Gaming Questionnaire, For Those Who Might Have Missed it, :)

[Neoni]

Video Game Music Questionnaire:

What was the first video games console you ever used?

What do you remember about it?

What do you remember about the music/audio generated or played by the machine?

Also did it have any impact on you in relation to the images on screen?

What is your opinion on the evolution of games music? (from when you first played a console until now.)

How does modern video games music impact you while playing?

What do you think the future holds for video games music?

What’s your favourite video game music score/piece (you can include a certain moment within a game)


Please take time to fill this in, much appreciated...

-Alex

 

[Edinho]

What was the first video games console you ever used?

Atari 2600

What do you remember about it?

The Joysticks and cartridge

What do you remember about the music/audio generated or played by the machine?

Not much was very basic even then

Also did it have any impact on you in relation to the images on screen?

Not really, just wasn't was good as the arcade quality wise.

What is your opinion on the evolution of games music? (from when you first played a console until now.)

Unbelievable. To think you now have an orchestral score and bands (like Metallica) wanting to get in on games.

How does modern video games music impact you while playing?

Makes it feel more cinematic

What do you think the future holds for video games music?

I can see albums been created around a game at some point and sountracks going into millions of dollars. A bit like Movies now. Only it can be interactive.

What’s your favourite video game music score/piece (you can include a certain moment within a game)

Medal of Honor Allied Assault menu score.

 

[iviv]

Video Game Music Questionnaire:

What was the first video games console you ever used?
Playstation 1

What do you remember about it?
Finally being on the same level as my friends. Crash Bandicoot!

What do you remember about the music/audio generated or played by the machine?
Very good, though I wasn't around for the 8/16 bit era, so I wasn't floored by it as I would have if that was the case.

Also did it have any impact on you in relation to the images on screen?
It was much better than playing without sound, added atmosphere.

What is your opinion on the evolution of games music? (from when you first played a console until now.)
Its come a long way, now you have mp3s, fully voice acted games, there's not much more that can really be done, at least not without buying more speakers for a more 'real' 3d effect.

How does modern video games music impact you while playing?
Its much better now, 3d audio lets you hear people creeping up on you, soundtracks can really add to the scene.

What do you think the future holds for video games music?
I'm not sure what more can be done. Unlike with graphics, there's more much more in the way of advancements that can be done.

What’s your favourite video game music score/piece (you can include a certain moment within a game)
A tie between Wipeout 2097, and The World Ends with You. 2097 was just perfect, not music I would normally listen to, but it fit the game exactly. Made it feel like you were flying much faster than you were.
Though since it wasn't actually made for the game, I also include TWEWY, a score written for the game, it has a wide range of genres in, and just sounds very good.

 

[Spektor]

What was the first video games console you ever used?
Megadrive.

What do you remember about it?
My brother got it for christmas, had been playing on an Amiga 500+ (and Atari ST before that) up until then. I remember it looking totally awesome, until my brother got bored one day and wrote his name all over it in tip-ex, the douche. But lots and lots of amazing games I spent hours playing on it.

What do you remember about the music/audio generated or played by the machine?
Well I remember it being good, but obviously rose tinted and having seen old games I've played since on youtube and the like, pretty awful.

Also did it have any impact on you in relation to the images on screen?
Yes, from the hypnotic background tracks of sonic the hedgehog to every bone crunching blow landed on mortal combat. It was as immersing then as it is in any game today.

What is your opinion on the evolution of games music? (from when you first played a console until now.)
Pretty amazing, from my earliest memories of the lovable but very retrospectively ropey mono tracks to the epic scored and pop music laden games of today, it has come on in a massive way.

How does modern video games music impact you while playing?
Depends on the game, with something with an epic score can get your heart racing and emotions running, where as mowing people down whilst listening to some 80s electro-pop is equally as awesome

What do you think the future holds for video games music?
I think dynamic scores are going to have to be the next big step. Unlike today's games or movie scores, it couldn't rely on having a few set tracks to play enqueue depending on what was happening in a broad scope. It would have to be a library of sounds that could be mixed dynamically moment to moment based on much more than if a battle is happening or not. Left4Dead I think is taking the first steps to that, the game intensively monitors and tries to determine what state the player is in, I would see that as a base for creating a dynamic score.

