Over the past few months, some of you may have caught my tweets about our brilliant composer and sound designer, Brian D’Oliveira from La Hacienda Creative. Fun facts like “Brian D’Oliveira learned about 15 new instruments to play for Papo & Yo!” or “when Monster runs, the sound effect actually comes from hitting a fridge,” are just a glimpse of the music’s backstory in Papo & Yo.

Many people won’t realize that the soundtrack of Papo & Yo is actually dynamic and interactive, triggered by actions such as Quico moving, standing still, and pulling levers, and Monster getting angry. In some levels, there are up to 30-40 layers of music and 60-70 layers of sound effects, all blended together. When Quico pulls the first lever to build the stacking snake ladder in the puzzle we call “Bend Them to Your Will” (seen in the picture below), players trigger the drums and the music builds as each house is added on.

Bend them to your will, Papo & Yo

As you saw in the video diary above, the majority of the sounds in Papo & Yo are as authentic as can be, since Brian actually traveled to the Amazonian rainforest to record ambient noise in the field. Venturing out in the middle of the night, he was able to capture wildlife sounds like monkeys howling, frogs croaking, and birds chirping. Hiking through the land, Brian recorded waterfalls, scurrying ants, and whatever else he thought he could use, layering it into an immersive soundscape players can get lost in.

Brian D’Oliveira, capturing ambiance

For Foley (the sound effects track in the game), Brian and his team at La Hacienda had to think “outside of the box” to avoid using pre-mixed sounds that wouldn’t do the story justice. They had exploratory sessions where they would just improvise and see what sounds could be made, or captured on the fly, like recording the noise of a demolition site down the street. Driven by a deep love for the project, Brian and his team went the distance, importing roof shingles from Texas, buying rare instruments, and even building makeshift instruments to create the right sounds. Here is a great example in the video below.

For the music in Papo & Yo, Brian used a fusion of rhythm, melodies, and sounds from South American countries like Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela, but also drew influences from India, Africa, and even early European Baroque music. It’s really evident in the variety of instruments he used –- from a rare, 100-year-old Sarangi, to an African Kora and Brazilian hunting whistles, all paired alongside traditional instruments like guitars, flutes, violin, and cello.

Preparation for recording Foley

Brian plays approximately 80% of the instruments you hear in the game, but he also collaborated with great musicians like Orlando ‘VoVo’ Conceinçao on percussion (pictured below), Loga Ramin Torkian on Bowed Guitar Viol & Kamaan, Kamal Sabri on Lead Sarangi and Elinor Frey on Baroque Cello.

Orlando ‘VoVo’ Conceinçao on percussion

All of the music in Papo & Yo was recorded live, track by track, because Brian “wanted the music to be honest and fragile, with all of the beautiful imperfections that come with live playing.” With a troubled childhood and an absentee father of his own, Brian says he identified with the story of Papo & Yo, and it pushed him to grow both personally and musically as the game developed. In his words: “I feel like I composed the soundtrack to my life.”

Brian playing an African kora

If you have questions for Brian or Minority, please write them in the comments below or Tweet them to @we_are_minority and @La_Hacienda, and we’ll be glad to answer them. Don’t forget that the soundtrack goes on sale tomorrow — get yours ASAP! If you haven’t had a chance to play Papo yet, the game itself will also be on sale from December 24th to 30th in North America as part of this year’s PlayStation Essentials promotion, so keep an eye out over the holidays!

Soundtrack and PlayStation Essentials details

From December 18 to January 4th in North America, the Papo & Yo Original Soundtrack will be on sale for 15% off the regular price. If you’re a PS Plus member, you’ll save 30% off the regular price! And in North America from December 24 to December 30, Papo & Yo will be part of PlayStation Essentials. Save 30% off the regular price, or if you’re a PS Plus member, you can save 50%. Papo & Yo also makes a great gift – no wrapping required!

The game offerings are quite enticing – there’s our new No. 1 selling PSN game for PS Vita, Sound Shapes (which comes with its PS3 version at no additional charge), indie darling Papo & Yo, fan-favorite Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and the action-packed Expendables 2 Videogame.

As an added bonus, PlayStation Plus members can still nab Counter Strike: Global Offensive for 20% off the retail price. To learn more about PSN PLAY and the rest of the games available on PlayStation Network, click here.

If you want more information on the games included in the promotion, look no further:

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (PS3)

One of the gaming world’s most celebrated first-person shooter series makes its way to PSN with Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, offering an updated take on the tried-and-true objective-based gameplay. Pitting teams of counter-terrorists against terrorists, Global Offensive features a number of classic game types like Bomb Diffusal and Hostage Rescue, and introduces two new modes: Arms Race and Demolition. Up to 10 players can engage in online matches, and the game also supports PlayStation Move, giving players a brand new way to experience the classic Counter-Strike gameplay.

