This article concerns the series as a whole. For the PlayStation 3 version, see SingStar (PlayStation 3). SingStar is a competitive Karaoke game for the PlayStation 3, and is a follow-up to the PlayStation 2 ''SingStar'' series

SingStar logo

SingStar is a competitive karaoke video game series for the PlayStation 2, developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. (kɑːrɑːˌoʊkɛ in Japanese karaoke) is a form of Entertainment in which Amateur Singers sing along with recorded Music (and/or a A video game is a Game that involves interaction with a User interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. SCE London Studio is an in-house Sony developer located in London, England ( SCEI) is a Japanese Video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry mostly in Video game consoles and is a full 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. History The EyeToy was originally devised by Dr Richard Marks who had the idea of connecting a Web camera to a PlayStation 2 and using it to play games

Overview

Gameplay

Screenshot from SingStar Rocks!, featuring Stereophonics - "Dakota". This is a list of titles of the SingStar Video game series, developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer Stereophonics are a British Rock band, consisting of Kelly Jones, Richard Jones, Javier Weyler and Adam Zindani. " Dakota " is a song by the Welsh band Stereophonics. 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. A music video is a Short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music most commonly a Song with lyrics 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. In standard Western Musical notation, the staff ( AmE) or stave Lyrics (in singular form Lyric) are a set of words that accompany music either by speaking or singing 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. A duet is a Musical composition or piece for two Performers In Classical music the term is most often used for a composition for two singers 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. This is a list of titles of the SingStar Video game series, developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer ^[1]

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). Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure This is a list of titles of the SingStar Video game series, developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer This is a list of titles of the SingStar Video game series, developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer 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.

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. Flickr is an image and video hosting Website, Web services suite and Online community platform YouTube is a video sharing website where users can upload view and share Video clips YouTube was created in February 2005 by three former PayPal employees ^[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. Features Camera The PlayStation Eye is capable of capturing standard video with Frame rates of 60 Hertz at a 640x480 pixel resolution, Users are able to rate each others performances and leave comments on other people's profiles.

Releases

Main article: List of SingStar titles

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. This is a list of titles of the SingStar Video game series, developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer A Stock Keeping Unit, or SKU (pronounced either as an Acronym (ˈskjuː or as an Initialism (/ˌɛsˌkeɪˈjuː/ “S–K–U” is a The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Australasia is a Region of Oceania: New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, and neighbouring Islands in the Pacific 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.

Development

Initial design

The technology behind SingStar began as research project into sound input by SCE London Studio's prototyping department. This is a list of titles of the SingStar Video game series, developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer Events 878 - Syracuse Italy is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " This is a list of titles of the SingStar Video game series, developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer Events 1095 - The Council of Clermont, called by Pope Urban II to discuss sending the First Crusade to the Holy Land "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " This is a list of titles of the SingStar Video game series, developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer Events 1497 - Pope Alexander VI excommunicates Girolamo Savonarola. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1043 - Edward the Confessor is crowned King of England. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. This is a list of titles of the SingStar Video game series, developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer Events 1333 - Flood of the Arno River, causing massive damage in Florence as recorded by the Florentine chronicler Giovanni Villani Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. This is a list of titles of the SingStar Video game series, developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer Events 1111 - Henry V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor. 1204 - The Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1533 - Conquistadors from Spain under the leadership of Francisco Pizarro arrive in Cajamarca, Inca Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. This is a list of titles of the SingStar Video game series, developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer Events 70 - The Destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem by the Romans. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. This is a list of titles of the SingStar Video game series, developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer Events 312 - Constantine the Great is said to have received his famous Vision of the Cross. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 3761 BC - The epoch (origin of the modern Hebrew calendar ( Proleptic Julian calendar) 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common This is a list of titles of the SingStar Video game series, developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer Events 1124 - David I becomes King of Scotland. 1296 - Battle of Dunbar: The Scots are defeated Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. This is a list of titles of the SingStar Video game series, developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer Events 8 - Roman Empire General Tiberius defeats Dalmatians on the river Bathinus. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1279 - A Mongolian victory in the Battle of Yamen ends the Song Dynasty in China. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common This is a list of titles of the SingStar Video game series, developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. This is a list of titles of the SingStar Video game series, developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer Events 1217 - The Estonian tribal leader Lembitu of Lehola was killed in a battle against Teutonic Knights. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. This is a list of titles of the SingStar Video game series, developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer Events 740 - An Earthquake strikes Constantinople, causing much damage and death Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. This is a list of titles of the SingStar Video game series, developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer Events 1607 - Eighty Years' War: The Dutch fleet destroys the anchored Spanish fleet at Gibraltar. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common SingStar is a competitive Karaoke game for the PlayStation 3, and is a follow-up to the PlayStation 2 ''SingStar'' series Events 43 BC - Marcus Tullius Cicero assassinated 1696 - Connecticut Route 108, one of the oldest highways Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 325 - The First Council of Nicaea &ndash the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church is held 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common This is a list of titles of the SingStar Video game series, developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer Events 451 - Battle of Chalons: Flavius Aetius ' defeats Attila the Hun. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common SCE London Studio is an in-house Sony developer located in London, England ^[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. Oasis are an English rock band that formed in Manchester in 1991 Destiny's Child (sometimes referred to as DC or DC3) was an R&B and pop Girl group comprising lead singer Beyoncé Knowles ^[10]

