SingStar Queen Preview
When Sony's E3 2009 press conference opened up with Queen's "One Vision", I knew that it was a nod to their upcoming SingStar Queen game (which has been available overseas for months now). The song itself was actually a fitting choice for Sony and the PlayStation brand, minus the whole "one man" part. Regardless, hearing "One Vision" played at the conference set off a spark in me, and now I find myself really wanting to play SingStar Queen.
If you're not familiar with SingStar, here's quick crash course. Singstar uses a very clean user interface, one that even a five year old can navigate. You can either play a practice session, or play for points and attempt to score the best record. Because, karaoking is an activity that you don't normally do alone, feel free to call over another seven friends and compete in an eight-player activity. If you're wondering how SingStar games work, the game's superb voice recognition system will measure the tone and pitch of your voice, and instantly display your performance on the screen, as the vocal bars scroll along.
The object is to fill the bars on screen with accuracy by singing as accurately as possible. If you go flat, you'll get color below the bar; likewise, if you go sharp, you'll get color above the bar. It's a very intuitive system, and figuring out how it works doesn't take any longer than 10 seconds. Going on what the European version has, SingStar Queen boasts a collection of 25 tracks from a wide assortment of Queen's work, 20 for the PS2 version.
Below is the list of songs currently found in the European version. The asterisk denotes a PS3 exclusive song:
A Kind of Magic*
Another One Bites the Dust
Bicycle Race
Bohemian Rhapsody
Breakthru
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Don't Stop Me Now
Fat Bottom Girls
Hammer to Fall*
I Want It All
I Want to Break Free
Innuendo
Killer Queen*
One Vision
Play the Game
Radio Ga Ga*
Somebody to Love
The Show Must Go On*
These Are the Days of Our Lives
Tie Your Mother Down
Under Pressure
We are the Champions
We Will Rock You
Who Wants to Live Forever
You’re My Best Friend
As you can see, the five songs from the PlayStation 3 version are extremely important, so you're probably much better off with the PS3 game if you're debating on saving $10 between versions. "Killer Queen" and especially Mercury's final hurrah "The Show Must Go On" simply cannot be missed. We've also been told that SingStar Queen will feature trophies, too. And of course, when you're singing along to every song, a music video for that song will roll in the background, so you're getting 25 music videos, as well.
Look for SingStar Queen to arrive August 18th.
7/7/2009 Arnold Katayev
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Comments (Beta)
CONTRABAND
Tuesday, July 07, 2009 @ 8:33:10 PM
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0 up, 2 down
PS3addict
Wednesday, July 08, 2009 @ 11:05:16 AM
Add me sometime and we can rock out.
psn: dexter419
0 up, 1 down
hezzron73
Tuesday, July 07, 2009 @ 8:36:00 PM
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5 up, 0 down
BikerSaint
Tuesday, July 07, 2009 @ 8:47:33 PM
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And the fact that this one's wrapped around one of my all-time favorite groups, Queen, is just another giant plus.
And not to mention, that every song here is a winner too, but I do wish they had included "Liar" as one of their tracks too.
But since I'm tone-deaf & can't sing for sh*it, I won't inviting anyone else over to hear what sounds like an angry howler monkey sizzling away on a hot tin roof.
So I'll just have to figure a way to steam-proof my PS3 for any future solo shower serenades.
2 up, 0 down
Karosso
Tuesday, July 07, 2009 @ 9:44:31 PM
"I won't inviting anyone else over to hear what sounds like an angry howler monkey sizzling away on a hot tin roof".
Dude you almost killed... I was having a drink while reading that and almost chocked :-)
Yeah! Queen is my favorite band of all times but, like you, I can't sing for $#!t...
That won't stop me from getting it thou :-P
1 up, 0 down
alnemozac
Tuesday, July 07, 2009 @ 8:59:11 PM
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I really enjoy this singstar. It is more challenging the the Abba singstar which is a favourite with any female, but still a lot of fun.
I would like to hear if anyone else has problems with the wireless mics not having the best connection with the reciever though, it can be very frustrating loosing points because the mic won't recognise any sound for half the notes.
