Game Music Continuing To Gain Recognition 57
Thanks to Yahoo/Chicago Tribune for their article charting the continued rise in popularity of videogame music. The piece quotes a music agent as saying: "Record companies are realizing that this is the new radio", and another commentator points out: "Consumers would rather download than pay $15 for a CD, leaving the record industry scrambling for revenue. How do they monetize music? License to video games." However, when it comes to stand-alone game soundtrack CDs, "sales aren't earth-shattering yet", and specific numbers are referenced for the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City soundtrack, of which "...the most popular CD, 'V-Rock,' sold 42,300 copies."
Even so... (Score:5, Interesting)
I hope this doesn't phase out the querky and strange genre that is video game music, because it's definitely unique to itself. I'll take classic Zuntata over the lastest hot hits of record-label-X anyday, and I'll cry myself to sleep the next time I play a title who's full score is by some craptacular pop-group. (The Final Fantasy Series is well on it's way on that one).
Re:Even so... (Score:4, Insightful)
I agree. At times like these we need more Koji Kondo (composer of some of the most classic Nintendo tunes including music from Zelda, Mario, and more) and less corporate synergy and licensing deals. I feel like I'm watching the lowly commoners invade another of my interests. First AOL brought the unwashed confused masses to the Internet, then Big Business moved in with its advertising and scumware, and before I knew it the good 'ol days of the anything-goes mostly-civilized web were gone.
This just goes to show that when something goes mainstream, it starts to become crap. Koji Kondo, come home!
VGM = Pop music in U.S. (Score:4, Interesting)
Using licensed pop music that was not originally created for a game can create a mismatch with the game environment. I've often thought, "How does this song relate to the game?"
I think using licensed soundtracks will apply mostly to U.S. created console games. The Japanese games will most likely still have
original music. My musical tastes lean heavily toward Japanese game music, so I will ignore U.S. created game music.
Re:Even so... (Score:2)
Don't worry, they can do their worst and they'll still never be able to take our EarthBound away!
Re:Even so... (Score:1)
Yeah, same here. I really love soundtrack music, especially game music and game music remixes (RKO and OCRemix being my favorite music sites), and it's 90% of the music I listen to. And I've always thought that adding "external" music is nice, but the focus on the soundtracks should always be on the original score, not on these hit singles or whatever's on the radio. Recognizable tunes have their time and place, but that place isn't All Over The Thing.
Personally I wish that there would be a Big Music Hit
Personally, (Score:2)
Re:Personally, (Score:2)
And in all seriousness would lend a completely different theme to those games as well, but the initial reaction would be worth it alone.
Kinda like how when I (briefly) played GTA, the only radio station I would listen to was the classical one.
Relating to the parent post, in the Japanese rele
Umm.. (Score:3, Interesting)
Not sure what to add to that, but Machinae Supremacy [machinaesupremacy.com] is inspired [gazonk.org] by game music and they've done game music [google.com]. But since you've reading this story you knew that already ;-)
As for stand-alone soundtracks for Games I think that's going to be a niche for a very long time, but one that I think is worth having. Jeremy Soule [jeremysoule.com] and Inon Zur [inonzur.com] have done a lot of good music for games (BG, IWD, etc). Robert Holmes did good work on the GK games too (also available on soundtrack in the now somewhat-hard-to-get Gabriel Knight Mysteries (Limited Edition) package).
Game Inspired Bands? (Score:5, Informative)
The Neskimos [neskimos.com] do punk rock covers of NES songs
Te Minibossses [minibosses.com] are more of a ska band. Like the Neskimos, they mainly cover NES era game music.
Hard rock more your style? Try Game Over [nintendometal.com], a self-described "Nintendo Metal" band. Not very much up for download on their site, but what's there is good.
And let's not forget OC Remix [ocremix.org], the unofficial hub for remixes of game music.
The cool thing is, a lot of this music is actually quite good. Give it a shot. And by the way...yes, all of the MP3s on these pages are legal to download. Enjoy. :)
How about original music instead of covers? (Score:1)
Re:Game Inspired Bands? (Score:1)
Umm... what? Ska generally involves some sort of reggae influence, and is almost always accompanied by brass instruments. The Minibosses do not have brass instruments in any of their songs, and they don't have any reggae either. :/
Re:Game Inspired Bands? (Score:2)
Re:Game Inspired Bands? (Score:2)
Re:Game Inspired Bands? (Score:1)
Check out Minikon. Handsdown the best band out there for vg-like music
Also: Super Madrigal Bros (chamber music meets vg)
Also: The Advantage (surf guitar rock nintendo cover band from SF.)
Game Sndtrks (Score:2)
Anothe
Link got muddled up (Score:2)
Re:Game Sndtrks (Score:1)
But yes, the new ones are quite expensive, around $24-30. However, the older are around 2000Y ~ $16-18.
Re:Game Sndtrks (Score:1)
Well, there's always (Score:1, Flamebait)
Re:Jeremy Soule... (Score:1)
Not the new radio, but the new CD (Score:2)
distribution channel which provides exposure
to bands to sell a distinct medium), but the
new CD (primary delivery vehicle for content
licenses).
