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If music be the food of games, play on (but don’t play ‘those’ tunes). Music in games is pretty essential nowdays and, yes, it has also been discussed till the cows came home, got milked and made their way back out to the fields again, but what is really happening to the kind of music which games use?
In the beginning (in slightly more than 7 days) computers went from nothing to a few low key beeps in no time at all as programmers realised that sounds helped to enrich the experience of the games. Pacman wouldn’t have been the same without the wacca wacca and space invaders may not have drawn in the punters without the ominous sounds of the impending Martian attack. Obviously, someone soon realised that games, like films, needed a background tune for when the mood changed or to highlight a particular piece of action. This was helped by the technology available in home computing, the C64 saw a major leap in sound processors and the result was quite literally music to our ears.
From then on things progressed quite rapidly as new technology change the type and quality of the music. Soon the SNES was rocking our world with digital sound and the Amiga showed that we could have some nice sampling. The advent of CD helped to change the shape of music (if music has a shape) infinitely by adding the ability to use real music tracks. Sony, them of the many well known recording artists, famously used this on Wipeout to showcase their catalogue.
Things haven’t really looked back since and many titles now have music from famous bands, but is this a step in the right direction? Looking at the movies, there are big name soundtracks on many of the major blockbuster films but they all use their own musicians or specialists in the film business to provide an instrumental soundtrack that highlights the style and substance of the movie. This, I believe, should be closely followed by the big games companies who look for big names to sell the music in their games and perhaps don’t put enough thought into their own compositions.
Movie tie-ins are pretty standard fare and one of the most outwardly blatent uses of movie music has to be the StarWars franchise. The games ooze large amounts of that famous music from the films and this helps to give the game an authentic feel. Other movie licences should perhaps use this idea and keep the film score, perhaps adding one or two of the famous artists used in the movie.
Other games of note for their musical loveliness are the fantastic Skies of Arcadia, which has a great little purpose designed score and most of Lucasarts other efforts, other companies could learn from this. I think that because CD is so easy a format to use for sound, the games creators have got lazy and gone for the easy options, if they can pay huge movie writers to write their scripts then hopefully they can also get the composers in to provide that all important mood on the aural side too.
In the beginning (in slightly more than 7 days) computers went from nothing to a few low key beeps in no time at all as programmers realised that sounds helped to enrich the experience of the games. Pacman wouldn’t have been the same without the wacca wacca and space invaders may not have drawn in the punters without the ominous sounds of the impending Martian attack. Obviously, someone soon realised that games, like films, needed a background tune for when the mood changed or to highlight a particular piece of action. This was helped by the technology available in home computing, the C64 saw a major leap in sound processors and the result was quite literally music to our ears.
From then on things progressed quite rapidly as new technology change the type and quality of the music. Soon the SNES was rocking our world with digital sound and the Amiga showed that we could have some nice sampling. The advent of CD helped to change the shape of music (if music has a shape) infinitely by adding the ability to use real music tracks. Sony, them of the many well known recording artists, famously used this on Wipeout to showcase their catalogue.
Things haven’t really looked back since and many titles now have music from famous bands, but is this a step in the right direction? Looking at the movies, there are big name soundtracks on many of the major blockbuster films but they all use their own musicians or specialists in the film business to provide an instrumental soundtrack that highlights the style and substance of the movie. This, I believe, should be closely followed by the big games companies who look for big names to sell the music in their games and perhaps don’t put enough thought into their own compositions.
Movie tie-ins are pretty standard fare and one of the most outwardly blatent uses of movie music has to be the StarWars franchise. The games ooze large amounts of that famous music from the films and this helps to give the game an authentic feel. Other movie licences should perhaps use this idea and keep the film score, perhaps adding one or two of the famous artists used in the movie.
