How does music in games affect you?

[The Mullinator]

I don't know why but for some reason the music I hear in games and movies plays a much larger role for me when compared to most other people I know.

Take UT2K4 for example, when I look back at my decision to purchase it I made it based on the demo. The funny thing though is that the more I think about it the more I realize that one of the biggest reasons I bought it was because of the music on the title page. This is personal taste of course, I hear a lot of people hate the music as well.

Most of the the games I have on my best of all time list also have what I would consider some of the best music in a game as well.

Just recently I really didn't care much for Elder Scrolls Oblivion, I loved Morrowind but nothing about Oblivion had really picked up my interest. Then just the other day I downloaded what will be the music on its title page and suddenly I became extremelly interested and am now intending to pre-order it.
http://www.bethsoft.com/downloads/music/tes4title.mp3

So anyway. How important is game music to you? Will a game having good music influence your decision to buy it in anyway? Also do you find it really helps you enjoy the game more whether it be because of a better atmosphere and/or makes the battles seem better?

 

[StardogChampion]

Music is pretty unimportant to me. It won't influence my decision to purchase a game in the slightest.

Sometimes there are games which try to immerse you in a world, and the music can often remove me from the game, especially if it's a first-person game. If I'm supposed to be a character in a world and music is playing in the background it's just weird.

I don't mind it so much if it's subtle ambient stuff, but anything in-your-face I end up turning down.

 

[bam23]

I hate quiet in a game.

 

[giant384]

ambience is what makes the game

 

[Anthraxxx]

speaking of game music....

anyone know where i can find the music to the intro for battlefield 1942?

 

[The Mullinator]

speaking of game music....

anyone know where i can find the music to the intro for battlefield 1942?

I looked for a pretty long time before and couldn't find anything. So I downloaded a program that lets me watch Binks and seperate the sound into a seperate .wav file. Then I just went into the BF1942 directory and seperated the music from the opening intro.

Sorry but its been a really long time though and I can't remember which program it was.

 

[Beerdude26]

do you find it really helps you enjoy the game more whether it be because of a better atmosphere and/or makes the battles seem better?

Three words : Brothers In Arms. Perfect music for that game :O

 

[TheSomeone]

Hitman music made me buy the game .

 

[DarkStar]

Just recently I really didn't care much for Elder Scrolls Oblivion, I loved Morrowind but nothing about Oblivion had really picked up my interest. Then just the other day I downloaded what will be the music on its title page and suddenly I became extremelly interested and am now intending to pre-order it.
http://www.bethsoft.com/downloads/music/tes4title.mp3

That link is broken.

 

[The Mullinator]

That link is broken.

The entire Bethesda website seems to be having a lot of problems today. I can only sometimes access the main page right now.

 

[Absinthe]

Very important to me. Some games just wouldn't be the same without it.

The original UT wouldn't have been so pulse-pounding and awesome without the kickass techno score. Your first encounter with the marines gunning down scientists in a storage room would have had less impact without that distorted guitar. The KOTOR games would have lost some of their essence without the fantastic score by Jeremy Soule. It's integral to me.

I used to burn a lot of CDs with game music. Covered everything from UT, Deus Ex, Invisible War, Half-Life, Half-Life 2, Operation Flashpoint, Mechwarrior 2, UT2K4, Quake 3, Battlefield 1942, and even a lot of mods (Public Enemy for HL had excellent music). My favorites would have to be the old MOD files used in UT and Deus Ex. Quaint and outdated, but they capture a magic I've not heard elsewhere.

 

[Cole]

I loved the oringal Diablo because of it's music. Such great music in that game, added a perfect factor.

 

[Asuka]

The music can break or make a game for me. HL2/Doom 3 had Great music.

 

[pAiNtHeAsS]

Three words : Brothers In Arms. Perfect music for that game :O

I absolutely loved the music from BIA. My jaw litterally dropped and my head exploded when I heard the intro music for Eanred in Blood.

 

[TwwIX]

Music is what brings Games and Movies to life in my opinion.
If it wasn't for music,most of the games/movies i adore wouldn't be more than mindless creations to me without any real substance whatsoever.

 

[Qonfused]

Music adds the whole... "movie feel."

Like in HL2, you start kicking some ass and this sweet-ass techno pops in and punches you in the face. Then it gets louder and rapes your sister.

 

[diluted]

I hate that creepy music that plays at the part in HL2 where you're in a tunnel full of zombies and you have to use your grav gun to push the broken cars out of the way because they're blocking your path. The music there bothers me so much I have to turn it off to play thorugh that part. ;(

 

[Kitfox]

A game isn't good if it doesn't have good music. The music in hl and hl2 for one.

Music in Zelda.
Music In Metroid Prime.
Music in LBA1 and LBA2.
Music in Command and Conquer series (minus Generals thats not a realy cnc game)
Music in Doom1 and 2
i can go on...

 

[CyberPitz]

The music gives me goosebumps if done right. So with that said, it's veryimportant. it keeps my mood sustained while in a creepy part, or keeps me joyous when I just beat some baddies and saved my friends.

 

[operative x]

I love that sound que in HL2 when you exit ravenholm and theres that huge bright light at the end of the tunnel, very atmoshperic.

