EA Trax - Yea or Nay?

[klausien]

I recently have been indoctrinated into the excellence in arcade racing adrenaline that is the Burnout series. (I know, took me long enough.) The series has increased in quality with each release (though I feel like there are too many sudden 90 degree corners and concrete walls that come out of nowhere in Burnout Revenge), but the same cannot be said about the soundtrack.

Burnout had a relatively forgettable soundtrack consisting of run of the mill techno & rock. It was merely adequate. Burnout 2 had a generic rock soundtrack with techno flourishes that was better than the original in every way, adding to the experience. I would say that at least 50% of the aesthetic effectiveness of the boost is due to the fact that the engine sounds drop while the rockin' soundtrack amplifies. Not the greatest composition-wise, but truly excellence in performance.

When EA took over the series in the ashes of Akklaim, they probably gave Criterion access to their tools, which most likely explains why the games went from Dreamcast-level graphics to full on XBox power. On the flip side, the EA Trax machine was in full effect. Burnout 3: Takedown is the best game in the series, but the music SUCKS. Between the super "cool" and "hip" radio "DJ" whom had me yearning for the Ridge Racer announcer in all of his corny glory, and the licensed songs that all either crappy second-tier metal or are from the genre I like to call "pussy punk", the vibe was destroyed. I have never been a huge fan of EA Trax to begin with (Game music should be exactly that. Exception made for "One Little Victory" by Rush found in NFS: Hot Pursuit 2), but this is ridiculous and intolerable. Burnout Revenge is a bit better in terms of variety (I can turn off the crappy nu-rock and race to decent mainstream techno), but the damage is done.

(EDITED: Custom Soundtracks are available in Burnout 3 & Revenge. I am just a moron.)

Licensed soundtracks can be done extremely well. Just look at the WipeOut series. Fantastic. Same goes for XGRA. There is nothing like racing futuristic bikes to the trancey house of BT. I admit that I have a predisposition toward racing to techno music, but these are good examples. Another good example is the use of John Williams' music in the various Star Wars games. Yes, it is getting to be a bit long in the tooth, but it is necessary and fits. The perfect success in this department has to be GTA: Vice City. The soundtrack is better than the game.

I give the thumbs down to EA Trax personally. Just another prime example of how EA is marginalizing video games. They aren't the only offender (Ubisoft I'm looking at you for the travesty that was POP: Warrior Within), but they are the vanguard of what can be described as nothing less than sonic $hit shovelling.

[Push Upstairs]

I set out from day one to have a custom soundtrack for "Burnout 3".

Instead of EA's crappy pop-punk stuff i have just what is needed, high energy techno.

But most of my soundtrack seems to be provided by Prodigy. :D

[GrandAmChandler]

I disagree, I actually like the EA trax soundtracks. I think they fit well. Just because one person doesn't like the music they play doesn't mean it doesn't fit the game.

My favortie "EA TRAX" - SSX3. Best soundtrack they have made so far IMHO.

[Rabid Peanut-Butter]

I voted Nay, because EA usually has crappy music selections. However, the occasional game will get it right. I personally found the music selection in Burnout 3 to be better than Burnout Revenge, and from what I've heard in the Fight Nights and Def Jams the music tends to fit.

[THATinkjar]

Generally speaking, I quite like EA Trax. Yes, not all of the music is to my personal taste, but there is usually half a dozen tracks, or so, that are.

Having said that, I don't like how the system is implemented in games. When the track changes, and the song artist/title pops up, it usually takes up far too much of the screen. And in some games (SSX being a prime example), it causes a momentary freeze in play. And that is completely unacceptable!

[Doom Gaze]

The EA Trax are always generic, boring, and hard to listen to. Perfect for EA games if you ask me. The fact is that the "trax" are cheap and easy to liscence because they're usually from indy, washed-up, or little known (and sometimes up-and-coming) artists. EA is, in my mind, partly responsible for the McDonaldization of video games, which itself is much of the reason I play so few modern games (outside of Nintendo DS).

[meancode]

I wouldn't mind them if they did not put that HUGE overlay on the screen to tell me who the song/artist is. I don't give a shit, and it always seems to effect game play.

If they could get rid of that, I would be fine with them.

[ProgrammingAce]

I think ea does a pretty good job of picking songs. Hell, it could be a lot worse. The only thing i can't forgive them for is the soundtrack for the first Need for Speed Underground... that makes my ears bleed.

[diskoboy]

I set out from day one to have a custom soundtrack for "Burnout 3".

Instead of EA's crappy pop-punk stuff i have just what is needed, high energy techno.

But most of my soundtrack seems to be provided by Prodigy. :D

Excellent choice of music! I always have the Prodigy's first album, the new Pet Shop Boys (go ahead - laugh it up..) or Daft Punk playing when I play Burnout Revenge. House/Techno and racing games go perfect together.

I can't stand cheese-punk and hip-hop.

Need For Speed Underground's sdtk. made me quit playing an otherwise brilliant game

[Push Upstairs]

I hate "Burnout Revenge" because they ditched the sole reason i love "Burnout 3"...the single event Road Rage. :angry:

You actually picked the Prodigy album i am (mostly) using for Burnout, except mine is the 2001 re-release "Experience Expanded" (with a 2nd disc).

Driving fast and techno are a match made in heaven.

[DigitalSpace]

Meh. I just take out the songs I don't like, or I mute the TV and put a CD in. I also shut off the DJ in Burnout 3.

[JPeeples]

The move to EA from Acclaim brought better music, but the look of the game is getting a bit too flashy for my liking. Revenge is just packed with things happening on the screen that end up being distracting (like lighting effects on EVERYTHING). EA's increase in production values is both a blessing and a curse.

I think that Takedown benefitted nicely from it, but Revenge looks way too slick. I also wish that Criterion would bring back the heartbeat sound effect for boosting - that made things far more exciting than just having the music get louder. EA Trax aren't the worst songs ever chosen for a game, but they're usually very uniform in their style, and that gets old as you play more and more games with those kinds of songs on them. Thank goodness for custom soundtracks.

[NoahsMyBro]

Until this thread I didn't know what EA TRAX is/was !

In '99 I bought a Dreamcast - no EA games on that.
Early last year I got a Gamecube. BUT, ever since EA took over football videogames, as well as many other sports games, I've almost completely boycotted them on principle (one exception - From Russia With Love).

So, I've never even seen/heard EA Trax. Sounds to me like a neat little bit of eye/ear-candy though.

[Half Japanese]

I vote no for most licensed game soundtracks. I think the only series to continually do a decent job has been the Tony Hawk games. Neversoft/Activision seem to have some people on hand that know a thing or two about music that you're either not already tired of or put off by immediately.

Oddly though, my favorite game soundtrack of all time (mostly because of nostalgia) has to be, oddly enough, EA's soundtrack for Street Sk8er. It introduced me to a whole new genre of music and essentially reinvigorated my interest in music altogether. I used to even pop it out of the Playstation and play it in my CD player. I doubt I'd enjoy it as much today, but back then it rocked my world.