Other games of note for their musical loveliness are the fantastic Skies of Arcadia, which has a great little purpose designed score and most of Lucasarts other efforts, other companies could learn from this. I think that because CD is so easy a format to use for sound, the games creators have got lazy and gone for the easy options, if they can pay huge movie writers to write their scripts then hopefully they can also get the composers in to provide that all important mood on the aural side too.
Rezrezrezrezrezrezrezrezrezrezrezrezrezrezrez
REZ!!!
I can't say it enough times. It's the perfect example of seamlessly integrated music.
REZ!!!
I can't say it enough times. It's the perfect example of seamlessly integrated music.
In my opinion, Rainbox Six has the best music. Tomb raider is also pretty good.
Music to GT3 is good. Really adds to the exitement of driving a car into a wall.
Perfect Dark had good use of music, as you got near the end, the music sudenly became very lively making you jump sometimes and making you get a bit edgy as to where you were and where the guards are.
When I play Super Smash Brothers I often put it on mute and stick my Daft Punk C.D on ! The music from Zelda is really good
Yeah, music is very important in certain games. Mainly in ones that have a lot of speed or tricks to pull off - like Tony Hawk's and Crazy Taxi.
I haven't played the game, but i've heard some of the stuff on the Crazy Taxi soundtrack and it has got to be one of the best around!
I also like the tune in Gerudo Valley on Ocarina of Time. And some of the other tunes in Zelda, Mario and co. are also quite good.
I haven't played the game, but i've heard some of the stuff on the Crazy Taxi soundtrack and it has got to be one of the best around!
I also like the tune in Gerudo Valley on Ocarina of Time. And some of the other tunes in Zelda, Mario and co. are also quite good.
I believe that most game do try to have their own music made for them.
The main games that seem to use popular dance music etc seem to be just racing games, and football games. Anything else, action/FPS/RPG's all seem to have their own music made for them specifically. Kinda like for movies.
Actually, thinking about it, it's mainly adventure type games that have their own soundtracks. It's games that make you play the same level over and over that seem to cop out and get some already popular tunes in. Kinda like Tony Hawk or something. You have to play the same level loads of times, so the developers get some music that they know people who skateboard like and stick it in. This is to stop people getting annoyed playing the same level over and over, because it's got some music they like to listen to blaring out of the speakers it keeps the player in a good mood.
I like it when developers have their own music made for games. Some of the best examples being Zelda OOT and FF7. The scores to those games were great, and had you wistling along to them as you played. Not too often that happens anymore. Shame really. A good soundtrack can add to a game playing experiance tremendously!
:)
The main games that seem to use popular dance music etc seem to be just racing games, and football games. Anything else, action/FPS/RPG's all seem to have their own music made for them specifically. Kinda like for movies.
Actually, thinking about it, it's mainly adventure type games that have their own soundtracks. It's games that make you play the same level over and over that seem to cop out and get some already popular tunes in. Kinda like Tony Hawk or something. You have to play the same level loads of times, so the developers get some music that they know people who skateboard like and stick it in. This is to stop people getting annoyed playing the same level over and over, because it's got some music they like to listen to blaring out of the speakers it keeps the player in a good mood.
I like it when developers have their own music made for games. Some of the best examples being Zelda OOT and FF7. The scores to those games were great, and had you wistling along to them as you played. Not too often that happens anymore. Shame really. A good soundtrack can add to a game playing experiance tremendously!
:)
Tony Hawks has excellent music, i think the nu-metal soundtrack just adds to the loose, cool image associated with boarding.
I think sound is very important for games, and can seperate a great game from a good game.
Tony Hawks 3 is a perfect example for me, as I htink the music fits in perfectly. Would the game have been the same if they had Spice Girls playing in the background?
Tony Hawks 3 is a perfect example for me, as I htink the music fits in perfectly. Would the game have been the same if they had Spice Girls playing in the background?
If music be the food of games, play on (but don’t play ‘those’ tunes). Music in games is pretty essential nowdays and, yes, it has also been discussed till the cows came home, got milked and made their way back out to the fields again, but what is really happening to the kind of music which games use?