What’s your favourite video game music score/piece (you can include a certain moment within a game)
Total Annihilation... I think I was 12/13 when I bought it and that was definitely the first game that blew me away on the music front.

 

[Arclite]

What was the first video games console you ever used?
Sega Mega Drive

What do you remember about it?
Cartridges and a clunky A/C adapter to power it.

What do you remember about the music/audio generated or played by the machine?
Good overall, streets of rage tunes were fantastic for its time, even now.

Also did it have any impact on you in relation to the images on screen?
Sounds complement gameplay and having a good beat back then was good enough to play the game again.

What is your opinion on the evolution of games music? (from when you first played a console until now.)
Just like graphics, it has evolved to match, if not better, movie sounds.

How does modern video games music impact you while playing?
Can single out a few games with good musical score but there isn't much to talk about specifically. Some have great sounds and some are just annoying.

What do you think the future holds for video games music?
Personally not into music but i don't see it getting any better than it is now.

What’s your favourite video game music score/piece (you can include a certain moment within a game)
Commandos 2 men of courage: Mind blowing score, it should be a benchmark for music score for today's games or war games at least. Just play the first training mission and you will know what i mean.

Had to share it

 

[Skeeter]

Video Game Music Questionnaire:

What was the first video games console you ever used?

Sega Master System

What do you remember about it?

It has Alex Kid built in, and I had the 2 button 4 direction square game pads for it, while my friend only had the rubbish 2 button joystick thing.

What do you remember about the music/audio generated or played by the machine?

I can still hum the Alex Kid music, and the audio from Lemmings will forever be in my brain ("oh no! POP!")

Also did it have any impact on you in relation to the images on screen?

?

What is your opinion on the evolution of games music? (from when you first played a console until now.)

Apart from the obvious move from 8bit to full on surround sound, there is now a lot more emphasis on using commercial music in games, rather than making it all yourself. There has also been a big push to make games atmospheric using music, especially horror games.

How does modern video games music impact you while playing?

If its done well, it can scare the pants of you. Its usually used as a clue to the style of gameplay needed, and can create a much more emcompasing gameing experience.

What do you think the future holds for video games music?

More commercial music used in normal gameplay, and a bigger drive to use music to carry the story and set the scene, moving towards the reliance on music that the film indutry currently has.

What’s your favourite video game music score/piece (you can include a certain moment within a game)

The music to acompany the speed trainers powerup in the early Sonic games, and the end to Portal.

 

[Moredhel]

What was the first video games console you ever used?

Atari 2600 (Glad I'm not the only one here!)

What do you remember about it?

Not much, I played a game called tanks a lot.

What do you remember about the music/audio generated or played by the machine?

Simple bleeps and bloops

Also did it have any impact on you in relation to the images on screen?

Not really

What is your opinion on the evolution of games music? (from when you first played a console until now.)

It's become an integral part of the story telling of a game, at first it was just something to put you in mind for playing (Chip tunes) now it's as much a part of the story telling as the graphics and dialogue.

How does modern video games music impact you while playing?

It adds innordinately to the atmosphere of a game.

What do you think the future holds for video games music?

With concerts like Video Games Live becoming more popular and mainstream music being used more and more in games, I think that music from games will start bleeding accross to the real world a fair bit.

What’s your favourite video game music score/piece (you can include a certain moment within a game)

I've never played Halo, but the theme tune from it is an amazing piece of music.

 

[PyroboyUK]

Video Game Music Questionnaire:

What was the first video games console you ever used?

Sega Master System

What do you remember about it?

Alex The Kidd

What do you remember about the music/audio generated or played by the machine?

Basic tune repeated over and over, i can still remember it now

Also did it have any impact on you in relation to the images on screen?