 

[Da-Muffin-Man]

speaking of game music....

anyone know where i can find the music to the intro for battlefield 1942?

I dont know, but i have it on my comp, il upload it to savefile.

 

[ChiChi]

Music won't make me buy/not buy a game, but it's still pretty important.My favourite game music, is without a doubt Halo.

 

[xLostx]

i only play c-s so i like to have something to pump me up so im like BOOM HEADSHOT I ****ING OWNED YOU BITCH

 

[Ennui]

starcraft music means a whole lot to me.
half-life 2's music was phenomenal and added tons to the atmosphere.
other than that though it's not a huge deal.

 

[Adabiviak]

Music for me usually takes away from the game. These are the only games I'll play with the music on...

Halo
Alice
F.E.A.R. (wow! This score rules, by the way).

Honorable mention goes to Mechwarrior 2 - you could put the CD in your player and it'd play the soundtrack like a normal audio CD. My girlfriend at the time hated it. lol

 

[ríomhaire]

Music is a nice edition but I wouldn't buy a game for it. That said some games wouldn't be the same without it's music.

 

[Reaktor4]

It can make a big difference but unfortunately games dont often have good music.

 

[Sorze]

Very important!

I think the only reasons I've played Final Fantasy VII so incredibly many hours is because of the music and story. I could literally just stop playing for a while and just listen to the music sometimes.

Fear soundtrack was really cool btw.

 

[DESSTROYER]

I hate that creepy music that plays at the part in HL2 where you're in a tunnel full of zombies and you have to use your grav gun to push the broken cars out of the way because they're blocking your path. The music there bothers me so much I have to turn it off to play thorugh that part. ;(

yeah, all the music seems to be is tribal drums beating every couple of seconds but it has this REALLY creepy sound effect to it, sounds like things are passing by or going backwards or something. I remember playing the leak (YES i admit it) and i found that song in the sounds folder and it creeped me out to death.

that part, itself is really creepy, i hate going to that part, i always speed through it and just shoot the cars out of the way and drive off

Spoiler

first time i played there, i got out, not noticing any zombies, i walked and tried to open the blocked door by the window, i turned around BAM there was a zombie in my face, i shot it and jumped through that vent. i crawled through, and was on the other side of the window, i looke dout THERE WAS A FREAKIGN FAST ZOMBIE AT THE WINDOW and it made one of those FREAKY screams... thats when i quit playing for a while...

 

[Jintor]

I wouldn't buy a game based on its music alone, but i admit it's very important to me.

FF games (pre-FFX anyway) pretty much depended on the music and the music for its sounds, and abience.

 

[MuToiD_MaN]

F.E.A.R. (wow! This score rules, by the way).

Really? I thought that most of the time it couldn't be called music. Alot of the time it's just some 20- to 30-second loop and it gets irritating before I get to the next section.

Quake 2's music makes the game kick ass. I've listened to the first track so many times outside of the game I'd never be able to count.

Oh yeah, and it goes without saying how completely necessary the music is in all Wipeout games. 100% necessary.

 

[ríomhaire]

yeah, all the music seems to be is tribal drums beating every couple of seconds but it has this REALLY creepy sound effect to it, sounds like things are passing by or going backwards or something. I remember playing the leak (YES i admit it) and i found that song in the sounds folder and it creeped me out to death.

that part, itself is really creepy, i hate going to that part, i always speed through it and just shoot the cars out of the way and drive off

Spoiler

first time i played there, i got out, not noticing any zombies, i walked and tried to open the blocked door by the window, i turned around BAM there was a zombie in my face, i shot it and jumped through that vent. i crawled through, and was on the other side of the window, i looke dout THERE WAS A FREAKIGN FAST ZOMBIE AT THE WINDOW and it made one of those FREAKY screams... thats when i quit playing for a while...

I think the ambiant sounds had a lot to do with it. In Nova Prospekt you can hear gunfire and screams in the background. In the city chapters gunfire and explosions and in Ravenholm screams of leaper zombies.

 

[ktimekiller]

Wonderful string music in games r teh leeeeet

 

[Venmoch]

Two games stand out in my mind.

Painkiller and Deus Ex.

Both memorable musical scores.

 

[Loke]

MGS2's intro music is something special... Harry Gregson-Williams am rock total.

Unreal pwns ass though.

 

[Ennui]

unreal tournament has some awesome music. facing world's theme is great.

 

[MuToiD_MaN]

UT: that level where it's snowing outside. The level is called something cold if I recall.

 

[Loke]

UT: that level where it's snowing outside. The level is called something cold if I recall.

Ice Station Zeto? Yeah, both that level and the music rocks.

 

[RandomX]

Music in games is very important to me. I especially liked Half-Life 2's, because I found myself playing and not realizing it was even there, then listening to the soundtrack and recognizing the music... and, I found that Half-Life 2 gets very boring if it's off. Music that isn't blatantly there, subtle and immersing you into the gameplay is the best. Although, if used realistically (radio in Grand Theft Auto games), I can live with music that doesn't match.

 

[Direwolf]

I love good sound design in general. Its way too underappreciated.