With all SingStar products, we start off the process by defining parameters for our song list, and SingStar ’90s was no exception. However, this proved to be more challenging than usual, as everybody we asked had their own idea about the ’90s — it wasn’t as clearly defined as if you asked them about the ’80s.But, that’s ultimately where we got our inspiration from.
SingStar logoPartyFirst releaseSingStarMay 2004Latest releaseSingStar CelebrationOctober 2017SingStar is a competitive series for consoles, developed by and published. Dozens of installments were released for the, and several more for the. It is also available on the as a free app download, with users paying for the songs as individual or bundle downloads. The games have also undergone a number of non-English releases in various European countries.SingStar games on disc for PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 are distributed either as the software alone, or bundled with a pair of microphones – one red, one blue; wireless microphones are also available. The games are compatible with the, and PlayStation 4 cameras, allowing players to see and record themselves singing.On 31 October 2019, an announcement was made via the SingStar website explaining that all SingStar and SingStore servers will be shut down in January 2020. All offline content will remain accessible after the shut down. Screenshot from, featuring the song '.
Player 1 is shown in blue, while Player 2 is shown in red.SingStar games require players to sing along with music in order to score points. Players interface with their console via SingStar microphones while a plays in the background.
The players are required to sing is displayed as horizontal grey bars, which function similar to a, with corresponding displayed at the bottom of the screen. The game analyses a player's pitch and timing which is compared 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. 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 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.The versions of the game also support trophies, earned through achieving specific objectives.Track lists. See also: andMost SingStar games for PlayStation 2 differ only in the track list contained on the game disc.
SingStar games typically ship with 30 songs. Individual SingStar games are loosely based upon genres, such as or ( and 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 SingStar games (except the original SingStar and Singalong with Disney for PlayStation 2) 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; it also allows PS2 SingStar discs to be played on a PS3, regardless of its status, by starting with a PS3 master disc. 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.Network features The PlayStation 3 version of SingStar introduced a number of online features, accessed through the. Users are able to purchase songs online from the SingStore, allowing them to expand their current music selection. The SingStore launched with 41 songs, with 1044 songs currently available for download. All music videos are currently in, although videos will be offered in if possible.My SingStar Online is the online community component of SingStar for the PlayStation 3. 3on3 freestyle steam. The idea for My SingStar Online was inspired by people uploading photos and videos of SingStar parties to websites such as.
The game will record photos and videos of players singing with the (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 other's performances and leave comments on other people's profiles.Releases Over 70 SingStar have been released worldwide, including 16 titles in the and, and 10 titles in. In addition, a number of non-English titles have been released exclusively in some European countries, including Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Finland and The Netherlands. While the majority of SingStar titles are for platform, a number were released for the. A game titled SingStar Ultimate Party was also released for both PlayStation 3. The latest title, SingStar Celebration was released for PlayStation 4 on 24 October 2017.SingStar Dance and SingStar Guitar At E3 2010, Sony announced that SingStar would be expanding its audience with the release of. In addition to singing, the first game adds a dancing element using the controller, while the second allows players to play guitar using any compatible.
Guitar was released in October 2010, while Dance was released the following month. No further titles have been released in either series.Free-to-play On 23 October 2012, Sony announced that SingStar would become, via a free SingStar application to be included in the next software update.
New features include the ability to use the as a microphone, and new Trophies. Songs can be played from PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 retail discs (but cannot be copied onto the Hard Drive), as well as songs bought from the.PlayStation 3 was released on 24 October 2012. This release caused some complaints, as the application icon was made mandatory for all European PlayStation 3 users, and cannot be removed from the. Various petitions have been started in response to the new icon, but no changes have been made as of today, except on 28 October 2014when the XMB icon was updated.
The icon is still appearing as of today. Development Initial design The technology behind SingStar began as a research project into sound input by 's department. 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.In 2003, the game underwent a direction change. The new concept featured contemporary music videos, and would use two microphones to allow for multiplayer scenarios.
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 ' by and '. Hardware. SingStar USB microphonesThe SingStar games require 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 and later versions of the only have two USB ports, and the second port needed to remain free for camera functionality. The 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.Wireless microphones, with a 2.4 GHz receiver attached to the PS2 or PS3 by USB, became available in Europe in March 2009.
Microphones were originally planned to launch with the PS3 version of SingStar, but running two Bluetooth microphones together was found to be difficult, so the PS3 game launched with the same USB microphones as the PS2 game.From 21 May 2014, users of the PlayStation 4 could use their smartphones as a microphone. This feature is also available for the PlayStation 3 version.Audio technology The microphones detect using, which analyses the of the incoming signal via. The frequency is then compared to stored information to evaluate if the note is correct. Regular singing segments do not feature, and so humming into the microphones at the correct pitch will also score points. Rap sections use a combination of speech recognition and rhythm detection.Tracks on the original SingStar for PlayStation 2 were mixed from, 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. SingStar for PlayStation 3 introduced the ability to digitally suppress vocals, using ADRess (Azimuth Discrimination and Resynthesis) technology developed by Dan Barry at the Audio Research Group, based in the.
