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Game Music: An Underappreciated Game Element

June 25, 2009 in Blog comments 6

Koku Gamer talks about how music is an under appreciated element in gaming and how it's just as important as story, gameplay and graphics. Some of the composers looked at are Nobuo Uematsu and his success with FFVII.

We gamers are a lucky generation of people; we are witnessing evolution. Games are evolving right before our very eyes. We have witnessed the simple graphics of Pong evolve into the beautifully detailed environments of Uncharted and Crysis. We even watched the simple, yet highly addictive, gameplay of Tetris evolve into finely tuned games like Modern Warfare and LittleBigPlanet.
Ziriux via kokugamer.com »
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  • 3
    RabidChinaGirl Jun 26, 09
    HOW the hell do you consider game music under appreciated? There are various concerts held GLOBALLY featuring only gaming music, though we hear most about Final Fantasy (I remember one concert a couple years ago focused on Jeremy Soule's work).

    If it was so under appreciated, I don't think these publishers would bother selling music downloads or CDs at big name retailers like Best Buy. Speaking of Best Buy, remember when EA was using the Mirror's Edge theme "Still Alive" to promote pre-orders at that chain? Going back, remember that Halo trilogy OST bundle Microsoft advertised? Why bother if nobody is interested in the music, hm?

    Some games advertise their soundtracks as award-winning. Game award events have soundtrack categories. Just Google "game music" and see how "under appreciated" it is, or check out all the renditions of Nintendo theme songs on YouTube. Capcom has Bear McCreary working on Dark Void FFS!!

    And think about games that are actually popular largely BECAUSE of their soundtracks -- Guilty Gear series and Silent Hill games are just two examples. No need to even talk about Portal. The recent Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires lets you choose your own BGM and will be getting more as DLC next month.

    Point is, these guys make a huge profit on selling music for their games, and gaming music ranges as far and wide as "regular" music.

    /rant
    • 0
      Fallen Royalty Jun 27, 09
      Sure, game OST's have their niche, like you've pointed out with a few games here and there, but I think what the article was getting at was that it's not very popular. The music complements the game, but often, that music is not appreciated for what it is on its own.
      • 2
        RabidChinaGirl Jun 27, 09
        That's the POINT of having a soundtrack -- to complement something else.
        • 0
          Fallen Royalty Jun 29, 09
          Yeah, and the point of a side-dish is to complement the entree, but usually the spotlight is on the prime rib whether or not the garlic mashed potatoes are fcuking awesome on their own.
        • 0
          Hideo1 Jun 29, 09
          So the music is doing the job it was made for and is very appreciated for it and then a number of other people love it alone too... and it's underappreciated?

          What ridiculously high standards they must have. How can the music be any more appreciated?
  • 0
    FinalFantasyFanaticc Jun 29, 09
    If game music is good, i'll probably remember it forever.

    RCG mentioned Final Fantasy and the music from that is some of the best video game music i have ever heard. Along side that is the Zelda music which is also amazing, I can still remember all of that today.

    Seriously, there is no way in hell video game music is unappreciated, hell i still hear the Sonic and Mario themes from the Sega Mega Drive / Super Nintendo eras on peoples Mobile Phones as Ringtones.

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