In the past, video games have always been considered childish and immature. But people are starting to realize what serious business games can be. Video games comprise a multi-billion-dollar-a-year industry, so gamers are rapidly making themselves known to the world at large.

At the same time, video games are more widely being explored as an artform. These interactive entertainment engines create great opportunities for storytelling, visual art, and of course music. These days, no game seems complete without a good soundtrack, and professionals in the field will rate the quality of videogames in part based on the quality of the game's sound.

In the old days, it was difficult. Gaming consoles didn't actually have the capacity to produce music. With only a limited range of digital noises, game designers had to guess at what code would cause the television to produce what sounds, then organize the sounds into a scale that could be used to generate music. It was a convoluted process, and in the end you still only got music comprised of simple beeps and boops.

As the technolgy improved, though, and gaming hardware became capable of producing CD-quality sound, the demand for better sound arose. Whlie some gaming companies made use of licensed music from mainstream musicians, others started hiring talented composers to write and play music especially for the games. These people are rarely acknowledged for their talent, but their musical masterpieces are what help to create memorable gaming experiences.

One of my favorite games in the 90's was a little gem on the Sega Saturn called Mr. Bones. For this game, the entire soundtrack was composed by a legendary blues musician, Ronnie Montrose. I own the CD soundtrack as well as the actual game, and I've always loved the music.

The Music of Video Games [463] Mr. Bones

This following video I created myself, using one of my favorite songs from the game:

The First Thing

Modern games are getting even better still. One composer I'm crazy over right now is a guy named Masafumi Takada. His credits include games like No More Heroes, Killer7, and the ps2 brawler God Hand. His style is a unique fusion of rock and roll and techno.

So, the next time you're playing a videogame, pay attention to what's going on in the background. Some talented people worked hard to make that catchy tune you find yourself humming in the bathroom between gaming sessions. Our favorite games just wouldn't be the same without a great tune to play by.