Sound Shapes (PS3/PS Vita)

Play, Compose and Share in a unique take on the classic sidescrolling platformer where your actions make the music. Play through a unique campaign that fuses music and artwork into a classic 2D platformer featuring artwork by Pixeljam, Capy, Superbrothers and more, with music by Beck, Jim Guthrie and Deadmau5. Additionally, Sound Shapes is a Cross-Buy title, so you only need to purchase it once in order to get the game for both PS3 and PS Vita. Create and upload your levels on either platform for others to download and remix on their own.

Papo & Yo (PS3)

PSN exclusive indie game Papo & Yo tells the story of a young boy, Quico, and his best friend, Monster. Taking place in a dreamlike world inspired by South American favelas, Papo & Yo entices players to explore and solve puzzles as Quico, while simultaneously preventing Monster from eating poisonous frogs, which throws him into an uncontrollable rage.

The Expendables 2 Videogame (PS3)

The latest and most explosive co-op action shoot’em up title coming to PSN, based on the popular movie franchise this game leads players right into the upcoming The Expendables 2 movie. The story begins when four Expendables (Barney, Gunner, Caesar and Yin Yang) are hired to rescue an extremely valuable, kidnapped Chinese billionaire. Featuring vehicular combat, four-player co-op story and challenge modes, and a wealth of exotic locales, The Expendables 2 Videogame offers everything an action-game fan could want.

To celebrate the upcoming launch, we wanted to share something special with all of you. Although we are a small indie studio, we are lucky to have been able to work with the experienced filmmakers at Rezolution Pictures and talented Montreal director Alfonso Maiorana. They have created an amazing cinematic launch trailer for our game that not only shows the start of Quico’s story, but also the inspiration behind Papo & Yo’s fantastic world. We hope you like it!

Since we are part of Sony’s PSN PLAY promotion this year, PlayStation Plus members can pre-order Papo & Yo starting today for $11.99, and non-subscribers can do the same for $14.99.

You can also get part of that money back if you buy some of the other wonderful PSN PLAY titles from our fellow developers! If you’d like to place your order for Papo & Yo today and get a copy of our pre-order exclusive PS3 theme, visit PlayStation Store.

I look forward to having you all finally play Papo & Yo next week!

Here’s the full story from Deborah Chantson, our community manager.

As you might know, Papo & Yo is a metaphorical, semi-autobiographical story of Creative Director Vander Caballero’s tumultuous relationship with his alcoholic father. While the game’s storyline will draw players into an emotional journey, we also designed the environment to help immerse the player in a surreal Latin American setting. There’s a high level of authenticity on display, from the landscape to the music, style, and graffiti.

In North America, graffiti is changing to include more artistic works such as murals, but it’s generally associated with spray painted tags and defaced walls. In Latin America, graffiti is a treasured art form because of its long history with political messaging. Artists work with communities and residents who ask for it, contributing their time and talent to beautify the landscape with spray paint. Several of them are famous for it!

In Papo & Yo, players will notice images of birds, lions and portraits that appear sprayed, drawn, or painted on walls through all five acts. It’s worth noting that these are real works of graffiti art licenced for use in the game, taken from the vibrant street art scene in major cities like Brazil’s Sao Paulo, and Chile’s Valparaiso and Santiago. These cities are so renowned for their graffiti that, while Sao Paulo is a capital of the hip hop graffiti scene, it’s also grown to be one of the top traditional art capitals of the world.

Chile, too, is an international hub for artists and graffiti tourists in search of large canvases and inspiration. The most popular draw is Valparaiso, a bustling San Francisco-like port city where the neighborhoods look like stacked building blocks (like in Papo & Yo), built along hills. There’s an abundance of available surfaces to be blasted with color. Given that it’s a generations-old tradition, there’s a high standard to meet when emulating these works inside the game.

Sebastian Navarro (AKA Charquipunk), Simon Paulo Arancibia Gutierrez (AKA La Robot de Madera) and Inti Castro (AKA INTI) are the three celebrity graffiti artists lending their work to Papo & Yo. Charquipunk is known for his intricately detailed large-scale designs of cats and birds, while La Robot de Madera focuses on elaborate portraits. INTI is known for his work with kusillo, the Altiplano carnival clown whose costumes consist of clothing scraps. When they collaborate, which is often, each artist’s style is still distinct, but their synergy is electric.