Hardware

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. History The EyeToy was originally devised by Dr Richard Marks who had the idea of connecting a Web camera to a PlayStation 2 and using it to play games ^[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. The PlayStation 2 Headset is a USB headset used with the PlayStation 2. ^[10]

Wireless bluetooth microphones are currently in development for the PlayStation 3. Bluetooth is a wireless protocol utilizing short-range communications technology facilitating data transmission over short distances from fixed and/or mobile devices creating wireless 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.

Audio technology

The microphones detect pitch using digital signal processing, which analyses the frequency of the incoming signal. Pitch represents the perceived Fundamental frequency of a sound Digital signal processing ( DSP) is concerned with the representation of the signals by a sequence of numbers or symbols and the processing of these signals Frequency is a measure of the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit Time. 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. Speech recognition (also known as automatic speech recognition or computer speech recognition) converts spoken words to machine-readable input (for example to keypresses ^[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. A master recording is an original Recording, from which copies may be made 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. Dublin Institute of Technology ( DIT) ( Irish: Institiúid Teicneolaíochta Bhaile Atha Cliath) was established officially in 1992 under the Dublin Institute 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. Steinberg 's Virtual Studio Technology (VST is an interface for integrating software Audio Synthesizer and effect Plugins with Sony Sound Forge, formerly known as Sonic Foundry Sound Forge, is a digital Audio editing and creation suite aimed at the professional as well as the The input signal undergoes a vocal signal chain which includes high-pass filter, wave hammer compressor and a reverb with a 1. A high-pass filter is a filter that passes high frequencies well but attenuates (reduces the amplitude of frequencies lower than the Cutoff frequency Reverberation is the persistence of Sound in a particular space after the original sound is removed 2 second decay. Users are able to control the audio processing during playback, adding features such as pitch shifting. ^[15]

Marketing

The SingStar series has been promoted through a number of advertising platforms, including television and cinema, print and digital advertising. Advertising is a form of Communication that typically attempts to persuade potential Customers to Purchase or to consume more of a particular Brand A television advertisement or television commercial (often just commercial or advert (US or ad (UK is a span of television programming produced 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. PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is a colour -encoding system used in Broadcast television systems in large parts of the world This is a list of titles of the SingStar Video game series, developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer " Song 2 " is a song by Blur, and the second single released from their fifth album Blur in April Blur are an English Alternative rock band that formed in London in 1989 ^[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. MTV ( Music Television) is an American Cable television network based in New York City. 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. MTV Flux was a Television channel in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and Italy. ^[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. Heat is a British entertainment magazine published by Bauer Consumer Media. Harper's Bazaar is a well-known American Fashion Magazine, first published in 1867 ^[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. attitude is an award winning British Gay lifestyle magazine distributed worldwide Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. ^[25]

Reception

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. SingStar is a competitive Karaoke game for the PlayStation 3, and is a follow-up to the PlayStation 2 ''SingStar'' series The PAL region is a Video game publication territory which covers Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and varying European countries 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. In 2003 the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA announced that they would be splitting their BAFTA Games Awards from the BAFTA Interactive Entertainment ^[30]

Critical reception

The first SingStar game was well received by gaming critics. This is a list of titles of the SingStar Video game series, developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer 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. The PAL Gaming Network (PALGN is an Australian based Videogame news and reviews Website that focuses on the videogame industry and culture in PAL "^[32]

SingStar debuted in the US with the release of SingStar Rocks!, where it was compared against the Karaoke Revolution series. Karaoke Revolution and its many sequels are Video games for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Nintendo GameCube, Wii, 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. A duet is a Musical composition or piece for two Performers In Classical music the term is most often used for a composition for two singers This is a list of titles of the SingStar Video game series, developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer "^[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. Rapping (also known as emceeing, MCing, spitting, or just rhyming) is the Rhythmic spoken delivery of Rhymes wordplay and This is a list of titles of the SingStar Video game series, developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer ^[36] SingStar Pop also introduced Medleys, which consist of a random combination of song choruses. In Music, a medley is a piece composed from parts of existing pieces played one after another sometimes Overlapping. 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. This is a list of titles of the SingStar Video game series, developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer This is a list of titles of the SingStar Video game series, developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer "^[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. This is a list of titles of the SingStar Video game series, developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer ^[41]

References

External links

• Official SingStar website
• SingStar VIP Lounge