Viewing Thread:
"Music In Games"

Yes Sniper, this probably has been done before, but this is easier than popping.

For me, music and sound is one of the most important aspects of a game. If you look at all the games that you can call truly great (Zelda, Sonic, Mario, Metal Gear Solid, Half Life) they all have brilliantly crafted sound and music.

It’s not just having good music – it’s having suitable music. Imagine having the likes of S-Club 7 telling you ‘there ain’t no party like an S-Club party’ when your battling Vulcan Raven, or having Eminem rapping about killing his mother, his daughter, his dog, and everything else that’s living when you are in Kariko village. Might be funny for a bit, but would be a bad choice of sound.

Much better is Zeldas subtle tunes, or Half Lifes eerie beats.

The music adds immensely to the atmosphere in any game. Try playing Tomb Raider or Resident Evil with the sound of. It has the same effect as when you mute the sound on films – its much less scary. The music helps you think that you are not just playing a game, you are actually there, which, if I’m not mistaken, is one of the main reasons people play games.

There is one brilliant bit in Half Life which made me realize that it truly was an astounding game. You come up a lift from the underground, after you’ve been wandering about for ages. As you go up, you see everything gradually get lighter, until the lift reaches the top. You walk out, turn left, and then some fast, high tempo music comes on, and there are a squad of marines and helicopters and tanks everywhere. The music gives you such a rush, you charge right in there with your machine gun and run around manicly, shooting up everything in sight. I think that is the single best use of music in games.

Activision got it right with Tony Hawks Pro Skater. They had a good game, but the music made it great. It also made the game ‘cooler’ to the casual gamer. You can tell this because of the astronomical sales it achieved.

Every game could benefit from proper licensed soundtracks. WWF No Mercy requires a lot of time on the menu screen when you create your own wrassler. The ‘music’ on that screen should be better than it is. They should have a proper song on there, as with the FIFA games. F-Zero-X should have the Prodigy in the background. Mario Tennis could have Radiohead… nah, maybe not.

Whadda y’all think? Can you make a truly great game without truly great aural effects? Is there any better bits than that bit on half life?

Turbonutter, i think you're wrong. The best music in a game is M:SR on the DC. You can tune into which ever radio station you want, the all have different types of music playing.

New Jimmy, whats this Bluetooth technology thingy?

I though bluetooth was Sony?

Bluetooth technology is new technology that will be put into the latest computers, laptops and other electronic devices to allow them to communicate with each other wirelessly (I think it uses radiowaves, so theres no need for stupid printer cables anymore etc..). The standards have been agreed on, although at present there are two main devisions..

1) The companies who want to see the PC as the main machine controlling all bluetooth devices

2) The companies who dont want one device to control all this bluetooth stuff.

Basically this means if the X-box is bluetooth enabled you could transfer files from your bluetooth enabled PC automatically.

I think a group of companies have worked together to develop bluetooth, Im not sure if Sony was directly involved although their new laptops probably have this technology.

Oh yeah, I remember this.

Why don't they just use FireWire? The transfer on that thing is stooooooooopid!

Radiohead could be good in a game...

but they would not agree to it probably...

Damn 'The Bends' is finished I'll put it on again!

I have to agree without music a game is nothing. Music adds an atmosphere and although you might not feel it at the time it runs along side the level your playing and is what makes the game so thrilling or scary. Take Resident Evil for example when the music is quite quiet and eerie. It leaves you in suspense, expecting an attack any second. Then when it comes the pitch changes and it's a shock and it makes you jump. The jumpy bits in games are great.

In Counter-strike there is no music but the sounds do it for you. It's quiet and then suddenly someone jumps infront of you firing. It makes you jump. Absolutely great stuff.

But music is not only important in shoot em ups and horror games but also other games like RPGs. The boss music needs to be fast and furious and basically music always has to reflect your mood or the characters mood. So yes I agree music is important.

Grand Theft Auto had pretty good music.

And, having just got past the Matrix bit on Conker, so has Bas Fur Day.

I think Timesplitters has good music, in the way that the different music for all the levels suits those levels perfectly

cough

Some of the radio in GTA and GTA2 are hilarious. I crashed my car because I was laughing so much.