Videogame music: Why do we listen?

By Jeriaska . June 21, 2008 . 8:14pm

What is it about videogame music that makes us listen to it? What's notable about its present state, and why is it that some songs are hard to forget? For the past few months I've been wanting to get a better handle on these question for myself, so I've been posting news items from Siliconera and around the web to a Digg-style website I helped put together.

The items posted to Nobuooo that get voted up by readers become the focus of segments on monthly video updates. I reported on some recent news in the June edition, while Kaleb Grace of VG Frequency talked about the interview here with Omega Five composer Hiroyuki Iwatsuki, and Anthony of Gamemusic4All announced the three-disc Super Mario RPG fan remix compilation "Heavy Troopa Is Ready To Launch." New and returning contributors participate by showing up, posting to the site and emailing in audio for the video updates.

So, with E3 right around the corner, what recent and upcoming game titles do you feel are notable for their music?

Nobuooo 6.08 Update

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpbP40H3pFU

TAGS: Sound Current, USA

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JeremyR

How many people really like video game music, though? Pretty much only the really really hard core gamer, I think. I'm a pretty big gamer and the only game songs I actually have are the theme to the original Wild Arms; Sonic R's soundtrack; and the Final Fantasy theme. And I guess the Snoop Dogg version of Riders of the Storm on NFS Underground.

Jeriaska

Quite a few people actively follow it in English-language territories, but having to import soundtrack albums most of the time makes videogame music somewhat less accessible. In Japan, on the other hand, you can go to a Tower Records and they have an entire section dedicated to videogame and anime soundtracks. Many are listed on online album databases like vgmdb.net.

DKong

Because it's damn good. World Ends With You has an amazing soundtrack, and was worth the download. Other than that, I really don't have much game music, unless you consider the tracks from Ouendan, DDR, and other rhythm games "Video game music" vs music from real bands that was put into a video game...

Gintoki

I find it funny actually. I play some remixes of video game music and people are always surprised it's from a video game. An example would be Guilty Gear music. A lot of my friends love it and enjoy listening, but to their surprise they were not aware that it was video game music. I personally am a huge fan of video game music and I am not ashamed of saying it to people. Sure, some may look at me weird but the end result is always a great one and that is the surprised look of their face once they actually sit down and listen to it. Good read.

Justin Bailey

I'm with Gintoki on the Guilty Gear music. Awe of She, Writhe in Pain, Good Manners and Customs, all amazing songs that people wouldn't typically expect to be video game related. I have to add Soul Calibur as well since the Cathedral stage music from Soul Calibur 2 has been my ringtone for years now >_<

Joe Grim

I think for certain people the music in video games is extremely important and special. I, for one, am a musician and that might be a contribution to the reason for my love of video game music. The reason I love Tetris Attack so much and can't stand Pokemon Puzzle League is because of the music. The music in Tetris Attack holds a certain nostalgia, and I love playing it. Whereas Pokemon Puzzle League, though its game play is much improved, the music is mediocre. Of course, music alone doesn't make the game. However, my little brother actually cannot stand playing games without music, he just cannot. I once asked him if he would rather play a game without music, or listen to video game music on its own, and he wasn't sure. It shows how important music in video games are.

Christian

I'm actually a college senior, and with luck I'll be a high school band director next year. I'm a huge advocate for the appreciation of video game music. Sure, some of it is garbage, but the same can be said about other examples of classically composed music, pop music, film music, etc. But like other examples in each of those categories, some of it is great art, exhibiting a lot of the qualities that some of the greatest musical works have.

I also believe that those quality musical compositions in video games have educational value, especially since it's something kids can relate to. I intend to be pushing that idea throughout my career.

GladiadorBR

For me its pretty simple: When I listen to a particular game song, I remember the feelings I had while playing that game. For instance recently I've been listening to Phoenix Wright Orquestra: whenever I get to the ending of a court suite I start to remember things like "damn that von karma", or "now I got ya with this evidence" or "Maya, why are you so clueless". Whenever a game has a good impact on me, its music usually will bring the same feeling (unless its, like, very bad). Of course this holds better when the music is good (many games had an impact but had forgettable sound tracks, thus I never bought them). I don't know for other people, but for me soundtracks have the additional flavor that you already have an emotional attachment to them because of the events that happened on the game while you were listening

KidKC

Truthfully I would have to say that video game music is a very importatn essence of video gaming, not to say I can't pop in a atari game ad have just as much fun (which incidentally I still listen to music when I do that), but having been albe to play games from that time on I've seen how video game compositions have changed. for the most part they gotten better, but back in the 8-bit and 16-bit eras, there was actual limitations to the hardware. Even back then I was amazed and the sounds and textures that were emanating from these machines. Don't get me wrong there are tons of worthwhile arrangements now, but most are from the people who once used these very same machines back then, no matter how complex the sound composition is, the simple melody is still there. Bands like Powerglove have done a great thing by taking tracks that don't necessarily fit into the context they're pulled from but it's amazing, and if you listen to electronic music at all you'd know for sure that most artists were influenced by the early games. For that matter that's why I make music today......

cbjones

The lack of quality in mainstream music, I find myself listening to more and more game music now.

kyohusanagi

i listen to video game music cause its good music. and i feel they take more chance with sound then mainstream music does. its funny i saw this article today cause i was just a the free video game live concert in Toronto last night in the v.i.p section

OtakuBlue

I'm gonna have to say that the "Somnus" theme from the Final Fantasy Versus XIII trailers is a really nice piece of music. Thumbs up to that one ^ ^ Hehe

fallen

GladiadorBR: You nailed my take on all this. Way to put my thoughts into words for me. :D

Ninjeff

I have to agree GladiadorBR: As a fan of VGMusic, the best type is that which recalls moments from the game that you enjoyed. Recently, I bought the Orange Box soundtrack (i.e. music from Portal, Team Fortress 2, and Half-Life: Episode 2), and one of the tracks does exactly what GladiadorBR describes. A mission late in Episode 2 was really giving me trouble, and there's one point near the end when an ambush occurs and the music changes. Whenever I hear that track, I get the same rush I felt as when I was racing around in-game.

VG music of older games for this same reason (i.e. nostalgia).

Finally, I'd like to say that (despite the idiots at X-Play), Persona 3 & FES have one of the best and most original soundtracks in recent years. It's not a sweeping orchestra, like we've grown used to in modern games, but it's modern-sounding music for a game in a modern setting. I assume The World Ends With You is similar (which would explain the soundtrack bashing I've heard for that title as well).

ACFTM

This has inspired me to take another stab at trying to define video game music and its characteristics =D (Thanks!)

Like GladiadorBR, I listen to video game music to re-live my experiences. I also like how video game music can introduce me to so many different genres, since video game music can encompass every music genre out there.

Of the games I've recently played, I'd say Odin Sphere and Rogue Galaxy (the track for the Kuje Desert is sooooooooo good and soothing) had great music.

Kenley

I'm glad to see that most comments here advocate the quality and artistry of video game music - nice work!

I host a podcast that is solely devoted to the academic study of video game music - studying it like an art form, like scholars would study Beethoven or Mahler. It speaks to exactly what you are all talking about: Getting exposed to new styles of music, reliving memories, creating emotional moments in gaming... all that stuff.

Please check it out at http://www.intothescore.com!