Poll: Do you like it when games use real orchestra's for music?

[Lunar Shadow]

I also love said music, it is the awesome. Should really not listen to particularly epic ones when I drive though >_>

Edit: Since I fail at embedding http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3r2txD68qnw&feature=PlayList&p=0418D48416E2FD31&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=2

 

[Fish and Chips]

Yes, as long as it fits.
Epic music should be used only for epic moments.

 

[Gildan Bladeborn]

Oh hell yes. Hitman 2: Silent Assassin would have been a vastly different game without the Budapest Symphony Orchestra accompanying it.

Not all soundtracks need to be fully orchestrated of course, but if you're going to write music that sounds like something an orchestra should be playing, recording it all with your synthesizer is a poor substitute for the real thing.

Actually I have found some surprising things that you can do with a synthesizer though. For example, the soundtrack to Oblivion was a soundtrack but it is hard sometimes to differentiate.

What I meant was using synthesizer patches to simulate instruments in an orchestra, choirs, etc - sometimes it manages to sound authentic, but in general you can tell it's not a real instrument/person/what have you. If you're using your synthesizer to play obviously electronic sounds, that's different, and yes, you can do some really cool things with synthesizers.

So basically my position is "don't use your synthesizer to pretend you have an orchestra if you can actually get one instead", because it's going to sound better. Use it in combination with an orchestra sure, but not to replace one.

Also your second sentence makes no sense, I think you replaced a crucial word somewhere with a duplicate "soundtrack", because telling me the Oblivion soundtrack was a soundtrack is a wee bit redundant.

 

[Timotei]

*snip*

That has to be some of the greatest music ever put into any game. Black wasn't all that bad either. Sure the game itself may have been your archetypical FPS, but the music was awesome.

Some of the best music I have heard in most recent games has to be from Valkyria Chronicles. Where as most games now focus on getting your blood pumping, Valkyria chroncles took the more expensive route and had a full orchestra.

Not only was the music good, it was also well timed. Never before have I felt so energized simply by listening to the background music. Hearing Desperate Fight [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqyBBIstLYM&feature=related] play at a mission's beginning give you that "All right, let's DO THIS!" sense (especially when it gets to 1:12), while hearing Fierce Combat [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etjPbGJPzKU&feature=related] will energize you and fill you with that go-get-em attitude. Then you get times when it plays songs like Crisis Draws Near [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbjifkjJ9-M&feature=related], and you begin to feel the tension of a situation, causing you to be more cautious and on your toes.

 

[reg42]

I love it when it suites the game, but I would hardly use it in a game about stomping on peoples toes.

 

[BENZOOKA]

Definitely. The more effort they've put into the music, the better.

 

[ottenni]

Hell yeah. An orchestra can add a whole new level to the atmosphere and can create some truly amazing music. But it has too fit the game as well.

 

[insectoid]

Definitely. Sometimes it's not appropriate within the context of the game, but most of the time it only adds.

 

[AvsJoe]

I just posted in another thread that I miss MIDI music but I do enjoy a good orchestra as well. A nice loud score full of brass and wind is sometimes the perfect background noise to a game.

 

[Murlin]

It completely depends on the game, orchestra's make for epicness or really emotional moments. Doesn't mean it fits in nicely everywhere though.

 

[Arkhangelsk]

Depends on the game, but most of the time. Final Fantasy (some of them) and Battlefield are examples of games that do it really well.

 

[epikAXE]

God Yes. loved the musical score on Dragon Quest VIII, and on Kingdom Hearts. Also Morrowind (Yean I like RPGs )

 

[Sir Kemper]

Yes i love it, especially if it's really well done

 

[Blasphemous Rex]

A real orchestra gives games a personality. That the creators used one shows they go the extra mile and that they actually care for their game.

 

[Ziltoid]

Yes, as long as it fits.
Epic music should be used only for epic moments.

Definitely. I love how in God of War the music will get really intense for the smallest things, I will jump across a gap and the chorus and horns will start blasting. Talk about overkill.

Also, orchestra would not fit in every game, No More Heroes or Wipeout would be terrible with that kind of music.

 

[PrimoThePro]

no one has said "no" i think.
ever since fable, im in love with the idea of orchestrated music in games.

 

[HellbirdIV]

Yes. Always yes.

Modern Warfare 2 alone proves how much more drastically fucking awesome a game can become with a good orchestral score - and that's not even touching on the numerous Star Wars games using lifted John Williams music.

 

[Oddone2]

The orchestral music in Shadows of the Colossus really set the mood in a way that synthesizer never could have.

 

[BlindMessiah94]

(Better poll options would be nice)

Yes if the game is going for a cinematic experience or if it fits the game's setting.

No if it is Mega Man.

Sorry I couldn't really think about the poll questions. Also I was kind of going for the question of if people liked it if there was a synth used or a real orchestra. Still though this is good and I like the feedback that I am getting. Keep it coming!

I think it still really depends. I really love orchestral music, but there's something about midi that just makes a game sound "like a game".

I think I'd almost be put off if Final Fantasy VII had used real orchestra's for the game. I love the way the midi tracks sound in that game. I've also heard it done with a real orchestra before, and it sounds great, but I think I prefer the midi for the game.

I think basically I don't mind if a game uses midi or if it uses an orchestra. As long as it does it well it doesn't really matter to me.
It's about choosing the right medium for the right game.

Also we have to consider that hiring a composer and orchestra can cost tens of thousands of dollars minimum whereas hiring some guy to play on a keyboard can cost much less.