Music you listen to while playing games?

[Sean Hollyman]

I like something with a good beat that gets me pumped up, usually Pendulum.

Or the MGR soundtrack. Goes with anything really.

 

[putowtin]

Depends on the game,
I've modded fallout new vegas to add more songs, but that's one of my favourite music genre's anyway.

If a game has a good soundtrack then I leave it be or if it's a soundtrack that actually adds to the ambiance of a game (Skyrim, Dragon Age, Mass Effect, etc) then it stays on. But games like Watch Dogs and GTAV where I only like one or two songs normally have their music turned off so I can listen to some Fats Waller or The Ink Spots

 

[Colour Scientist]

I think I've posted this before but I don't generally listen to other music when I'm playing games.

I used to occasionally listen to music when I played Halo online but I only ever listened to the small pool of songs I had bothered to put on my 360. Basically, lots of Fleetwood Mac, QOTSA, Thin Lizzy and Tom Waits. I think there's some Led Zeppelin on there too.

Actually, there's also a Motörhead album but I have no idea where that came from, I certainly didn't put it there.

 

[Casual Shinji]

I never really understood this behaviour.

To me it's like listening to music when watching a movie or TV show, or while reading a book. How can you focus on what's being presented infront of you when you're concentration is being split? Even in a game like GTA where the entire soundtrack consists of tracks, I'd still have my mind preoccupied by two entertainment devices being on at the same time.

 

[duwenbasden]

I generally do not, since I don't want to compromise my senses to be mauled by a bear from behind.

 

[Mr Fixit]

I almost always turn any bgm off in my games, unless that's not an option, looking at you Final Fantasy. I really prefer just the ambient sounds to a game. When I'm racing or playing a sports game or a mindless shooter, I just set my computer to play random songs from my library. Having the pc hooked up to my awesome stereo is so sweet.

 

[Sean Hollyman]

I never really understood this behaviour.

To me it's like listening to music when watching a movie or TV show, or while reading a book. How can you focus on what's being presented infront of you when you're concentration is being split? Even in a game like GTA where the entire soundtrack consists of tracks, I'd still have my mind preoccupied by two entertainment devices being on at the same time.

I only usually listen to music when playing multiplayer. Makes it more fun.

 

[The Wykydtron]

I play music when playing multiplayer only really. A game's soundtrack can be quite important when not a multiplayer game like say League. I do play music when playing XCOM: Enemy Unknown though, the soundtrack ain't bad but I have better songs for intense "oh my fucking god, how did you miss a 95% hit chance" action.

I listen to game and anime soundtracks a lot so i've got the Smite and Ignite album playing quite a bit, Riot can pull some good music out of nowhere I have to give them that. I also queue something by LiSA a few songs in just in case something goes terribly wrong, usually Rising Hope because let's face it, i'm playing a MOBA i'll probably need all the hope I can get.


I do like that intro. LiSA has a knack for making a cool little intros before the main song, see also Crossing Field.

See also the Kill la Kill soundtrack. I have it on repeat when I play (full Secrets Mage deck represent) Hearthstone. Etherial Arcanist has got to get naked after all.

Spoiler

Naked as fuck.

 

[Drummodino]

When I play Borderlands 2 solo I listen to this or one of the other mixes from the channel:


It gets me more pumped up than the actual game music does. I occasionally use it in other games too, mostly shooters but sometimes in Dark Souls as well.

 

[Ldude893]

When I went through Vault 87 in Fallout 3, I had to play Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow" at full blast in order to get through. That place was the second freakiest location in the game, right behind the Dunwich building.

 

[happyninja42]

I never really understood this behaviour.

To me it's like listening to music when watching a movie or TV show, or while reading a book. How can you focus on what's being presented infront of you when you're concentration is being split? Even in a game like GTA where the entire soundtrack consists of tracks, I'd still have my mind preoccupied by two entertainment devices being on at the same time.

I generally do it when playing MMO's, where it's just a repetitive action, usually without voice dialogue, and just the combat sounds and grunts over and over and over....and over....and over.....and over and over and over, for hours on end. It gets a little tiresome. I don't do it with single player games as the atmosphere of those is significantly different, compared to playing something like WoW or Rift, etc.


OT: I will usually play a soundtrack, like Deus Ex: Human Revolution, or The Fountain (LOVE that soundtrack).

Or, I will play the Dragon Ball Z Abridged series by Team Fourstar in the background for lulz. Basically, if it's a game that isn't engaging enough to demand my full attention, I'll play something in the background.

 

[vid87]

If I'm playing a browser game with no/turned off music, I'll throw on my favorite boss fight theme:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YO4Z833om8M

 

[Casual Shinji]

I never really understood this behaviour.