0 up, 0 down
Banky A
Tuesday, July 07, 2009 @ 11:12:50 PM
Yeah, isn't this game already out? Or did Europe/PAL regions get it 1st?
0 up, 0 down
N a S a H
Wednesday, July 08, 2009 @ 5:17:39 AM
0 up, 0 down
Reccaman18
Tuesday, July 07, 2009 @ 9:13:53 PM
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0 up, 0 down
tes37
Tuesday, July 07, 2009 @ 9:15:18 PM
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1 up, 0 down
Jawknee
Wednesday, July 08, 2009 @ 12:22:29 AM
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0 up, 0 down
TheHighlander
Wednesday, July 08, 2009 @ 12:33:10 AM
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It's kinda worth it for the video collection alone. But I will have a ball singing along. Now I can see whether I really know all the words to Bohemian Rhapsody.
Last edited by TheHighlander on 7/8/2009 12:33:48 AM
0 up, 0 down
Banky A
Wednesday, July 08, 2009 @ 6:13:05 AM
0 up, 0 down
TheHighlander
Wednesday, July 08, 2009 @ 9:49:52 AM
For me!?
So, you think you can stone me, and spit in my eye?
0 up, 0 down
kevinater321
Thursday, July 09, 2009 @ 9:27:03 AM
0 up, 0 down
TEG3SH
Wednesday, July 08, 2009 @ 2:43:03 AM
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is this the real life
Is this just fantasy
Caught in a landslide
No escape from reality.
0 up, 0 down
mexgeo86
Wednesday, July 08, 2009 @ 8:20:18 AM
look up to the skies and see...
0 up, 0 down
TheHighlander
Wednesday, July 08, 2009 @ 9:51:11 AM
0 up, 0 down
mexgeo86
Wednesday, July 08, 2009 @ 2:12:10 PM
little high, little low...
0 up, 0 down
TheHighlander
Wednesday, July 08, 2009 @ 3:42:03 PM
0 up, 0 down
mexgeo86
Wednesday, July 08, 2009 @ 3:53:35 PM
0 up, 0 down
TheHighlander
Wednesday, July 08, 2009 @ 4:48:13 PM
But now I've gone and thrown it all away...
0 up, 0 down
mexgeo86
Wednesday, July 08, 2009 @ 6:04:40 PM
Didnt mean to make you cry,
If Im not back again this time tomorrow,
Carry on,carry on,as if nothing really matters...
0 up, 0 down
TheHighlander
Thursday, July 09, 2009 @ 12:49:52 AM
Sends shivers down my spine,
body's aching all the time.
Good-bye everybody, I've got to go.
Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth.
0 up, 0 down
mexgeo86
Thursday, July 09, 2009 @ 8:20:07 AM
I dont want to die,
I sometimes wish Id never been born at all...
<guitar solo>
0 up, 0 down
TheHighlander
Thursday, July 09, 2009 @ 10:02:12 AM
<wayne voice *>
Excellent! Party on!
</wayne voice>
</air guitar solo>
(* - reference to Wayne's World)
0 up, 0 down
Qwarktast1c
Wednesday, July 08, 2009 @ 3:07:17 AM
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but when is the full song list for beatles rock band gonna be released?
0 up, 0 down
ekauq
Wednesday, July 08, 2009 @ 9:05:09 AM
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wheres flash?
0 up, 0 down
ArnoldK PSXE [Administrator]
Thursday, July 09, 2009 @ 12:35:57 AM
Maybe Sony didn't think it was lyrically diverse or long enough?
0 up, 0 down
TheHighlander
Thursday, July 09, 2009 @ 10:47:26 AM
Considering my actual name, I wish that they had included it, but you can't have everything.
0 up, 0 down
TheHighlander
Wednesday, July 08, 2009 @ 10:16:03 AM
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Hey, I already have lots of respect for you and Ben for all the work you put into this site and the articles. But I just had to thank you for pointing out The Show Must Go On. I remember the first time I heard this son grom Freddy, I knew immediately the point of the song and the reasons. It was an emotional song then and now. If you know the context of songs, they can take on additional power and resonance.
