VR-1 to Support DirectMusic

VR-1 said Tuesday that its upcoming text-based online RPG VR-1 Crossroads will be the first online title to support Microsoft's new DirectMusic API, which allows for new creative uses of music in games including creating musical situations on the fly.

"Text-based games remain one of the most popular forms of online gaming, and we immediately recognized the impact that DirectMusic could have on a game such as VR-1 Crossroads," said John Blakely, executive producer of VR-1. "DirectMusic will bring the world of VR-1 Crossroads to life by allowing us to create premium quality music tailored to the player's specific situation all in a reasonably small download size."

"VR-1 Crossroads is an ideal example of the how DirectMusic can be used to heighten the overall gaming experience and open up new avenues for online gaming," said Kevin Bachus, group product manager for DirectX at Microsoft. "DirectMusic provides developers with the ability to tailor specific music and sound effects to particular in-game actions and events. In a text-based game such as VR-1 Crossroads, this is imperative to creating a believable world for the player to explore."