Nope, never. I feel that a game's music and sound often add a
lot to the experience. It can really make or break the atmosphere and really set the tone. For example, take Halo. Would saving humanity be just as epic without music like this:
Would, in Mass Effect 2, Shephard's speech at the final stand be just as rallying without this:
One can keep posting like that for hours. Same goes for environmental sounds, they tell you a lot about where you are, what's going on. I couldn't imagine turning them off.
That is, if they're
good. If they're rather crappy, but the rest of the game is fun, sure. But I have yet to encounter such a game. That also said, sometimes I do
add something if the game doesn't provide it already. Plenty of multiplayer games who lack music, so I just put on my own.
Nimcha said:
Only with games that don't really require any immersion. Like WoW.
Woah...woah...
what?! The main reason why WoW's one of my favourite games is exactly how much it immerses me. The sound, especially the absolutely amazing music, plays a humongous part in that. But there's also the warm, versatile art style, the perfect environmental sounds and those little touches that make a zone really come alive; grizzly bears fishing in Grizzly Hills, the sand blowing over the dunes in Uldum, vines even creeping over the little flowers in Duskwood, NPC's going about their daily routines. I would never ever have played it so long if not for my longing to discover yet another jewel, hence why I usually stop playing when I run out of content.
But the music...oh good gods the music, that's really the crown on their work. I never ever understood why people just turned that off altogether.
tellmeimaninja said:
The only game I've done this in was Gears of War 2.
I simply felt that I needed this [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiaOFOMPOBc] playing during horde.
Made even better with something like this [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dok4wJ4pqo0], this [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDZ4N7QyKFQ&feature=related] or this [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwyQ2mRa21s]. Carnage has never been so soothing. Or hilariously disturbing.