| When one thinks of video games, what is the | | | | |
| first thing that comes to mind? Graphics, | | | | game is no longer limited to synthesized |
| sound, etc., but certainly not music. Because | | | | sounds. This allows the game |
| of the major technological advance within the | | | | |
| 10 years, video games and music is something | | | | environment to become more atmospheric. This |
| that now walks hand in hand. The more | | | | also means well known |
| complicated and realistic, the better the | | | | |
| music will be.In the early days of | | | | music can be placed within a game. When Sony |
| videogames, music played no great part when | | | | released the play station, |
| it | | | | |
| | | | it was not long before they released their |
| came to playing a game. Sounds were used | | | | groundbreaking title, |
| simply to illustrate actions. | | | | |
| | | | Wipeout. This game was a high energy racing |
| Take for example Pong, one of the original | | | | game, accompanied by a |
| commercially available | | | | |
| | | | fast and thrilling soundtrack featuring such |
| computer games, developed in the 1950's. It | | | | artists as the Chemical |
| comprised of two 'bats' | | | | |
| | | | Brothers, Orbital and Leftfield. Within the |
| represented on screen as rectangles and a | | | | game it was possible to |
| ball. The object was to play | | | | |
| | | | select the track you wished to be heard as |
| a kind of tennis game, while bleeps | | | | you raced through winding |
| represented the ball hitting the | | | | |
| | | | tunnels and over vast canyons. The music in |
| bat. The game was basic but it caught the | | | | this game was possibly |
| imagination of players | | | | |
| | | | more important than the game itself, and |
| around the globe. In 1972 the Magnavox | | | | indeed the soundtrack was |
| Odyssey was released in the US, | | | | |
| | | | released as an album. This illustrated the |
| the first games console ever made. However | | | | soundtracks importance |
| it was a completely silent | | | | |
| | | | within a game, akin to film music, and paved |
| machine. It was not until Atari released the | | | | the way for musicians' |
| Atari Video Computer | | | | |
| | | | involvement in the games industry. The |
| System in 1977 that sounds really made | | | | follow up titles in this series |
| impact upon games. These were | | | | |
| | | | also involved acts such as Prodigy, |
| still only very basic sound effects | | | | Underworld and in the most recent |
| though.What came next could be described as | | | | |
| the beginnings of video game | | | | version, DJ Sasha. A host of acts have |
| | | | appeared on games since. Mogwai |
| music. Space Invaders, a basic arcade game | | | | |
| arrived with a menacing | | | | created the soundtrack for Actua Ice Hockey |
| | | | 2 and Ash earned ?600,000 |
| tune set to put fear into its players. The | | | | |
| tune actually became more | | | | in royalties for their track on Gran |
| | | | Turismo. Grand Theft Auto is |
| frantic as the 'Invaders' came closer to | | | | |
| their goal, while the player | | | | known for its in game radio stations, and |
| | | | Grand Theft Auto 4: Vice |
| tries to destroy them. This had the effect | | | | |
| of raising the blood | | | | City, Interactive eighties themed version of |
| | | | the game boasts several |
| pressure and heart rate of its players, | | | | |
| absorbing them fully into this | | | | selectable radio stations with a variety of |
| | | | artists from the Eighties |
| world. The game was phenomenally successful | | | | |
| due to the fact it was the | | | | including Gary Newman and Blondie Again the |
| | | | soundtrack to this game |
| first interactive audiovisual game that made | | | | |
| its players feel an | | | | will be released as an album. So it seems |
| | | | that, as the case is with a |
| adrenalin rush.Over the next 10 years, games | | | | |
| were to become more sophisticated along | | | | good film, the soundtrack to a game provides |
| | | | as much of the experience |
| with their sound tracks. Through the | | | | |
| eighties, well known games such | | | | as any graphics.The music industry is set to |
| | | | benefit from this relatively new medium. |
| as Pacman, Donkey Kong and Tetris all | | | | |
| arrived with unique soundtracks | | | | Artists being heard on games are able to |
| | | | promote their music directly |
| played through low-tech sound processors. | | | | |
| Individual composers, such | | | | at their target audience, 18-25 year olds, |
| | | | while collecting royalties |
| as Shigeru Myamoto, creator of music for the | | | | |
| Zelda series of games, | | | | from the sale of the game. The artist's |
| | | | appearance also works as |
| became recognised through their work on | | | | |
| games, and in 1989 Michael | | | | promotion for the game, meaning the two |
| | | | industries work well together. |
| Jackson saw the potential video games had | | | | |
| for promoting music, | | | | Music is also significant as far as |
| | | | determining the quality of a game. |
| releasing his own title, Moonwalk. It | | | | |
| featured synthesised versions of | | | | The soundtrack plays a very important role; |
| | | | similar to the way it |
| Billie Jean and Beat It. He was to pave the | | | | |
| way for many artists who | | | | works in film. However, there are of course, |
| | | | major differences between |
| have contributed to computer games in more | | | | |
| recent times.It is indisputable that since | | | | games and film In fact it seems the music |
| the release of the Playstation, Sony has | | | | within a game is more |
| | | | |
| dominated the games industry, with Nintendo | | | | important than it is in film, interacting |
| lagging behind. The newest | | | | with the players reactions |
| | | | |
| console from Sony, the Playstation 2 does | | | | and completing the full experience.Over the |
| everything the PSX did, but | | | | next few years, consoles such as the |
| | | | Playstation 2 will start |
| with much improved graphics and sound, and a | | | | |
| DVD player. It can be | | | | to integrate more in homes, becoming as |
| | | | common as items like video |
| connected to the net for online gaming and | | | | |
| web browsing. This machine | | | | players or stereos. This new entertainment |
| | | | system encompassing |
| is a true multimedia system. Nintendo has | | | | |
| caught up slightly with the | | | | audio-visual playing with multimedia |
| | | | capabilities will replace the |
| game cube, and Microsoft has made their | | | | |
| entrance with the X-Box, both | | | | need for such items. It is important |
| | | | therefore the music industry |
| offering high quality sound and visuals. | | | | |
| Sony's success can be put | | | | keeps up with this medium in order to |
| | | | continue benefiting from itMary Anne Winslow |
| down to the fact they applied quality music | | | | is a member of Essay Writing Service |
| and video to their games | | | | counselling department team and a |
| | | | dissertation writing consultant. Contact her |
| from the start.With CD quality sound now | | | | to get free counselling on custom essay |
| commonplace on consoles, the music within a | | | | writing. |