The Hobbit Soundtrack

[avatar]

This is noted as a "CD" release, but I'm fairly certain this was released as a free download ONLY. Can someone verify this? I think this should be changed from CD to digital, but I'd like to know if someone actually has a physical CD of this. From what I can tell and have gathered, there is no actual CD release.

[Secret Squirrel]

Yeah, I think you are right about this. I changed it to Digital.

[pepak]

I don't have it, but only because I missed out when they were available. It was definitely possible to get least an "official CDR", if not a pressed CD (not sure about that).

[avatar]

Originally Posted by pepak

I don't have it, but only because I missed out when they were available. It was definitely possible to get least an "official CDR", if not a pressed CD (not sure about that).

I've heard rumors about an "official" CD, and if one is available, why is it never seen on the net? I've never seen a copy on eBay, or pics anywhere. I spoke with someone who has a copy of the soundtrack, and she told me it was only available "officially" as a download. I believe her, although it is always possible to burn a CDR of course.

[pepak]

Originally Posted by avatar

I've heard rumors about an "official" CD, and if one is available, why is it never seen on the net?

That's no indication of anything. I could name you a number of CDs which definitely exist and aren't even particularly rare and still almost never appear on eBay et all.

I spoke with someone who has a copy of the soundtrack, and she told me it was only available "officially" as a download. I believe her,

So, your argument basically is, that because your friend doesn't know about that CD it doesn't exist? If your friend is the person who worked at the company and was close to the decision to produce a digital download but not a physical CD, then yes, her opinion would have some merit. Otherwise how is her opinion more reliable than my claim that to the best of my knowledge the CD exists and used to be available for a time?

[TerraEpon]

I know that back when the game came out, there was listings for it on Half.com and I believe Amazon -- noone EVER had a copy, so I'm incluined to believe a CD release was planned but never happened.
It was legally available for DL (in 128kps), but as far as I can tell the legal place to DL it from is non-existent any more.

[pepak]

I talked to someone who claimed to have the CD. I have no way to verify the claim, among other reasons because I don't remember who it was, but I am willing to admit the existence of the CD until it is reliably shown otherwise.

[avatar]

Originally Posted by pepak

I talked to someone who claimed to have the CD. I have no way to verify the claim, among other reasons because I don't remember who it was, but I am willing to admit the existence of the CD until it is reliably shown otherwise.

You're certainly entitled to believe what you want. However, since no one at all on vgmdb has ever seen an actual hard-copy CD, and since there is no record for it anywhere on the net, that is enought for most of us. As Terra said, it's likely that a CD was planned, but instead they opted to go digital.

[Lich King]

I can back up Pepak on this one.

It was actually available as a CD upon email request. I missed the cut-off by a couple of weeks iirc.

[avatar]

Originally Posted by Lich King

I can back up Pepak on this one.

It was actually available as a CD upon email request. I missed the cut-off by a couple of weeks iirc.

Sorry, but all that proves it that it was **supposed** to have been available as a CD. If someone does actually find a factory-pressed CD (not a CDR), then let's talk, until then I remain convinced it was never released.

[Lich King]

When I emailed them about a copy, they basically replied: "We're sorry, but we have stopped production of that CD. I'll see if we have any copies that have not shipped." (I don't recall the exact words; it was years ago) They never got back to me. :-\

Now, whether they were talking about a CDR or CD, they didn't specify, but obviously "We have stopped production of that CD" and "we'll see if we have any copies that have not shipped" means they once had CDs on hand for shipping.

In similar thread about the existance of another CD, I cited the case of the Order of War CD. It was exclusively available with the Fry's Electronics release of the game. If we look on the web, I doubt we'll find anything on that CD. So if I hadn't purchased the game and got the CD, we'd be debating that release also; I would be saying it exists and others saying "I'll believe it when I see it"...and yet there it is.

I've slowly been organizing my collection and uploading albums which are not cataloged here, so there are still several CDs that I have that are not uploaded. For example: the Revenant soundtrack (PC, 1999) that came with the early versions of the Polish release (Poland is a gold mine for game soundtracks). Probably won't find anything on the web about that one either and I'd venture to say no one here has ever seen or heard of it, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

Alas, in the end, we'll believe what we want to believe, regardless.

[Fearin]

Bandcamp link goes to nothing.

[TerraEpon]

That sucks. At least I can confirm that the Bandcamp was real and it was offered for free. It's a great OST and I hope they put it back up for DL.

[Foxhack]

I sent him a twitter message asking if he had to take the music down.

I also noticed he had the music for an Earth Defense Force game up, but... it's gone too. >_<

[Lich King]

This is TOO weird!

Just last night I found a seller in the Netherlands that deals in rare music that had this CD for sale. I ordered the last copy.

I'll post a pick of the CD (which is missing on the album page) when it arrives.

Also, is this link new?: http://thehobbit.bandcamp.com/album/...nal-soundtrack

[Foxhack]

Hmmm.

That seems to be missing track 10, Crossing The Bridge, from the original downloadable version.

[Lich King]

OK, so the CD arrived in record time; I was really happy about that

I decided to scan the entire album, since the physical CD version seems to be a little different from the digital graphics.

The CD is a CD-R, but it's factory printed.

[EskimoWolf]

Looks like a FLAC version can be downloaded from bandcamp now.

[ilef]

Originally Posted by EskimoWolf

Looks like a FLAC version can be downloaded from bandcamp now.

Thanks for sharing that information, time to upgrade my copy.