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Exclusive: Maestro Interview Feature
Derek dela Fuente
26/03/2004
Tubular Bells creator, Mike Oldfield, speaks exclusively to TVG about his new 'game'...
Mention Tubular Bells and everyone instantaneously knows you are talking about Mike Oldfield. Tubular Bells has now spanned a number of generations, with its sequel Tubular Bells II in 1992. Could it really be 1973 when this enchanting music, which still sounds as vibrant and inventive as it did originally, was first heard? With a number of variants on the Tubular Bells theme, along with a host of other CDs released over the last 30 years, it was an interesting surprise to see Mike Oldfield creating his own online game, or better still we should call it an experience. Getting an opportunity to find out more was too good to miss - especially being able to talk to the man himself!
Maestro is a mix of online ideas where Mike Oldfield expresses some of his loves, own ideologies and influences.
Maestro invites users online to escape into a virtual reality world of wonder and invention. Appealing to users of all ages, Maestro seeks to fulfil every ambition - entertaining, involving and stimulating - it turns a corner within the 'computer gaming' genre by combining stunning visuals with equally breathtaking musical themes in a non-violent environment.
Created as a musical virtual reality dimension for his fans and for computer users everywhere seeking an alternative source of entertainment, Mike Oldfield's Maestro is the world's first organic 'chill-out' online computer gaming experience. A free form world offering a refreshing alternative to the typical, task-orientated 'in-your-face' computer games, Maestro exists to discover, to observe, to compete within and to relax into. And in the same way the music of Tubular Bells glides from lilting, upbeat moods to dark, threatening passages, Maestro offers an engaging and hypnotic journey for the senses.
Upon Maestro, you will find yourself aboard the mothership 'Virtual Voyager'. As you begin to explore this environment, you'll notice your presence within the alien world is signalled by audio and visual changes. Your guides through this virtual reality are the Gravitars, alien characters that inhabit the Maestro universe and remain hidden in an ocean far away; waiting there to see if you can find them. Your job is to find the Gravitars, bring them home to the mothership and put them in their pen. Whoever brings back the fourth Gravitar to the Gravitar pen, will be rewarded with access to a special winner's level.
Players are able to view other visitors on screen by taking possession of Avatars, which allow group exploration and the chance to travel throughout Maestro with friends. Avatars are represented as a variety of flying objects, including flying-carpets and broomsticks, this facility, alongside the instant messaging board, highlights the social benefits of the compelling Maestro world.
TVG: Mike, this is your second foray into the interactive gaming arena. Tell us more about the original product?
Well it is sort of. There was a Mac product I worked on that came out in the mid 90s ā“ Songs of Distant Earth. It was on one of my albums that had a dual format.
TVG: Are you into PCs and video gaming?
I have a great love for Flight Simulators. In the late 70s and 80s I played Flight Sims and loved helicopter products but drifted way from it - I dabble in aeroplane modelling and fly model helicopters.
TVG: Tell us about Maestro ā“ how involved are you with the project, from pure conceptualising to actual coding?
Iāve created all the visuals, including a lot of the 3D modelling. The software interface, that the game is designed with, Iāve authored! Iāve not written the actual code. The coder is a very eccentric Geordie (someone from Newcastle in England) who lives in Valencia Spain and we are constantly sending bits backwards and forwards. The gameās interface, which we call New Look, has been under development since 1993 with various code writers!
Iāve created the software so that I can specify specific functions. For instance, I can make a zone in a particular place and can further specify positions and the interface has 100s of buttons, which denote other parameters including particle effects ā“ x could denote it can fly this way and other keys other ways, along with collision detection and all sorts of object manipulation. You can place in paths for objects to move, specify the number of sound and levels per zone, all of which allowed me to create Maestro.
TVG: So are you technology focused and do you look at other games and products to ascertain their appeal and how you can create something appealing?
No. My philosophy for this is very much like that of my music. I donāt listen to other peoplesā music and I donāt play other people games, well I do occasionally, but for enjoyment and not to inspect them. I occasionally watch my son playing games; Maestro to me is more like a flight simulation (not literally), like a window on another world. I always wanted to be a painter but never had the real talent!
TVG: Are you aiming Maestro at Mike Oldfield fans or are you striving to grab a new PC audience? Who is your initial focus?
Me ā“ with a long laugh - I am creating an experience that I enjoy and I love it!
TVG: Yes but you know what is going to happen! The enjoyment is all about seeing things you donāt expect?
Well it does things I donāt expect! Even with the demo, which is on the website, there are things happening that I did not know about!
TVG: How do the āavatarsā work in the game, are they there to guide or assist?