Didnt really change much in the game.

What is your opinion on the evolution of games music? (from when you first played a console until now.)

The changes that i have seen/heard is massive when i look back at the games i have played in the past.

How does modern video games music impact you while playing?

It can bring out many emotions when playing a game, completely transforms some games

What do you think the future holds for video games music?

Just seems to be getting more in depth

What’s your favourite video game music score/piece (you can include a certain moment within a game)

MGS4 - "Old Snake" and "The best if yet to come"

 

[HangTime]

What was the first video games console you ever used?
Atari 2600

What do you remember about it?
Very little, I played Pong and Adventure on it at a friends house. I didn't know that guy until infant school so it must have been at least 1985.


What do you remember about the music/audio generated or played by the machine?
Nothing.

Also did it have any impact on you in relation to the images on screen?
No

What is your opinion on the evolution of games music? (from when you first played a console until now.)
Most early games music was effectively basic MIDI files or similar, usually a single track where the composer had to focus on creating a catchy tune. By the late 80s developers started using music as a way of setting the scene (primitive context-specific music when you enter a particular room or face a boss for example). This has been expanded on greatly throughout the 90s, first of all with the likes of Unreal speeding up the score when the player enters combat, and nowadays a much more dynamic orchestral approach is often applied. Some genres (e.g. racing) seem to favour the use of licensed music nowadays.

How does modern video games music impact you while playing?
Generally little impact, occasionally it introduces me to a new band. Typically the classical scores used in WWII games can be quite moving though.

What do you think the future holds for video games music?
Definitely an increasingly dynamic approach, perhaps even a 'learning' system whereby the game learns which times of music suit different situations best (probably requiring player feedback initially).

What’s your favourite video game music score/piece (you can include a certain moment within a game)
Tough to say, maybe Jungle Strike theme music

 

[WARHURYEAH]

Video Game Music Questionnaire:

What was the first video games console you ever used?

Sega Megadrive

What do you remember about it?

Easy and fun games. Some of the best games I've ever played are on that machine.

What do you remember about the music/audio generated or played by the machine?

Low quality but back then I thought it was the best

Also did it have any impact on you in relation to the images on screen?

Nope

What is your opinion on the evolution of games music? (from when you first played a console until now.)

It's a lot better, some music really help make the game more tense. In a way games are becoming more of interactive movies. The music in some of the games is really impressive

How does modern video games music impact you while playing?

Depends how it's used. In some games it helps you get pumped up and makes it more tense, other games use it too much and it gets boring and repetitive.

What do you think the future holds for video games music?

Much better quality and used a lot more cleverly. L4D changes the music depending on the situation, more will games will follow.

What’s your favourite video game music score/piece (you can include a certain moment within a game)

HL2:EP2. Holding back the horde of Antlions in the caves, the music got me really pumped and made it really intense, there's hardly any music in the game and when there is it's used well.

And Halo had very good music aswell.

 

[m4cc45]

Well I prepared a really detailed answer to all questions yesterday, however, the website logged me out and deleted my post so can't be bothered to type it all again.

Basically the following is my favourite. The modern day games rely to much on using 'proper' artists musics and just chucking them in there (FIFA, Tiger Woods, etc). I was trying to say in the days of the C64 and Amiga the music artists used to have pages dedicated to them in magazines and you could hear a Rob Hubbard tune from a mile away. Unfortunately I can't seperate the songs but:

Have a listen to Turrican 2 and Shadow of the Beast - I defy anyone not to be impressed for a 16 bit machine.

Now onto the 8-bits:

I bet you're humming this tune now.

The below is the Ocean loader - this was basically a loading tune but became very popular. There have been several itterations of it and there are bands out there now playing 8-bit tunes;

M.

 

[magick]

What was the first video games console you ever used?

Sega Master System

What do you remember about it?

How awesome it looked and it having joypads instead of joysticks

What do you remember about the music/audio generated or played by the machine?

Pretty good at the time

Also did it have any impact on you in relation to the images on screen?