Their connection to Papo & Yo game developer, Minority Media, is through Montreal-based Pablo Aravena, a Chilean-born graffiti expert and filmmaker with several documentaries under his belt. These include Next: A Primer on Urban Painting and his upcoming Chile Estyle, which tells the fascinating story of Chilean graffiti evolving from Mexican muralist movements and mural brigades to the hip hop scene today. A longtime friend of Papo & Yo Executive Producer Ernest Webb, Aravena acted as art curator and consultant when it came to the graffiti that appears in the game. Aravena took care to ensure Papo & Yo’s environment is strongly reminiscent of Valparaiso, where subcultures collide into a dynamic tapestry of music, art, food, and personalities — like our three artists, whom he chose specifically. “The graffiti is a natural adaptation of the vibe in the city because it was always known as a bohemian town where dudes play boleros, the sailors get off the ships to party, and there are a lot of different communities,” says Aravena.

With Papo & Yo, the Minority team has tried to create an immersive experience in which players can “get lost.” The game has been categorized as fantastical realism, and there’s a sort of vulnerability that players will take on, simply by “being” in a new place. With the combination of authentically-inspired landscapes and a personally emotional story, that openness to new things is the driving force behind Papo & Yo.

July 31st PlayStation Plus Update

The Expendables 2 Video game

20% off for PlayStation Plus Members (PSN Price: $14.99, PS+ Price: $11.99)
The 2012 PSN PLAY event kicks off with a first week discount on one of the most intense co-op shooters on PSN. Grab a friend (or three) and join four of the Expendables (Barney, Gunner, Caesar and Yin Yang) in a mission to rescue akidnapped billionaire. Featuring vehicular combat, four-player co-op story and challenge modes, and a wealth stages set in exotic locales, The Expendables 2 Videogame is a fantastic experience for gamers that dig hardcore shoot em up action.

Also, don’t forget that starting this week PlayStation Plus members can pre-order SoundShapes from the PlayStation Store and get 20% off boththe PS3 and PS Vita versions of the game (of which come bundled together for one price) as well as an exclusive PS3 theme. Note: Pre-orders for SoundShapes will only take place on the PS3 store as the gift with purchase theme is only useable for PS3 systems. Vita only owners don’t worry as you can still snag the 20% Plus discount on the store the 1st week the releases.

August 7th PlayStation Plus Update

The Walking Dead Episode 1: A New Day

Free for PlayStation Plus Members (PSN Price: $4.99)
The first episode from Telltale Games’ universally-acclaimed series The Walking Dead by will be available to all PlayStation Plus members as part of the Instant Game Collection! Follow a set of unique characters as they fight for survival amongst the ever-growing “walker” population, and encounter threats from both undead and human enemies.

The Walking Dead Episode 2: Starved for Help

Free for PlayStation Plus Members (PSN Price: $4.99)
We’re also delivering PlayStation Plus members the second episode in The Walking Dead series as part of the Instant Game Collection! Following the decisions you made in A New Day, you’ll be confronted with even more gut-wrenching scenarios and thrilling action sequences with your fellow survivors. Like Episode 1, Starved for Help was adored by critics for its riveting gameplay and dramatic storyline, where players need to make harrowing decisions on the fly.

SoundShapes

20% off for PlayStation Plus Members (PSN Price: $14.99, PS+ Price: $11.99)
This week marks the release of the highly-anticipated PSN exclusive SoundShapes. Marrying brilliant side-scrolling 2D gameplay with unique musical compositions, you’ll be hooked by the incredible landscapes you’ll see and hear in SoundShapes. Available for both PS3 and PS Vita systems together for one special price, PlayStation Plus members will be getting the absolute best deal with a 20% discount. If you already had your pre-order locked in, you’re all set! Make sure to check out the trailer above, which introduces musicians Beck and Pyramid Attack into the lineup of amazing levels in SoundShapes.

With the August 7th update, you’ll also be able to pre-order the next PSN PLAY game Papo & Yo, which will also have a 20% discount for all PlayStation Plus members. Everyone that pre-orders the game will get an exclusive Papo & Yo theme, so don’t sleep on it!

We’ll be coming at you with another update on August 13th, with more additions to the Instant Game Collection and additional awesome sauce. Until then, watch the PS.Blog for our weekly PlayStation Store Updates to see what additional content is added for PlayStation Plus members. Please leave us your feedback in the comments, and help us by rating the Instant Game Collection lineup on a scale from 1 – 10. If there was one thing you could change about PlayStation Plus, what would it be?