Considering all of the recent departures, the worrds of this song seem very appropriate. As Freddy sang, Inside my heart is breaking, my make-up may be flaking, but my smile still stays on...
2 up, 0 down
ArnoldK PSXE [Administrator]
Thursday, July 09, 2009 @ 12:33:53 AM
=(
0 up, 0 down
TheHighlander
Thursday, July 09, 2009 @ 12:57:39 AM
1 up, 0 down
TEG3SH
Thursday, July 09, 2009 @ 3:28:57 AM
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Mama ooo- (any way the wind blows)
I dont want to die,
I sometimes wish Id never been born at all-
I see a little silhouetto of a man,
Scaramouche,scaramouche will you do the fandango-
Thunderbolt and lightning-very very frightening me-
Galileo,galileo,
Galileo galileo
Galileo figaro-magnifico-
But Im just a poor boy and nobody loves me-
Hes just a poor boy from a poor family-
Spare him his life from this monstrosity-
Easy come easy go-,will you let me go-
Bismillah! no-,we will not let you go-let him go-
Bismillah! we will not let you go-let him go
Bismillah! we will not let you go-let me go
Will not let you go-let me go
Will not let you go let me go
No,no,no,no,no,no,no-
Mama mia,mama mia,mama mia let me go-
Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me,for me,for me-
0 up, 0 down
TheHighlander
Thursday, July 09, 2009 @ 10:34:01 AM
So when the chorus sings "no-,we will not let you go" in answer to Mercury singing "Will you let me go? Bismillah!", Mercury is imploring God for mercy. Literally pleading in the name of God for mercy.
"God willing", would also work just as well in the context of the song. Freddie Mercury wasn't Islamic, but his family background was Parsi and he grew up in communities where Islamic faith was common. Certainly he would have been familiar with the word Bismillah.
Apparently this was part of the reason that Iranian authorities have permitted the release of some of Queen's songs in Iran. According to the BBC the Iranian release of the Queen tracks on cassette was accompanied by an explanation of the lyrics. Here's a quote.
"Bohemian Rhapsody is about a young man who has accidentally killed someone and, like Faust, sold his soul to the devil.
On the night before his execution he calls God in Arabic, "Bismillah", and so regains his soul from Satan. "
Actually, knowing this really makes the meaning of the song much, much clearer.
Oops, I forgot the link to the BBC article.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3593532.stm
Don't you find it interesting that Mercury's respectful use the word Bismillah in an appropriate context, allowed the Iranian authorities to make the decision to permit the circulation of songs by a western group? There is a lesson there about cultural respect, and not demonizing a culture, nation, or people because of the actions of a small, tiny group of extreme and fanatical adherents to a faith. Perhaps if we - the West - left countries like Iran to run their own internal politics, we all would live in a safer world. Showing respect for a culture and nation costs nothing and yet such respect buys something that is priceless, the return of the respect offered.
Last edited by TheHighlander on 7/9/2009 10:44:43 AM
2 up, 0 down
Banky A
Thursday, July 09, 2009 @ 7:59:15 PM
You're like a online teacher that's on a game site, nice.
;)
0 up, 0 down
kevinater321
Thursday, July 09, 2009 @ 9:33:15 AM
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0 up, 0 down
ArnoldK PSXE [Administrator]
Thursday, July 09, 2009 @ 12:39:08 PM
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1 up, 0 down
ArnoldK PSXE [Administrator]
Thursday, July 09, 2009 @ 12:44:33 PM
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0 up, 0 down
PS3addict
Thursday, July 09, 2009 @ 3:44:38 PM
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I can jam on the guitar, bass and drums though. It would be awesome for these to be rockband tracks as well. So much more diversity.
0 up, 0 down
TEG3SH
Friday, July 10, 2009 @ 6:37:19 AM
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but after reading ur post it actually makes more sense so thanks mate for a very useful comment
cheers mate
1 up, 0 down
djduke316
Reply
Tuesday, July 07, 2009 @ 7:59:55 PM