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Video Games Live event will feature world premieres

Most of the dramatic experiences you've ever had listening to music happen when you listen to it live, with an audience beside you who's into it too. Why should video games be any different? That's the basic premise behind Video Games Live (...), a live music event featuring the soundtrack of video games you know and love. It's happening Friday night at E for All, at the brand new NOKIA Theatre -- part the huge new L.A. Live development.

If you've never experienced it, Video Games Live is a mind-blowing event for video game fans. It's a full symphony orchestra playing themes from some of the biggest video games in history, along with a choir, solo performers, synchronized lighting and video footage, live action and really extraordinary interactive segments.  The music includes brand new segments that have never been performed by Video Games Live before in public, like the World Premiere of the music from Halo 3, BioShock and Conan, new arrangements of Contra, Chrono Cross, Pac-Man, Tetris and Final Fantasy, and new segments featuring the music of Blizzard games like World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade and the forthcoming RTS game, Starcraft II.

Preceding the actual concert, there's going to be a video game festival featuring competitions, a costume contest, prize giveaways and playable demos. And after show, plan to stick around for a meet and greet with more than 20 video game industry composers, designers and luminaries. Scheduled to show up is Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari, Richard Taylor, the special effects genius behind Tron, team members from God of War, BioShock, Myst, Guitar Hero, Kingdom Hearts and many others.

One important note:  Video Games live tickets are not included in the price of coming to E for All. You'll need to buy tickets separately. Prices range from $30 to $70 depending on the seat.  But Video Games Live has also made it easy for groups:  There's a special "Family Four Pack" deal that bundles four tickets together for $20 a piece.

A note about the venue: If you're a veteran of past shows in the area but haven't been to L.A. since, let's say, May of 2006, you're probably familiar with the NOKIA Theatre L.A. Live as that giant gaping hole in the ground that was located one block north of the LA. Convention Center and the Staples Center, right on S. Figueroa St. Well, it's finished now, and it is spectacular. In fact, the NOKIA Theatre L.A. Live was just finished, and Video Games Live is going to be one of the first events there. What's even better, the NOKIA Theater L.A. Live is an easy walk both from the show and from downtown hotels, and there is plenty of parking nearby, too.