Poll: Video Game Soundtracks

[lorrdmatt]

Hello. I'm currently doing research into how music effects the experience of the gamer for my university degree. Part of that is looking into how people from different places might enjoy different kinds of music, so let's talk game soundtracks. Please go ahead and vote on the poll. Do you own any game soundtracks? Do you only enjoy music from JRPGs or only from puzzle games, for example. I want to get a discussion going, so please feel free to reply explaining how you feel about soundtracks and game music in general. Any discussion that is had will be really useful for my work and if I would like to maybe quote you in my project I will get in touch with you directly. Also I realise the poll answers are kind of broad, which is why it'd be great to get some replies and have a discussion going. Thanks in advance!

 

[Sixcess]

I rarely listen to music in itself, so I own no game soundtracks.

I never play with the music off, as the soundtrack for me is often a big part of the atmosphere of the game. Thinking about it most of my favourite soundtracks are from games where there isn't a great deal of background noise and/or voice chatter - I'm thinking games like the original Resident Evil or Final Fantasy VII, and MMOs. FFVII was probably the first game where I really noticed and enjoyed the music as part of the experience (even if I did get sick to death of the main battle theme) and that game had virtually no sound effects outwith battle scenes so the soundtrack had to fill in a lot of blanks.

But it has to fit in with the theme. SWTOR has a very good soundtrack where even most of the original pieces sound like something John Williams would have composed for the movies. On the other hand Star Trek Online's soundtrack does nothing for me - it lacks the oomph of the 60s series, though I suppose that could be said of most Trek music since TNG.

 

[Assassin Xaero]

I only play with music/sound off when in a public place without headphones just so I don't annoy other people.

As far as soundtracks go, I own a few (some from Final Fantasy games, then ones that came with indie bundles). I never really listen to them, though, with the exception of song "Otherworld" from Final Fantasy X (probably because it is more along the lines of an actual song). It just seems weird to listen to the "background" style of music in games when not playing games, to me. Shadow of the Colossus was one game that I recently played where the music really stuck out and was done extremely well.

 

[TehCookie]

I love video game soundtracks, but the only owns I physically own are ones that come with preorders.I really think soundtrack is an unndderated part of games, since sound can carry so much emotion when playing a game. Take Persona 3 for example, during most of the game this [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQjPGOaZcQI] is the main map theme. Then some shit happens and it changes to this [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YASUOce8Nw]. Even though the only thing that changed was the music it gives an entirely different feel.

I also like how the new Metal Gear ramps up the music in the boss fights, and as you get further into it it keeps adding a layer of music to it.

I also think that music also helps get you immersed in a setting, and my favorite soundtrack for that would be Chrono Cross. Between the instruments they chose and the style of music it fits the world, honestly I have no idea how they pulled off such magic but go to a beach put on the soundtrack and close your eyes. It's amazing.

I'll listen to pretty much any genre of music, while I like some more than others there's still a few songs in each genre I can enjoy, and if not hearing them for the 50th time will make me enjoy it. I don't pay much attention to region, I listen to English and Japanese music equally (and a few others thrown in there). My normal music is even influenced from videogames, Superman from Tony Hawk got me into ska which is now my favorite genre.

 

[sextus the crazy]

I love soundtracks, but generally prefer the japanese game/anime soundtracks. Not that western ones can't be good, but I prefer the japanese ones.

 

[Khinjarsi]

I own a couple of soundtracks, my favourite being FFX's. I'm open to listening to the soundtrack of any game I'm playing, and generally won't switch it off unless I am roleplaying, such as in Skyrim, or I find it particularly annoying. It doesn't matter whether it's in English or in any other language, if I like it enough I'll listen to it anyway.

 

[lorrdmatt]

Excellent, thank you for the replies so far everyone.

I love soundtracks, but generally prefer the japanese game/anime soundtracks. Not that western ones can't be good, but I prefer the japanese ones.

Can I ask why you prefer the Japanese ones? Just this is one of the things I'm specifically trying to find out.

 

[Tuesday Night Fever]

I love game soundtracks, but particularly the ones for games released in 2000 or earlier. Newer games for some reason sound incredibly generic and samey to me. One big over-the-top orchestral piece doesn't sound that memorable or distinctive to me compared to another big over-the-top orchestral piece. It's not that newer stuff is bad or anything... it's usually quite good, and fits well where it's used... it just seems to lack the uniqueness that makes older game soundtracks memorable to me.

Meanwhile, I find myself often browsing YouTube to find soundtracks to old SNES games I loved the music for like U.N. Squadron, Zombies Ate My Neighbors, and the Donkey Kong Country series.

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

I love me some music from video games, and I'm listening to some right now actually.

I doesn't really matter to me where it comes from or what genre it is since if it's good then I will get it. If I know that a certain composer that I'm a fan of did a OST then I'm getting it because I just love their stuff.

I've never turned off the music in a game though since I know how hard they worked on trying to get the music to fit, and I feel like if I do then what they did was in vain.

 

[Full]

I love soundtracks. I own a few myself. I've bought a few, and got others from pre-orders/digital versions and the like.

I especially love instrumental/orchestral music, and games are known to have great songs in those sub genres, to say the least. However, I can't say I hate any type of music. I like most, actually.

Some songs work better in-game then by themselves, though, I'll tell you that.

 

[Yokillernick]

I love the JRPG ones especially the anime based ones. I do own some soundtracks that being the Mass Effect ones and the Medal of Honor: European Assault ones.

This OST always brings tears to my eyes especially if watched with the intro. Enjoy.