In the beginning (in slightly more than 7 days) computers went from nothing to a few low key beeps in no time at all as programmers realised that sounds helped to enrich the experience of the games. Pacman wouldn’t have been the same without the wacca wacca and space invaders may not have drawn in the punters without the ominous sounds of the impending Martian attack. Obviously, someone soon realised that games, like films, needed a background tune for when the mood changed or to highlight a particular piece of action. This was helped by the technology available in home computing, the C64 saw a major leap in sound processors and the result was quite literally music to our ears.
From then on things progressed quite rapidly as new technology change the type and quality of the music. Soon the SNES was rocking our world with digital sound and the Amiga showed that we could have some nice sampling. The advent of CD helped to change the shape of music (if music has a shape) infinitely by adding the ability to use real music tracks. Sony, them of the many well known recording artists, famously used this on Wipeout to showcase their catalogue.
Things haven’t really looked back since and many titles now have music from famous bands, but is this a step in the right direction? Looking at the movies, there are big name soundtracks on many of the major blockbuster films but they all use their own musicians or specialists in the film business to provide an instrumental soundtrack that highlights the style and substance of the movie. This, I believe, should be closely followed by the big games companies who look for big names to sell the music in their games and perhaps don’t put enough thought into their own compositions.
Movie tie-ins are pretty standard fare and one of the most outwardly blatent uses of movie music has to be the StarWars franchise. The games ooze large amounts of that famous music from the films and this helps to give the game an authentic feel. Other movie licences should perhaps use this idea and keep the film score, perhaps adding one or two of the famous artists used in the movie.
Other games of note for their musical loveliness are the fantastic Skies of Arcadia, which has a great little purpose designed score and most of Lucasarts other efforts, other companies could learn from this. I think that because CD is so easy a format to use for sound, the games creators have got lazy and gone for the easy options, if they can pay huge movie writers to write their scripts then hopefully they can also get the composers in to provide that all important mood on the aural side too.
In the beginning (in slightly more than 7 days) computers went from nothing to a few low key beeps in no time at all as programmers realised that sounds helped to enrich the experience of the games. Pacman wouldn’t have been the same without the wacca wacca and space invaders may not have drawn in the punters without the ominous sounds of the impending Martian attack. Obviously, someone soon realised that games, like films, needed a background tune for when the mood changed or to highlight a particular piece of action. This was helped by the technology available in home computing, the C64 saw a major leap in sound processors and the result was quite literally music to our ears.
From then on things progressed quite rapidly as new technology change the type and quality of the music. Soon the SNES was rocking our world with digital sound and the Amiga showed that we could have some nice sampling. The advent of CD helped to change the shape of music (if music has a shape) infinitely by adding the ability to use real music tracks. Sony, them of the many well known recording artists, famously used this on Wipeout to showcase their catalogue.
Things haven’t really looked back since and many titles now have music from famous bands, but is this a step in the right direction? Looking at the movies, there are big name soundtracks on many of the major blockbuster films but they all use their own musicians or specialists in the film business to provide an instrumental soundtrack that highlights the style and substance of the movie. This, I believe, should be closely followed by the big games companies who look for big names to sell the music in their games and perhaps don’t put enough thought into their own compositions.
Movie tie-ins are pretty standard fare and one of the most outwardly blatent uses of movie music has to be the StarWars franchise. The games ooze large amounts of that famous music from the films and this helps to give the game an authentic feel. Other movie licences should perhaps use this idea and keep the film score, perhaps adding one or two of the famous artists used in the movie.
Other games of note for their musical loveliness are the fantastic Skies of Arcadia, which has a great little purpose designed score and most of Lucasarts other efforts, other companies could learn from this. I think that because CD is so easy a format to use for sound, the games creators have got lazy and gone for the easy options, if they can pay huge movie writers to write their scripts then hopefully they can also get the composers in to provide that all important mood on the aural side too.