We’re very happy to announce the return of PlayStation PLAY, our annual summer program showcasing a diverse lineup of great PSN games and special offers. PSN PLAY begins July 24 on PSN when the first game in the lineup becomes available for pre-order, and we have all the info on this summer’s offering.

You may remember my announcement last summer that PLAY would become an annual program. Guess what? It has returned and we do have a stellar line-up of titles for you this year. We’re again offering 20% off each title for PlayStation Plus members for a limited time, and as a bonus this year, we’re giving you cash vouchers to redeemed on PSN for purchasing any two or more of the awesome PSN PLAY titles. Check out what you could get after buying PSN PLAY games:

If you are a fan, you will also appreciate the fact that each of the four PSN PLAY titles in our line-up can be pre-ordered starting a week before they hit the PlayStation Store. Gamers who buy a PSN PLAY game during its pre-order period will receive a PS3 XMB theme of the game. PlayStation®Plus members also get 20% off each title during their pre-order period.

The best thing about PSN PLAY 2012 is still its line-up of great games. They all have something special to offer to PSN gamers.

• PLAY The Expendables 2 Videogame (PS3) First On PSN before anyone else!
• PLAY Sound Shapes (PS3/PS Vita) Anywhere as we offer the PS3 and PS Vita version of the game for the price of one.
• PLAY the indie phenomena Papo & Yo (PS3) Exclusively On PSN
• PLAY Counter Strike: Global Offensive (PS3) Hardcore Action with your DualShock or PlayStation®Move controller.

Check out all details about the four PSN PLAY games:

July 31: The Expendables 2 Videogame (PS3) – Leading off the PLAY promotion and launching first exclusively on PSN, the latest and most explosive co-op action shoot’em up title coming to PSN, based on the popular movie franchise this game leads players right into the upcoming The Expendables 2 movie. The story begins when four Expendables (Barney, Gunner, Caesar and Yin Yang) are hired to rescue an extremely valuable, kidnapped Chinese billionaire. Featuring vehicular combat, four-player co-op story and challenge modes, and a wealth of exotic locales, The Expendables 2 Videogame offers everything an action-game fan could want. Pre-order The Expendables 2 Videogame starting July 24 for $14.99 ($11.99 for PLUS members) and check out the following trailer.

August 7: Sound Shapes (PS3/PS Vita) – Play, Compose and Share in a unique take on the classic sidescrolling platformer where your actions make the music. Equal parts instrument and game, Sound Shapes gives everyone the ability to make music. Play through a unique campaign that fuses music and artwork into a classic 2D platformer featuring artwork by Pixeljam, Capy, Superbrothers and more, with music by I Am Robot and Proud, Jim Guthrie and Deadmau5. Additionally, Sound Shapes comes to the PLAY program as a cross-platform title, allowing players to play at home on their PS3, or take it on the go with PlayStation Vita. Create and upload your levels on either platform for others to download and remix on their own. Sound Shapes creates an ever-changing musical community for everyone to enjoy, anywhere. Pre-order Sound Shapes starting July 31 for $14.99 ($11.99 for PLUS members).

August 14: Papo & Yo (PS3) – PSN exclusive indie game Papo & Yo tells the story of a young boy, Quico, and his best friend, Monster. Taking place in a dreamlike world inspired by South American favelas, Papo & Yo entices players to explore and solve puzzles as Quico, while simultaneously preventing Monster from eating poisonous frogs, which throws him into an uncontrollable rage. As one of PSN’s most-anticipated indie titles, Papo & Yo is a truly unique and beautiful experience that players can only get on PSN. Pre-order Papo & Yo starting August 7 for $14.99 ($11.99 for PLUS members).

August 21: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (PS3) – One of the gaming world’s most celebrated first-person shooter series makes its way to PSN with Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, offering an updated take on the tried-and-true objective-based gameplay. Pitting teams of counter-terrorists against terrorists, Global Offensive features a number of classic game types like Bomb Diffusal and Hostage Rescue, and introduces two new modes: Arms Race and Demolition. Up to 10 players can engage in online matches, and the game also supports PlayStation Move, giving players a brand new way to experience the classic Counter-Strike gameplay. Pre-order Counter-Strike: Global Offensive starting August 14 for $14.99 ($11.99 for PLUS members).

Don’t forget to take advantage of each game’s limited-time 20% discount if you are a PlayStation Plus member, and keep your eyes on the PlayStation Blog for full blog posts on each of the PSN PLAY titles soon! For more information about PSN PLAY and the rest of the lineup of games available on PlayStation Network, please visit www.us.playstation.com/PSNplay.

We hope you like it, and keep an eye out for some great stories about Papo & Yo from Los Angeles over the next week!