The ADRess settings vary for each track, and the technology is able to successfully remove the vocal tracks from 80% of songs.The PlayStation 3 version also includes various developed by, adapted to run natively on the console. The input signal undergoes a vocal signal chain which includes, wave hammer compressor and a with a 1.2 second decay. Users are able to control the audio processing during playback, adding features such as pitch shifting. PlayStation Home On 24 September 2009, SCE London Studios launched a themed in the PlayStation 3's online community-based service,. The space is called 'The SingStar Rooms' and features a dance floor, a jukebox, and different rewards for the users.
This is available to the European and North American versions of PlayStation Home.There is also a VIP Room. The VIP Room is used for events. The first event was for the, a Winner, and occurred from 24 September 2009 to 9 October 2009. Dizzee performed for the PS Home/ SingStar community and answered questions for an hour after the performance.
There were also limited time items at this space like a Dizzee Mask. This was available to the European and North American versions of PlayStation Home, however, Dizzee only appeared in the European version to answer questions.The VIP Room reopened on 17 December 2009 until 14 January 2010 for Christmas with a new mini-game and a reward. Marketing The SingStar series has been promoted through a number of platforms, including and cinema, print and digital advertising. SingStar advertisements are designed to convey the social aspects of the game. The advertisement for the release features two men singing by on a public rooftop, while onlookers watch in surprise.
Tony McTear, creative director of the advert, said that 'the commercial really captures the spirit of the game.' Similar style advertisements were created for the American launch of SingStar Rocks!, which feature public performances in a mall, a subway, and a fire escape.In September 2006, SingStar took part in a television sponsorship deal with 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 website, with a compilation of the most viewed videos being shown on Throwdown. The campaign ran until February 2007, and resulted in a 15% boost in SingStar sales.In 2009 during the airing of Australian Idol in Australia Singstar was advertised every time the show aired.In 2012 Julian Hill became A Guinness World record holder for his 24 hours 23 minutes continuous play of SingStar games. This charity Event, Known as 'SingStar The Endurance Challenge' raised over £3,000 for Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, and made Julian Hill an Internet Celebrity.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 and in the United Kingdom.
In 2004, Sony PlayStation launched its first online advertising campaign targeted towards teenage girls, and in 2006 ran an advertisement in targeted towards males. Reception Aggregate Reviews GameGame RankingsMetaCriticSingStar84%82/100SingStar Party74%77/100SingStar Pop76%74/100SingStar '80sUK: 79%US: 78%78/100SingStar Rocks!71%71/100SingStar Anthems63%65/100SingStar Legends78%78/100SingStar Pop Hits79%77/100SingStar '90s74%73/100SingStar Amped78%76/100SingStar Rock Ballads73%73/100SingStar R&B PT 170%70/100SingStar R&B PT 273%74/100SingStar Summer Party74%73/100SingStar Hottest Hits76%79/100SingStar BoyBands vs GirlBands79%78/100(PS2)70%65/100SingStar Singalong with Disney68%69/100(PS2)3%82/100SingStar Vol. 2 (PS3)81%80/100SingStar Vol. 3 (PS3)70%65/100(PS3)68%69/100SingStar Queen (PS3)77%76/100SingStar Pop Edition (PS3)75%72/100Singstar Motown (PS2)83%81/100The SingStar series has been largely successful in Europe and Australia, and has collectively sold over 16 million units in the, and an additional 1.5 million units in the United States. Over 4 million songs have been downloaded from the online SingStore.
In 2005, SingStar and SingStar Party jointly received the award for originality at the. The 2017 game SingStar Celebration was nominated for 'Best Family/Social Game' at the 2017, and for 'Family Game of the Year' at the 21st Annual.
Critical reception The first game was well received by gaming critics. 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. Australian website 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.' SingStar debuted in the US with the release of SingStar Rocks!, where it was compared against the 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. 1UP criticised the lack of character generation, rewards and unlockable features, and said SingStar 'lacks the 'game' feel of Karaoke Revolution.' A number of PlayStation 2 titles have offered additional gameplay features. The mode added in was described as 'hit and miss with some songs split into 'fun bits' and 'boring bits' seemingly on purpose.'
The segments introduced in were described as 'the hardest parts of the entire game', and were a feature which added variety to the series. SingStar Pop also introduced, 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.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 as 'simultaneously eclectic and fantastic', whereas 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.' The localisation of some SingStar games also has played a part in their reception; PALGN praised the localised Australian content in, whereas it panned SingStar Pop Hits (which featured an almost identical track list to the UK release), saying that it had songs few Australians had ever heard of. Retrieved 10 December 2007.
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