Yes in Ourtun

What is your opinion on the evolution of games music? (from when you first played a console until now.)

It's better obviously

How does modern video games music impact you while playing?

It add's soul to a game

What do you think the future holds for video games music?

I can't really see how much further the industry can go with it now PCs/Consoles can play back music to the same standard as films and commericialy released music. Bakc in the 80/90s video game music was just a series of bleeps. Now technicaly it's on par with music in other forms of media such as TV, Radio, ect.

What’s your favourite video game music score/piece (you can include a certain moment within a game)

Fable!!!!

 

[m4cc45]

Sorry got my links wrong - changed these above.

 

[cjph]

What was the first video games console you ever used?
An old brown Atari console back in the 1970s (skiing)

What do you remember about it?
Hours of fun laughing at the little pixel skier falling over with an oof sound

What do you remember about the music/audio generated or played by the machine?
No music - just a swishing ski sound and the painful oof when the man fell over

Also did it have any impact on you in relation to the images on screen?
Made me and the others laugh (the drink helped - remember, this was in the 1970s!)

What is your opinion on the evolution of games music? (from when you first played a console until now.)
Personally, I like military games and music does not go well with them during gameplay. All the games I play have soundtracks, but I disable them for the game, leaving just the intro/outro tracks.

How does modern video games music impact you while playing?
I always disable it, so it does not have an effect.

What do you think the future holds for video games music?
For me personally, nothing much as it distracts from the play. Startup or finish music it is ok, but as games become more realistic I find music off-putting as there is not usually a soundtrack to my real life.

What’s your favourite video game music score/piece (you can include a certain moment within a game)
There was a stirring classical/marching piece in one of the Close Combat series (I think it was the Russion Front version). All the music and audio in the series was pretty good.

 

[Raumarik]

Video Game Music Questionnaire:

What was the first video games console you ever used?
Atari 2600

What do you remember about it?
The funky joysticks!

What do you remember about the music/audio generated or played by the machine?
Very basic, but did the job.

Also did it have any impact on you in relation to the images on screen?
Very little!

What is your opinion on the evolution of games music? (from when you first played a console until now.)
Vastly better now, it's generally more fitting to the game and used more often dynamically to add drama etc.

How does modern video games music impact you while playing?
If the game is story driven it tends to draw me into the story more.

What do you think the future holds for video games music?
More of the same, but I suspect it'll be far more incident/location based rather than a simple set of tunes playing in the background all the time.

What’s your favourite video game music score/piece (you can include a certain moment within a game)
Ultima Online - Intro music:

Brings back a huge number of memories.

 

[Liquidfox]

Video Game Music Questionnaire:

What was the first video games console you ever used?
Sega Mega Drive

What do you remember about it?
That it was immense, only had a few games and they were really hard. Sonic in particular. Up, Down, Left, Right, A & Start together

What do you remember about the music/audio generated or played by the machine?
Don't really remember much about it, but since it was 8-bit, i can imagine it being prety cool

Also did it have any impact on you in relation to the images on screen?
Not really, they were all arcade games then, upbeat notes.

What is your opinion on the evolution of games music? (from when you first played a console until now.)
It's evolved immensely, back then it was just a bunch of notes, now it actually creates atmosphere

How does modern video games music impact you while playing?
It can be the difference between a pant-wetting scene, or a chirpy bouncy kind of game.

What do you think the future holds for video games music?
Not too sure really, can't think of anywhere else it'll go from here.

What’s your favourite video game music score/piece (you can include a certain moment within a game)
Wipeout (PS1) - Apollo Four Forty - Carrera Rapida. It got me into Electronica, Techno and now onto DnB and Dubstep, still love the album, not so keen on their other stuff though.

Please take time to fill this in, much appreciated...
Nee bosh

 

[Harrier2569]

Video Game Music Questionnaire:

What was the first video games console you ever used?

Atari 2600

What do you remember about it?

Chewing the joystick handles.

