First observation: This seems to have been written some time ago - i.e. not for this competition.
Second observation: It seems to be written for a non-gamer audience - it reads like a review in a mainstream publication, possibly a newspaper.
Anonymous wrote:How many times have you watched the latest pop sensation warbling their latest hit and felt certain that you could do better? If you’ve ever harboured the secret belief hope that you could be a stadium class singer if only you had the opportunity, Singstar gives you the chance to find out just how good, or bad, you really are.
Yep, nice intro. I'd personally go with 'how good - or bad - you really are', but perhaps that's just me.
Singstar on the PlayStation 3 is a brand new update to the very successful PlayStation 2 game. At heart it is a karaoke game that grades you on your singing performance. Each song’s lyrics are shown on-screen, whilst a series of horizontal bars gives you a visual indication of the correct pitch that you have to hit for a professional performance. You are also graded on your timing and rhythm.
No complaints here. Good stuff.
Whilst the programming team behind the game claim singing alone can be a relaxing experience, Singstar really comes alive when played with others. The game is supplied with two microphones which allows you to duet with a friend, or sing against them in a sing-off, or even have a two teams of two in a team sing-off. The first time I picked up the microphone to sing in front of guests I admit I did feel self-conscious, but after ten minutes of team sing-offs
Too many sing-offs! Otherwise, fine.
Already I see the potential for Singstar parties up and down the country.
Well, I imagine the already-popular series would likely have inspired plenty of Singstar parties already. It's a fair observation, but once again that smacks of a lack of knowledge about the game's history.
36 songs are included which span most musical genres. With songs by Britney Spears, David Bowie, American R&B group Outkast, and Brit-rock Franz Ferdinand there is something for everyone.
Brit-rockers, surely?
When you do want to expand your musical repertoire all you need do is connect to the Singstar store, which works in a similar way to the iTunes store. It’s an online shop accessed through the game where you can search for your favourite songs to download in packs of three.
Slight factual inaccuracy aside - you can download single tracks - this is good stuff.
What really stands out with this new version of Singstar is the ability to record your singing performance for posterity. If you connect the upcoming PlayStation Eye camera, or the old PlayStation EyeToy, it will video you whilst your singing and take several still pictures.
Gaaaaaaah! It was going so well. Also, the PlayStation Eye has been out for some time.
You can then upload your performance to your MySingstar Online profile webpage. Inspired by the MySpace social networking site, it allows you to share your singing highlights and lowlights with the world. Whilst most videos are likely to be of comedy value, it is possible that somebody might be offered a recording contract on account of their MySingstar performance, as is the case with singer Lilly Allen who has become something of a poster girl for the MySpace generation. She claims she was ‘discovered’ after a record executive heard her music on MySpace, however she vainly denies accusations that such serendipity had more to do with the industry connections of her famous father Keith Allen, and famous stepfather Harry Enfield.
I'm not sure how relevant that Lily Allen bit is, and that makes it sound like she won a recording contract for MySingstar as opposed to MySpace.
In an age of reality shows like X-Factor or American Idol, where everyone believes they deserve to be a star. Singstar definitely captures the spirit of our times.
Comma rather than a full stop after 'star'.
Now you don’t need to be humiliated by a camp multi-millionaire to discover if you can sing, you can find out in the comfort of your own home.
Awesome.
Whilst I was disappointed to find out that I wont be the next George Michael or Stevie Wonder, I did find it really enjoyable to croon along to some of my favourtie pop songs. I have discovered that singing is actually unbelievable amount of fun.
'favourite', and '
an unbelievable amount of fun'.
Singstar is genuine social entertainment that you will find yourself coercing family and friends to stand up and grab the microphone.
Doesn't quite sound right. It should be 'Singstar is genuine social entertainment that will have you coercing family and friends', or 'Singstar is so entertaining that you will find yourself coercing'.
Its one of those rare games that can really bring people together.
It's.
Singing into your brush just wont cut it any more.
Won't. And I'm spent.
Right. It may seem that I've been a pedantic bugger here, but that's because the review gets a heck of a lot right, and its mistakes are perhaps down to having to rush bits prior to deadline. The stuff about the PSEye makes it seem as if it's a review that's been written before and then tweaked for this competition - not that there's a problem with that - but I wonder if that's partly responsible for the increasing number of tiny errors before the end.
That said, it's a very well-written piece on the whole, that - when subbed - would not look out of place in a mainstream publication. It might not be a specialist press review, but that doesn't make it any less valid, and this stands a strong chance of winning one of my votes (though I've not read the details about the voting process just yet, so I'm not sure how many we have).
Very good work, Mr. Writer.