So talking to a freind about music in videogames (we're nerds ok) and I said that it was like a genre of its own, he disagreed completly. So escapist what do you think on the matter?
Poll: Is game music a genre of its own?
- Thread starter Fallen-Angel Risen-Demon
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Yes it is called "Chip Rock"
People like Crystal castles have popularised the whole thing. Also see Anamaguchi there awesome.
People like Crystal castles have popularised the whole thing. Also see Anamaguchi there awesome.
I'm a little conflicted here. Steve Jablonsky conducted/orchestrated Transformers music for 1 and 2 If I recall correctly. He also conducted/orchestrated music for Gears of War 2. So I think game music falls into the category of Movies.
That's just my 2 cents worth.
That's just my 2 cents worth.
I think so yes. Simply because genre is a means of identifiction, and by grouping gaming music together makes it easier to do so.
What genre would the Portal song 'Still Alive' be otherwise? Pop? Electronica?
If it wasn't put as a game soundtrack then people would had a hard time finding it.
If you are referring to background music then I guess that depends on if it actually fits into a genre naturally (classic, jazz, whatnot), but even then, it's just easier for it to be put into the 'Soundtrack' genre.
What genre would the Portal song 'Still Alive' be otherwise? Pop? Electronica?
If it wasn't put as a game soundtrack then people would had a hard time finding it.
If you are referring to background music then I guess that depends on if it actually fits into a genre naturally (classic, jazz, whatnot), but even then, it's just easier for it to be put into the 'Soundtrack' genre.
music that is made for game is game music.
if lets say some of FF music were first made by rock band it would be propably rock or ballad or for some romantic movie it would fall to class of soundtrack or movie music
but as they composed it for game it is game music thus making it genre of its own.
if lets say some of FF music were first made by rock band it would be propably rock or ballad or for some romantic movie it would fall to class of soundtrack or movie music
but as they composed it for game it is game music thus making it genre of its own.
I agree with you. As long as the music is only in the background movie music is pretty much the same.Free Thinker said:
Edit: actually thinking of it games music is too different. For example lets look at mario soundtrack and prince of persia : ww soundtrack. one is clearly created only for that game and suits it perfectly, but other is created by a band and somebody can listen to it never thinking that it is game music.
It totally depends on the songs in the game. There are songs in movies that are also other genres (like sappy love songs in romantic comedies).
There are songs in games that are also other genres (like rock songs in Halo or those lyrical songs in Red Dead).
SOME game songs are sorta in a game genre, mostly old 8-bit music in my opinion, or other classic game songs like Zelda OoT songs.
There are songs in games that are also other genres (like rock songs in Halo or those lyrical songs in Red Dead).
SOME game songs are sorta in a game genre, mostly old 8-bit music in my opinion, or other classic game songs like Zelda OoT songs.
I would say the 8 bit stuff is video game music, because it originated in games. It has it's own identity that's associated with retro gaming. It's become a unique and recognizable style to the point where a lot of other musicians have been influenced by it just like any other type of music, notably this guy:
And I guess Dragonforce. But those guys are the suck.
And I guess Dragonforce. But those guys are the suck.
What about the music made for Sonic games? They use instrumental versions as the soundtrack, but record the songs with lyrics seperatly and give that out as Unlockables. Would you still call a song a "soundtrack" if it's made by a real rock band and only available on the game but not in-game as bgm?Matt_LRR said:
In the same way as music written for film soundtracks but not included in the film, yes. It's the whole "written for or inspired by" thing.Ulquiorra4sama said:
If a piece of music is written by a band for another piece of media rather than for their album, then that is a soundtrack piece, even if it is not used in the media form proper.
-m
I was just thinking that since Crush 40 make much of the music for Sonic games, and since they release a lot of remixes on records that it might have been a special case. They have released several albums featuring covered songs that were used as soundtracks, but i guess it ultimatly boils down to the fact that it used to be a soundtrack.Matt_LRR said:
Yes, because game music tends to be of a much different style than other music I've noticed. It has to be good, but not distracting. You can't focus completely on the soundtrack, or you're boned.
A valid and well-made point. A good example of this would be the music from Mirror's Edge, created by an artist known as Solar Fields. The music is great - I have the whole soundtrack on my Zune now - and yet, despite that fact, it never once distracts from the gameplay.Angry Caterpillar said:
I don't really view 'sountrack' or 'game music' as a seperate genre, it seems rather arbitrary to me.
Yes and No.
Yes:
"Chiptunes" is a electronic sub genre focused on either remixed / remade themes from classic cartridge games, or original music written in a similar sytle using bit and sample rate reduction to emulate the 8bit feel of that music. The more enterprising and 'hardware hack' aficionados sometimes actually use reverse engineered NES cartridges that can be fed MIDI information from any regular computer or hardware sequencer to directly interface with the on board digital music circuits (synths) and record the output into a conventional mixer, using the NES, Gameboy or SEGA itself as a sound module.
Chiptunes can be fairly said to be a genre of music that owes its roots to retro video games, as well as Electro and experimental electronic music in general.
No:
Soundtracks. An appropriately catch all term to describe the music used to score a game of film. No set genre, instruments, or standards to which anyone can agree upon. Chilling classical swells of Bioshock? Subliminal electronic moodiness of Mass Effect? The atmosphere of atonal ambiance and weird dub that made Fallout 1 and 2? Or a mish mash of licensed music in GTA radio?
The thing about OST or licensed sound tracks it that they both are "game music" only insofar as the player is listening to them while playing the game. Without that achor point of association - listened to on CD or mp3 without context - it just becomes music in the ears of anyone who hasn't previously associated it with a videogame.
Basically, if you could play a game soundtrack for someone with no prior experience of game or accompanying audio and they thought "that reminds me of [the associated game]", it would be 'game music'... But, it's doesn't and it isn't.
---
Concession: Stuff like "still alive" or things with lyrics describing games, do qualify as game music.
Yes:
"Chiptunes" is a electronic sub genre focused on either remixed / remade themes from classic cartridge games, or original music written in a similar sytle using bit and sample rate reduction to emulate the 8bit feel of that music. The more enterprising and 'hardware hack' aficionados sometimes actually use reverse engineered NES cartridges that can be fed MIDI information from any regular computer or hardware sequencer to directly interface with the on board digital music circuits (synths) and record the output into a conventional mixer, using the NES, Gameboy or SEGA itself as a sound module.
Chiptunes can be fairly said to be a genre of music that owes its roots to retro video games, as well as Electro and experimental electronic music in general.
No:
Soundtracks. An appropriately catch all term to describe the music used to score a game of film. No set genre, instruments, or standards to which anyone can agree upon. Chilling classical swells of Bioshock? Subliminal electronic moodiness of Mass Effect? The atmosphere of atonal ambiance and weird dub that made Fallout 1 and 2? Or a mish mash of licensed music in GTA radio?
The thing about OST or licensed sound tracks it that they both are "game music" only insofar as the player is listening to them while playing the game. Without that achor point of association - listened to on CD or mp3 without context - it just becomes music in the ears of anyone who hasn't previously associated it with a videogame.
Basically, if you could play a game soundtrack for someone with no prior experience of game or accompanying audio and they thought "that reminds me of [the associated game]", it would be 'game music'... But, it's doesn't and it isn't.
---
Concession: Stuff like "still alive" or things with lyrics describing games, do qualify as game music.