice.
\m/
Metal isn't poignant? That is the most ass backwards thing I've ever heard in my life. When I was listening to Disposable Heroes by Metallica in grade 6 back in the 80s, my classmates were listening to The Right Stuff by New Kids on the Block.
When I was listening to Peace Sells But Who's Buying? by Megadeth People were listening to Photograph by Def Leopard. When I was listening to Greenhouse Effect by Testament, people were listening to the Wayne's World Soundtrack.
Metal is deep rooted in social and topical relevance. It's full of conscious aggressive opinionated stances on a number of topics that are far deeper and more important than your average music genre. I was learning about suicide, political unrest, injustice, environmental issues, conflicts, religious indignation, gangs, racism, self empowerment, free speech, violence, war, the worth of a human life, standing up for ones self, thinking for ones self, educating ones self and questioning all forms of authority, sympathizing with each other in social taboo situations, the folly of drug abuse, nuclear war, corporate sheep, homelessness, history, cultures, and all on top of that a basis of musical composition that is far above and beyond just about any other musical genre that exists. Classical composition, note progression, instrument arrangments, scales, poly rhythms, frequency compression, etc.
The only reason why metal is seen as stupid is because a) it's usually violent in nature or loud or abrasive. It's because we're passionate about what we like. We know what we like, we stand by what we like, and we defend what we like. It's not about being superior, it's about who the hell you are inside. We are just sure of who and what we are. We know EXACTLY what we are. And we stand together in that, embrace and covet it. It's a community of like minded and similar 'souls' if you will. We share the same drive and burning inside to enjoy and create challenging things. We like progression and power and a sense of accomplishment. Thrashing around and banging into one another during the shows is just an outlet of emotion. It's that ingrained in our DNA, it makes us feel that good that it just comes FLYING out of us in a very powerful way...much like the music we make and enjoy.
It's not just about the chains and the hair and the drugs and sex and all that nonsense. Those are just things in life that tend to share the same characteristics as the personality and inner self among metal heads. All that nonsense is just flare and it helps the rest of the world tag and characterize us. But you don't have to be this or that in order to be 'metal'. It's about the spirit and familiarity, the energy and commradery we have with one another that if you belt out 'Angel of Death' every metal head will come running to enjoy the amazing powerful music, guaranteed. It will excite them and make them feel alive. It's just pure human spirit blasting out in an intense manner in a focused, somewhat violent, colourful, communal appreciation for musical ability and to be among peers that get you instead of sit there and try and explain or put you down.
Which is why we are so defensive and seemingly dangerous. But I guarantee, you give a metal head his or her due respect and you will meet some of the most well-educated, down to earth, opinion driven, well rounded, stable, gentle individuals you could ever imagine.
No massive egos. No posturing. No nonsense. Just straight forward.
Jack Black is not metal whatsoever. If he was he'd think the shit that he's doing is completely weak and selling the image of it rather than the meaning. Try and pry a copy of the Great Southern Trendkill cd out of a Pantera fans hands. Good luck.
We're not shit. If anything we're the backbone of truth and meaning in art stemming from a social movement that made the world stop being so fucking stiff and afraid to live their lives free and happy and in the way they fucking want to live.
It's not about Satan and all that garbage. All of that is just prose. It's interests and for fun. Cannibal Corpse loves horror movies, that's why their music is so heavy and evil and full of gore. It's for FUN! You talk to them in person and they are fucking GREAT people. A lot of them are.
So before you start pointin fingers and hating the long hairs or whatever, think again, I bet you'd be surprised how cool a metal head is. But beyond that, if you start criticizing and belittling the music...you might just get a mouthful of your own face.
We all owe Dee Snyder from Twisted Sister(total cheese metal band), everything for what he did for music. If you don't know about the situation with Tipper Gore and the PMRC, look into it. The world isn't just a better place with metalheads in it, it's a truer place, a safer place, a higher happier more spirited and better educated place because our community believes in truth, knowledge and community.
Why else do you think we flip out and seethe when a band sells out, much like Metallica did. They went mainstream and ruined the metal movement of the 80s with their low brow bullshit excuse for a follow up with horrible songs like Enter Sandman and Unforgiven. Not only did the music suffer but the lyrical content suffered and the spirit was gone. Now they are just forcing it out.
I'd talk about other bands but you probably wouldn't know what the hell I'm saying because you have only this media driven idea on what metal or a metal head is.
This game should not have metal music in it. If it does, it turns into a fucking parody. I'd rather have classical music to match the classical setting. Putting metal into it is just another fucking parlor trick to make the same tired douchebags that love to latch on to a fad put their hands up in the horns just cuz they saw some faggot do it on MTV or Rock Band, thinking they are metal heads because they listen to new 'core' bands and go to these horrible half assed festivals that claim they are HEAVY, etc.... what a pile of nonsense...
Metal is not what you think it is. It's a lifestyle and a community and a spirit... Ah fuck it, if you aren't it, you'll never get it. And that I'm thankful for.
Watch this, find the lyrics, listen to what Dave is saying. It's fucking true. It's bigger and better than you me and anything that anyone wants to 'deem' as 'metal'.
Up the irons!
K... I'll have fun playing this game while you're not because of some song you didn't like, or whatever.
Nothing more? Seriously fuck you, there's a hell of a lot of people who want just that.
Just kidding, I'm not a huge fan of them, but if Blind Guardian knows Middle Earth is Metal and can make an epic Sacred 2 video I think Dragon Age is going to be so effing metal it will make Smaug jealous.
of course, you're a bit confused at times. jack black is selling an image, but cannibal corpse (not really a fan, i don't like domestic death metal... boring, european stuff like emperor, blackthrone, or immortal is more interesting) does the same thing, and you defend them? convenient, no? that between two fakes, one is a sell out and the other is metal?
anyways, all that was an interesting aside. and i don't agree with everything else you said, but....
"Putting metal into it is just another fucking parlor trick to make the same tired douchebags that love to latch on to a fad put their hands up in the horns just cuz they saw some faggot do it on MTV or Rock Band"
is pretty much what this article is all about.
On topic, I hope using "Metal" as an adjective stays where it belongs. If you're using it thusly, you're doing it wrong. (Cue Inigo Montoya pic, "that word", etc., etc....)
This, usually. Some people are still stupid, even if they've gotten into metal. Same thing goes for hardcore kids and punks, but that's entirely unrelated to metal.
Personally, I could care less about this whole thing. If they want to save themselves the time, effort, and money of getting a fitting score for the game by putting in heavy-ish music? That's cool, I hope it works out for them. If they want to convince people their game is "brutal" and whatever, all the power to them.
Let the game stand on its own merits - go into the options menu and turn the music off (which is always an option in just about 95% of video games, if you've ever played one) and play your own epic classical music (or some Rhapsody) and enjoy the damn game.