Filed under: Features
This is a column by Jesse Gregory all about his primary obsession, video game music. He feels that despite how core to the experience soundtracks often are, they aren't as large a part of gaming discussion as they should be. Let the discussion begin!

Game music has changed.

It's no longer about bleeps and bloops, absurdly catchy hooks, or finding ways to cheat hardware restrictions. It's an endless series of film scores masquerading as game music performed by live orchestras. Nanomachines inside their bodies enhance - oh, wait. Now I'm just stealing from Metal Gear.

The game music of the past has been etched into our culture. If you visit sites like OverClocked ReMix, you'll quickly realize how much more love and attention the soundtracks of older games get than those of modern day. Whether it's the ringtones you hear at a gaming convention, the music behind goofy YouTube videos or the soundtrack arrangement scene, classic game music dominates.

Is this merely a product of the fondness we associate with these tunes from our childhood memories? Is it all nostalgia? That's certainly a legitimate factor. But there's far more to it than that.
Continue reading Game Music: Enhancement Through Limitation
Game Music: Enhancement Through Limitation originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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