What do you remember about the music/audio generated or played by the machine?

The only sfx i can recall are those of the game space invaders. They were blips, bops and then strangled-cat gurgles when you died.

Also did it have any impact on you in relation to the images on screen?

If the jobs-a-good'n you shouldn't notice or think about it like that, and I can't say that I did.

What is your opinion on the evolution of games music? (from when you first played a console until now.)

It wasn't that long ago when general midi was as good as it got. Now you have licensed soundtracks performed by professionals in high quality mp3 compression. I still miss the cracktros.

How does modern video games music impact you while playing?

Depends if I like it or not. Most of the games I play the music gets turned off pretty quickly in favour of winamp. Unless I am playing WoW. Believe it or not the music in that game is pretty spectacular in places.

What do you think the future holds for video games music?

There will always be music in video games. *edit* Felt this needed more explanation; music is something that helps immerse people into the world/environment they are playing in. This also applies to movies in much the same way as it does for games.

What’s your favourite video game music score/piece (you can include a certain moment within a game)

There are 3, all from the same game: WoW

Eversong Forest; slightly haunting but resonant cello peice. Here is it on YouTube
Howling Fjord; Sombre bagpipes played with an braveheart-esque undertone. Here it is on YouTube
Dalaran; It uplifting, plain and simple. A mixture of eastern pipes and choral chants. Here is it on YouTube

 

[Fenris]

What was the first video games console you ever used?

Playstation 1

What do you remember about it?

It as grey, relatively ugly and at the time my favorite thing on the planet.

What do you remember about the music/audio generated or played by the machine?

Hearing the Metal Gear Solid main theme for the first time...will never forget that.

Also did it have any impact on you in relation to the images on screen

It gave the game just that bit more depth due to having the music to back up the action.

What is your opinion on the evolution of games music? (from when you first played a console until now.)

Well, if you listen to the differance of the MGS1 main theme, and then the MGS4 main theme, the differance is incredible, we've moved on from very simple digital tracks, to things like full orchestral peices. It can only get better.

The immersion that music offers to a medium like gaming is priceless.

How does modern video games music impact you while playing?

As above, inbcreases immersion and ofted just makes the action that bit more "actiony" or the saddness just that bit more saddening.

What do you think the future holds for video games music?

I think we game music is going to become even more important as people try to find new ways to make it unique.

What’s your favourite video game music score/piece (you can include a certain moment within a game)

Worms Armageddon themse tune:

specificaly 0:48 onwards

Nothing has ever made me feel more happy, excited and just plain awesome that that.

 

[spirity]

What was the first video games console you ever used?

The good old Atari 2600.

What do you remember about it?

It had fake wood panelling and the worst controllers I ever used. But I loved it to death.

What do you remember about the music/audio generated or played by the machine?

It was really basic. Music was a complete afterthought in those days.

Also did it have any impact on you in relation to the images on screen?

Yeah, definitely. As bad as the sounds were, if I try to imagine playing without them, I wouldn't have half as enjoyable an experience.

What is your opinion on the evolution of games music? (from when you first played a console until now.)

It's at a really good place now, but i think sound effects in general are worth mentioning here. I wouldn't play an fps that had weak gun sounds for example. It just ruins the experience.

How does modern video games music impact you while playing?

It draws you into the game world. Certainly makes the game more immersive. A good soundtrack is a great tool for conveying different types of emotion to the player.

What do you think the future holds for video games music?

I can't imagine it changing much to be honest.

What’s your favourite video game music score/piece (you can include a certain moment within a game)

To pick just one is tough. Really tough.

^ Prelude from the Final Fantasy series. It's so simple and unmistakably Final Fantasy. There's something really special about buying a newly released Final Fantasy and hearing Prelude. Yeah, I am geeking out.

^ This is the music that plays in one of the starter areas in Everquest. It brings back loads of great memories for me. Some of them I had forgotten about, but this piece of music brings all of them back. Music is powerful like that, it can trigger off stuff you'd totally forgotten about.