When you see an object, it may or may not be an avatar; you go up to it and take possession of it. There are different kinds of avatars that fly in different kinds of ways. My favourite are the fully aerobatic ones that move in x-y-z direction and fully rotate. Obviously you can see each other in your own game and you can see many different people via their avatars along with online, onscreen messages, so you can talk to them within the game! Your machine will tell you who the avatars are before the message in given.
The experience with Maestro can be seen on many different levels. Some might see it as a chat room whilst you fly around, as there are different places you can go to. There are a couple of model aeroplanes, kind of avatars, where you stay still and they fly around.
There are game levels where you shoot things but not destroy them. Look out for the Tiger Jets for if you throw a sort of sphere at them they will turn into a seagull!
TVG: There is a game level on your site, is this representative of some of the game ideas?
That is one of about 20 different levels although that was more a younger player theme where you pick up icons. Grab them all and you get access to the big cave.
Iāve tried as I previously mentioned not to kill things but to be more inventive like setting things free. There is a level where huge comets are threatening the planet and you must stop this threat! Itās ok to destroy them because this is not killing!
I wanted to be a little bit more creative for it is very easy to have a game where all you are doing is killing and destroying ā“ all of which becomes very boring!
TVG: Is there a path or linear route through Maestro?
There are two possible objectives. You can have different groups of avatars in the game all with different objectives. One group might want to play the games, make up their own games another group might want to use it has a chat room. Then there are the two big paths. One is to find the four Gravitars, these are the intelligent people who control the beings and these are hidden in very difficult to find places. They are hiding there to test you to see if you can find them. You have to bring them back to the mothership. Thereās a mystery to getting these beings whether it be through understanding mathematics, changing colours, sorting out special sequences. There are clues hidden everywhere in various levels, even books with clues in them. If you are the last person to put the last Gravitar in its pen, then you become the Maestro where a special level along with specially created music will present itself!
Another path is to find all of the medals, which are special icons that appear onscreen. There are 24 and if you get them all you are allowed access to a special level where I will be waiting to interact ā“ and will have a personal interactive chat. This will be very difficult for every level you will need a certain number of medals to gain access to the next level. If you havenāt enough medals you can give them away or even ask other avatars for some for avatars can exchange medals!
Iām hoping shortly to release the final version and hope to see a large number of avatars on my mega game!
TVG: Is this all about expanding the Mike Oldfield community?
The whole idea is to give some kind of alternative. Itās an immersive product for all the family. A lot of the games Iāve seen and I have not studied them are quote āpointless and aggressiveā.
TVG: Surely Mike, itās all about supply and demand?
My point exactly - If you go around the shops there are not a lot of alternatives to choose from! I hope the public will enjoy the experience as much as I do. Maestro is non-toxic and it will not poison your mind and you do not kill people or run people over in cars!
TVG: The music is going to be a real target and plus point for Mike Oldfield fans. What kind of original music is included or is it lots of loops!
Iāve had to use lots of loops, as it would be too large to download otherwise! The longest sample of music is the main Maestro tune which is around 2 minutes long. Included in Maestro are lots of loops from the rerecording of Tubular Bells along with some new bits.
TVG: A number of āmusicianā celebrities have ventured into the PC Interactive gaming world - which included David Bowie, Iron Maiden, Todd Rundgren -without too much success. What makes your venture any different?
I donāt feel that the said people have actually done it themselves and spent 10 years of their life doing it by their own hands! I also donāt believe it has been fully 3D, more multimedia interactive.
TVG: Do you hope this could be the start of more gaming, interactive experiences?
Iād love it to be. 10 years ago when I started PCs were pathetic and I had to buy a Silicon Graphics machine that cost 120,000 pounds. Now my little laptop performs better than that does! Whatās it going to be like in 10 years time? Think about photo realistic virtual reality ā“ which would be amazing!
Fun Time with Mike Oldfield:
Last Music CD you bought? Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez / Guitar Concierto
Last Game you bought for yourself or son? Myst
Fav TV program? Discovery Channel ā“ How To Build Your Own Helicopter
Fav musician? Paco Pena (Flamenco Guitarist)
If there was one person in history you would love to meet who would it be? Winston Churchill
Car you drive? Mercedes
Fav country you have visited? Peru ā“ Because of the ancient history
Fav sport to watch? Downhill Skiing
Football team you support? Reading FC
Last film you saw at the Cinema? Girl With A Pearl Earring
Fav food? Thai Food
What music system to you own to listen to music? My own recording studio
What is your best quality? Doggedness - Seeing things through to the end
Favourite singer? Pavarotti
Fav Actor and Actress? John Hurt
Fender or Gibson? Fender
Last book you read? Touching The Void ā“ Joe Simpson
Fav author? Deepak Chopra
