Composer James Hannigan Talks Transformers Universe and MMO's

JB: More importantly, are you a Transformers fan, at all?

JH: Giant, battling transforming alien robots… what’s not to like? Most recently, I watched the original animated movie again and caught ‘Robots in Disguise’ along with season one of ‘Prime’. Very enjoyable and interesting to see how things have evolved over the years in the world of Transformers.

JB: How would you describe the sound of Transformers Universe?

JH: Some of the music is not a million miles away from the stylistic framework established for Transformers in general, but there’s also a move towards being a little harsher and grittier at times. Steve Lord, the Audio Director on Transformers Universe, wanted some tracks to have a grinding, almost mechanistic and robotic feel to them. But there’s quite a bit of orchestral music in there, too. We recorded a 72-piece orchestra for some of the early music going into the game, and there’ll be more orchestral production in the near future as composing and recording for Transformers Universe is an ongoing process. One of the interesting and refreshing things about this game is how episodic it is with new content getting planned for it all the time.

JB: If you had to pick one track to represent the soundtrack, which would it be and why?

JH: It’s difficult to single out any one track but I’d say that collectively the various themes will define the sound and set the tone for the game. I particularly like the Autobot Theme, which tries to capture an air of nobility and heroism, coupled with awesome firepower!