How about no, Scott (Score:5, Insightful)
The real game music artists are the people like Nobuo Uematsu, Motoi Sakuraba, Sound Team jdk, and Yasunori Mitsuda. While the article mentions the Call of Duty and Medal of Honor soundtracks (composed by Michael Giacchino and Chris Lennertz, respectively), which is cool, those are definitely not the focus of the 'recognition' that game music is supposedly gaining. Compilations of licensed rubbish are the kind of 'game music' that's gaining recognition.
The American game developers (primarily EA, of course, but EA probably owns 80% of the American game industry anyway) have discovered that it's not only easier and cheaper to license music, but it's also more profitable, because now they can make money off the compilation albums. When they start selling even the basest of real game soundtracks (like Final Fantasy) domestically, then we can talk about game music gaining recognition. :(
Even domestic real game sountracks are butchered (Score:1)
If you remember, TokyoPop used to release some game Square soundtracks, but they were all not complete soundtracks. Final Fantasy 9 is a 4 CD soundtrack in Japan, but when TokyoPop published it in the U.S., it was a 1 CD "Best of" album. Likewise, they did the same thing to Final Fantasy Chronicles. Instead of releasing the entire soundtracks to those
Re:Even domestic real game sountracks are butchere (Score:2)
Re:How about no, Scott (Score:1)
Re:How about no, Scott (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:How about no, Scott (Score:1)
That's odd..... (Score:1)
Its OK in cutsceens.
But if the music is from pop or rock or whatever artists, it gets repetitive, thats where my own collection comes in.
Mario Bros orchestral style (Score:2)
No, as it happens.
A quick Altavista search [altavista.com] delivers the goods, I must try it out on my classical-music-snob associate, ask him if he can identify it:)
Re:Mario Bros orchestral style (Score:1)
No need to check with him... the most common orchestrated version found on the Internet is from the Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra's Orchestral Game Concert series of CDs (I think CD 1). Unfortunately... finding a legal copy of this is very hard... Soundtrack Central [altpop.com] rates it as being "extinct."
Original soundtracks (Score:1)
Re:Original soundtracks (Score:1)
It's not often that the music developer is given as big a credit as George was given in these games' liner notes. It does help that he... wrote the first General MIDI soundtrack for a game, the first direct-to-MIDI live recording of musicians, the first redbook soundtrack included with the game as a separate disk, the first music for a game that was conside
It'll be cool when game music sales reflect.. (Score:2)
" Grand Theft Auto: Vice City soundtrack, of which "...the most popular CD, 'V-Rock,' sold 42,300 copies.""
I don't recall V-Rock being loaded with comositions I'd be familiar with if I played MegaMan, Devil May Cry, Contra, Castlevania, Metal Gear Solid, Mario, Zelda, etc. In fact, I think it was loaded with that pop music stuff from the 1980s which I don't really care for except for nostalgia.
Wake me when people know the composer for MegaMan's music withou
This Usenet post sums up my thoughts (Score:1)
--Jonathan McArthur [google.com]
This, of course, refers to actual video game music, not music that was just put into a video game.
Rob (waits patiently for VG music fans to mod this post down)
Re:This Usenet post sums up my thoughts (Score:2)
Contrast this with the absolutely brilliant Yasunori Mitsuda, who delivered amazing work with Chrono Trigger, Xenogears, and a little for Xenosaga... but has largely moved on as well.
Re:This Usenet post sums up my thoughts (Score:1)
Um, I didn't know video game music was such an disreputable field that artists were hurried to "move on" from it. The game music is probably just as interesting to do as movie music, and probably just as challenging and artistically rewarding.
Nobuo Uematsu is probably more than competent if he can create music that's memorable enough on a freaking NES. That box didn't exactly have the capacity to distract people with kewl soundz and composers needed to get the melody right. Horror.
And back in the NES da
Crapradio! (Score:1)
your friendly-neighborhood-game-related-only-streaming
and for rock fans theres (Score:1)
I don't buy, I download. (Score:1, Interesting)
The only game soundtrack I own is the one from Wipeout XL. And I only own that because by some stroke of luck I just HAPPENED to come across it once by accident.
There IS no game sountrack section in music stores, and if you are lucky there will ONE game soundtrack available in the whole store to purchase. If you're VERY lucky you might find five.
With no selection, I have no inclination to constantly go to the mus
Re:I don't buy, I download. (Score:1)
Re:I don't buy, I download. (Score:1)
Trying going into Best Buy and finding the Black Mages [gamemusic.com] CD. And thats one of many, many things that will more that likely never see a release stateside until VG music becomes profitable over the counter.
*Read: Final Fantasy
I don't have a problem downloading music for games I technically own. No one should have to pay 50$ just to hear music they technicaly own. I do try and import fun things like that,
Uh huh (Score:1)
The quote:"Once an afterthought in the production process, video game soundtracks increasingly use original music to reach new listeners who blur traditional entertainment boundaries", followed directly by "Record companies are realizing that this is the new radio," and the use of sa