JACK YARWOOD
Jack Yarwood Jan 18, 2022. 10 minute read
The Strange Tale of Rockstar Loft, Rockstar Games’ Short-Lived Club Night
In 1999, Rockstar Games co-founders Sam Houser and Terry Donovan teamed up with John Davis, the promoter of the Sunday afternoon New York party Body & Soul, to envision a new club night — one that would stand apart from the vacuous, celebrity-filled parties that dominated the city. It would…
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Jack Yarwood Nov 4, 2021. 14 minute read
Behind the Groundbreaking Sound of SSX and SSX Tricky
When I think about SSX, the first thing that comes to mind is the sound. It’s the noise the board makes as it cuts through the snow; the electronic mix that plays as you make your way down the mountain; and the beatboxer Rahzel’s larger-than-life commentary that hypes you up…
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Jack Yarwood Sep 22, 2021. 13 minute read
Inside PlayMagic, the Studio Behind the Disastrous XIII Remake
On November 13th 2020, publisher Microids and developer PlayMagic put out a statement apologizing for their recent remake of XIII. Fans had been eagerly anticipating the remake of Ubisoft Paris’s cult first-person-shooter — itself based on a Belgian graphic novel of the same name. But when it launched, frustrated players took…
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Jack Yarwood Sep 1, 2021. 9 minute read
The Story of Hi-Tech Expressions, the Original Rockstars of Gaming
There was a popular saying at Hi-Tech Expressions, the Manhattan-based video game publisher and developer: “To work at Hi-Tech, you have to play an instrument.” Like most sayings, it was a slight exaggeration. The management at the company never expected applicants to crack out a guitar and jam out in…
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Jack Yarwood Jun 22, 2021. 11 minute read
A ‘Rare’ Interview with Donkey Kong Country Composer Eveline Novakovic
In 2007, video game composer Eveline Novakovic (née Fischer) faced a difficult decision. Working at Rare had been the perfect job — it was a state-of-the-art games studio nestled away in the English countryside, and a place where she could be creative alongside a team of other talented individuals. But…
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Jack Yarwood Jun 2, 2021. 8 minute read
The Bizarre Tale of How E.T. Killed Video Games (Again)
E.T. for the Atari 2600 is one of the most infamous video games in history — the title is often held up as the last straw that ended the first video game boom and led to truckloads of cartridges being dumped in the New Mexican desert. But while it’s certainly the…
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