To me it's like listening to music when watching a movie or TV show, or while reading a book. How can you focus on what's being presented infront of you when you're concentration is being split? Even in a game like GTA where the entire soundtrack consists of tracks, I'd still have my mind preoccupied by two entertainment devices being on at the same time.

I generally do it when playing MMO's, where it's just a repetitive action, usually without voice dialogue, and just the combat sounds and grunts over and over and over....and over....and over.....and over and over and over, for hours on end. It gets a little tiresome. I don't do it with single player games as the atmosphere of those is significantly different, compared to playing something like WoW or Rift, etc.

That I can understand, but to me that sounds suspiciously like putting on some music while doing a job. Which I don't think is a mindset a videogame should be evoking.

 

[And Man]

I only do it in online multiplayer games like League of Legends, Starcraft, or Final Fantasy XIV, and when I do I listen to Pandora with seeds from all kinds of music

 

[ExtraDebit]

I myself can only focus on one thing at a time, when I listen to music that's all I do, I sit on a chair and just listen to music. Same thing with games and other stuff. It's not that I can't do more than one thing at a time, but I just don't fully enjoy it so I prefer not to.

 

[happyninja42]

I never really understood this behaviour.

To me it's like listening to music when watching a movie or TV show, or while reading a book. How can you focus on what's being presented infront of you when you're concentration is being split? Even in a game like GTA where the entire soundtrack consists of tracks, I'd still have my mind preoccupied by two entertainment devices being on at the same time.

I generally do it when playing MMO's, where it's just a repetitive action, usually without voice dialogue, and just the combat sounds and grunts over and over and over....and over....and over.....and over and over and over, for hours on end. It gets a little tiresome. I don't do it with single player games as the atmosphere of those is significantly different, compared to playing something like WoW or Rift, etc.

That I can understand, but to me that sounds suspiciously like putting on some music while doing a job. Which I don't think is a mindset a videogame should be evoking.

Eh, not all fun activities are made equal. Some games/movies/books are so personally engaging and involving that they suck me in to the exclusion of anything else. Others, are more of an entertaining background thing.

But for the music thing, personally, I use my own music/sound entertainment, when the game I'm playing isn't dependent on sound cues. If I'm playing something like, Farcry 3, or Thief, or Deus Ex, where sound cues for enemy patrols and stuff is vital to playing, yeah I'm totally focused on the game. But for an MMO, or LoL, where all of the information I need is provided visually, the sounds are irrelevant. And in most of those games, the combat sounds overwhelm everything else anyway. So I'll add something of my own to listen to for enjoyment.

 

[Diddy_Mao]

Most console games I'll just keep the original GM going. If I'm playing something like an MMO or pretty much anything on a handheld I'll switch my Spotify playlist on and let it spit out whatever it feels like.

Of late I've tended to specifically queue up my Psychobilly/Horrorpunk list (The Arkhams, The Meteors, Creepshow, Hillbilly Moon Explosion, Calabrese, The Rosedales etc.)

 

[Guffe]

I usually have the radio on.
The channel is RadioRock, so rock and metal, then the speaks in between usually are about things going on and news and stuff, so I also keep myself up to date at the same time.
Some games (very rarely) I don't want music in the background though.

 

[GamerAddict7796]

If it's an open world game like Saints Row or GTA I'll listen to the rock radio. If the radio has poor song choice (GTA V) I'll listen to the country radio or put on whatever I feel like.

If it's an RPG I'll listen to the ambient music to be fully invested. I find it impossible to listen to music, even the radio in Fallout, while exploring/doing quests.

When I'm playing TF2 I just put on whatever I feel like.

 

[Chester Rabbit]

It depends on the game. If it's a game with a very strong soundtrack and focused narrative then I usually don't insert my own music, because I don't have to. I want to actually hear those soundtracks.

But if it's an open world game that either has a completely forgettable ambient soundtrack (The Elder Scrolls) or one with none at all (Saints Row) Then yeah I'll try and enhance the experience by inserting music I find suit it.

For example with Skyrim I put in the Diablo soundtrack and some Blood Omen music for the dungeons and then I just found some world of war craft track to play for traversing the landscape.
PS Conan music for dragon fights!

And as for Saints Row. When I'm in a gun fight or car chase or something I'm blasting Motley Crew and Guns and Roses and new 80's synth.

Another case where I insert my own soundtrack would be Mass Effect 3's multiplayer. And that's just because it makes the matches more satisfying having some sci-fi/rocking chip-synth tracks playing while you plow through waver after wave. Oh and the suicide mission music, though it's a bit of a piss off playing that music and you end up losing.
An example of what I use