Hello again! Last time I was here I talked about the redesign of Monster – now I want to give everyone an even closer look at the creative and design process for Papo & Yo in our first-ever dev diary. Please take a look – you’ll get a glimpse of Minority’s office, some new ways you can interact with Monster, and even see the first prototype I designed for the game!

If you’ve been following Papo & Yo‘s development, you know that the game was inspired by my childhood in South America and my relationship with my father. But I don’t want that to be the only thing that people see when they get to play the game. Papo & Yo is also about a child’s imagination, and experiencing “fantastic realities” – transforming the real world into a special world that can both help and challenge you. I feel such joy when I play with my boy and see him imagining his toys coming to life – I hope that everyone will feel this when they play Papo & Yo.

Thank you – and stay tuned! We are working on another dev diary that will give you insight into what went into creating Papo & Yo’s music (hint: it involves a great composer and a big trip to South America). Also, be sure to look out for us at E3 again this year!

If you’ve been following Papo & Yo, you may remember that Monster represents my father, a man I had a difficult relationship with. To tell the story I wanted to tell – my story – I knew that this character had to show the positive aspects of the man I loved… and the negative aspects of the man I feared. This turned out to be challenging – I knew who Monster was, but not what he looked like. Luckily, I’m extremely fortunate to have friends like Nilo Rodis, a man who has worked on the art for movies ranging from Pixar titles to Star Wars, and the man who helped me find my father in Monster.

Nilo and I met during my time at EA, and when I started Minority as a way to make more personal games, he was one of the first people I started talking to. After I came to Nilo with the concept of Papo & Yo, we didn’t talk for a while – I basically buried myself in developing the game. When I finally had a prototype ready, Nilo liked it but saw problems with the way Monster looked – too much like a puppy, he thought. He asked me, “Do you see your father in that character?” and I honestly couldn’t say I did.

Nilo agreed to help us redesign our characters, and our final Monster, which you can see below, is big and powerful. He’s scary, but there is something that attracts you to him – something that makes you want to play with him, help him, even though he’s a beast who could fly into a rage and kill you.

Can’t wait to show you more of Monster and the game in the coming months!

Recently, Dylan Jobe detailed LightBox Interactive’s plans for Fantastic Fest 2011, Austin’s independent sci-fi/horror/fantasy film and gaming festival. He also showed off some badass new Starhawk space footage. You should watch it.

Today, we can reveal the full truth: PlayStation will serve as Fantastic Fest’s exclusive videogame company, and we’ll be holding court at The HighBall Club and Lounge. You’re invited! RSVP here. As Dylan mentioned, the LightBox team will be holding Starhawk tournaments on Thursday, September 22nd starting at 5:00pm. Additionally, you’ll be able to go hands-on with some of our hot upcoming PSN indie games like Journey, Okabu, Closure, and Retro/Grade, PlayStation Move titles like Deadmund’s Quest and Everybody Dance and SOE’s Sideway, Rochard, and Payday: The Heist.

Even better, you’ll have the chance to meet the devs, many of whom you’ve seen here on the Blog. Even Q-Games’ resident artist/DJ Baiyon is making the trip from Kyoto to spin PixelJunk 4am for you. There’ll be prizes and tasty beverages, all for the low, low price of FREE.

You in?

The Details

Date: Thursday, September 22nd (RSVP here!)
Time: 5-8pm (capacity is limited, so please arrive a bit early)
Location: The Highball Club and Lounge, 1142 S. Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX (map)

Playable games:

• Journey
• PixelJunk SideScroller
• PixelJunk 4am (formerly PixelJunk Lifelike)
• Okabu
• Eufloria
• Papo & Yo
• Closure
• Retro/Grade
• Sideway: New York
• Payday: The Heist
• Rochard
• Starhawk
• Medieval Moves: Deadmund’s Quest
• EyePet & Friends
• Carnival Island
• LittleBigPlanet 2 PlayStation Move Pack
• Everybody Dance

You must be 18 or older to attend – please bring your ID! If you’re in the Austin area – I’m talking to you, Dallas/Houston/San Antonio gamers! – please join us. We’d be happy to meet you. Now RSVP here!

UPDATE: We’re also holding two free panels for Fantastic Fest:

PlayStation Network Developer Panel: Game creators speak about working in and out of the gaming industry. Panelists include Queasy Games (Sound Shapes), thatgamecompany (Journey, Flower, Flow), and Q-Games (PixelJunk) to name a few. Click here for more details.

Storytelling and Development in Videogames and Film: Feature film writers and writers of the game Starhawk will discuss storytelling and development in videogames and crossing over with film. Click here for more details.