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[Eddie the head]

Journey had some of the best music in any game I have ever heard, seriously it's awesome. Actually it got nominated for a Grammy.

 

[The Wykydtron]

I love the music in Persona 4, the Ace Attorney games and both the BlazBlue openings (CT and Extend)

The only western game music I really liked would be Mass Effect. I have like... The ENTIRE Persona 4 music library on my League playlist but just three ME songs.


Annnnnd of course this:




I have no idea why the Japanese games tend to more memorable soundtracks most of the time... Maybe they just *get* what makes a good soundtracks great? Or something? I have no idea.

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

Mostly I mute game music and have my own albums on in the background, but there are a few rare exceptions such as TES and Fallout for which I enjoyed the music so much I got the soundtracks.

Spoiler: Obligatory Morrowind music link

Those few games are the exception to the rule, however. I've developed some quite strong association links with games and music - for example I can't play Total Annihilation without getting Skunk Anansie's Stoosh album playing in my head and likewise can't hear that album without getting a real urge to go play some TA. Trials HD/Evolution and Rancid is another one, and so is the rather odd pairing of Oasis and Transport Tycoon.

But that's all totally normal.

 

[Lt._nefarious]

Honestly, I hate chip tunes or whatever you call them... The shit that plays on a loop in doom and those "retro 8-bit call backs". That and the music in Lone Survivor physically assaulted me...

Other than that though I love game music, I have the Hotline Miami, all the Halo, The Binding of Isaac, FTL, all of the Silent Hills, GTA Vice City and WET soundtracks on my phone. Love game OST's in general, always got some on my phone...

 

[sextus the crazy]

Excellent, thank you for the replies so far everyone.

I love soundtracks, but generally prefer the japanese game/anime soundtracks. Not that western ones can't be good, but I prefer the japanese ones.

Can I ask why you prefer the Japanese ones? Just this is one of the things I'm specifically trying to find out.

Certainly, Although, this might spill over into non-VG soundtracks as well. I think that my preference for japanese soundtracks stems from the fact that JP ones seem to have the music be more active and prevalent in whatever medium its being used in. While western ones can set the mood, they seem to want to stay as background noise, while the actions of the scene or game or whatever take precedence; in turn, JP ones seem to carry equal importance to the scene their in.

I'm not exactly a music expert in any capacity, but I think extra credits' episode [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKgHrz_Wv6o] on what makes music memorable might shed a light on this sort of thing.

 

[Richardplex]

Excellent, thank you for the replies so far everyone.

I love soundtracks, but generally prefer the japanese game/anime soundtracks. Not that western ones can't be good, but I prefer the japanese ones.

Can I ask why you prefer the Japanese ones? Just this is one of the things I'm specifically trying to find out.

Certainly, Although, this might spill over into non-VG soundtracks as well. I think that my preference for japanese soundtracks stems from the fact that JP ones seem to have the music be more active and prevalent in whatever medium its being used in. While western ones can set the mood, they seem to want to stay as background noise, while the actions of the scene or game or whatever take precedence; in turn, JP ones seem to carry equal importance to the scene their in.

I'm not exactly a music expert in any capacity, but I think extra credits' episode [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKgHrz_Wv6o] on what makes music memorable might shed a light on this sort of thing.

You'll see a similar effect in television series as well: Western shows rarely have soundtracks that you'd voluntarily listen to outside the show, while anime generally have a large and well thought out soundtrack. I would of posted separately but I'd essentially be rephrasing exactly what you said.
I would think it would be reasonable to say, in general, Western media merely have background music, while Japanese media have soundtracks. One lightly supports the media, the other is carefully interwoven into it.

 

[w9496]

I like a lot of OSTs, actually. My favorite would have to be the Mass Effect trilogy, followed closely by Metal Gear Solid 1 and 2.

I don't play a lot of japanese games or games made by asian companies, but of the few I have played(like Binary Domain), i really liked the techno style music they tend to have.

 

[sextus the crazy]

Excellent, thank you for the replies so far everyone.

I love soundtracks, but generally prefer the japanese game/anime soundtracks. Not that western ones can't be good, but I prefer the japanese ones.

Can I ask why you prefer the Japanese ones? Just this is one of the things I'm specifically trying to find out.

Certainly, Although, this might spill over into non-VG soundtracks as well. I think that my preference for japanese soundtracks stems from the fact that JP ones seem to have the music be more active and prevalent in whatever medium its being used in. While western ones can set the mood, they seem to want to stay as background noise, while the actions of the scene or game or whatever take precedence; in turn, JP ones seem to carry equal importance to the scene their in.

I'm not exactly a music expert in any capacity, but I think extra credits' episode [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKgHrz_Wv6o] on what makes music memorable might shed a light on this sort of thing.

You'll see a similar effect in televesion series as well: Western shows rarely have soundtracks that you'd voluntarily listen to outside the show, while anime generally have a large and well thought out soundtrack. I would of posted seperately but I'd essentially be rephrasing exactly what you said.
I would think it would be reasonable to say, in general, Western media merely have background music, while Japanese media have soundtracks.

funny enough, We in the west call them "soundtracks", yet the japanese refer to them as "BGMs [Background music]".

 

[Smiley Face]

I like all kinds of video game soundtracks, more or less - it depends on what you mean by 'all kinds'. There are certain styles of music that I personally don't care for (metal, for example), and were they ever to rear their ugly heads I would be quite disappointed. Then there are just some compositions which are poorly done/uninteresting. But if, as the tone of this thread suggests, we're talking about the genre of game they come from or the country, then there's good stuff all over the place - you have excellent composers regardless of genres, and regardless of nationality.