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

Neoni

Neoni

Neoni

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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
 
1) Nintendo Game Boy (the brick)

2) Not quite sure if there's something specific you're looking for, but my clearest memory on this incarnation of the Game Boy is hours of Killer Instinct.

3) Quite simple, low quality audio. obviously hardware and processing power on a portable system was a limiting factor.

4) I can't imagine a totally unaccompanied game of killer instinct being that much fun if that's what you mean. Certainly made the gaming more interesting. Fast-forward a bit to the music of, say, pokémon red/blue/yellow and I found it really helped to bring out the sense of "questing", going somewhere with a purpose. This is as opposed to the sense of just walking around some very dull looking grass for hours on end.

5) There was certainly a shift as games moved from simple synthesised themes and background to full scores. This has allowed the same freedom for composers as has been allowed in movies since the dawn of recorded sound and vision. Thus, people such as Jesper Kyd, Alex Brandon and Jeremy Soule, to name a few, have created great soundtracks that really help create the desired atmostphere in a game. Of course, much of Jeremy Soule's best work is very orchestral, while Alex Brandon heavily uses synthesiser in games such as Deus Ex. So there's certainly been a lot of freedom to do, essentially, whatever works for the game.

6) It depends on the game. Generally music has been all about atmosphere and immersion. The big, boomy orchestral sounds of Supreme Commander help to give that great sense of the 'epic battle', while the conservative, very ambient soundtrack of Half Life 2 arguably adds to the sense of bleakness as you wander around City 17.

7) I think that soundtracks generally follow the musical tastes of the contemporary. I'm not sure that the games industry (which allows the level of musical freedom in soundtracks enjoyed over the past decade or so) has been around long enough to really see such a great change.

8)My favourite moment. I'm torn between Total Annihilation's "Ambush in the Passage" (great track when things heat up) and the Tracer Tong ending in Deus Ex.
Honourable mention goes to the boss battles in the original Pokémon games and the Unreal Tournament Menu.

Hope this is somewhere along the lines of what you're looking for. Anything useless/needs clarification i'll happily edit :)
 
Alex74 said:
1) Nintendo Game Boy (the brick)

2) Not quite sure if there's something specific you're looking for, but my clearest memory on this incarnation of the Game Boy is hours of Killer Instinct.

3) Quite simple, low quality audio. obviously hardware and processing power on a portable system was a limiting factor.

4) I can't imagine a totally unaccompanied game of killer instinct being that much fun if that's what you mean. Certainly made the gaming more interesting. Fast-forward a bit to the music of, say, pokémon red/blue/yellow and I found it really helped to bring out the sense of "questing", going somewhere with a purpose. This is as opposed to the sense of just walking around some very dull looking grass for hours on end.

5) There was certainly a shift as games moved from simple synthesised themes and background to full scores. This has allowed the same freedom for composers as has been allowed in movies since the dawn of recorded sound and vision. Thus, people such as Jesper Kyd, Alex Brandon and Jeremy Soule, to name a few, have created great soundtracks that really help create the desired atmostphere in a game. Of course, much of Jeremy Soule's best work is very orchestral, while Alex Brandon heavily uses synthesiser in games such as Deus Ex. So there's certainly been a lot of freedom to do, essentially, whatever works for the game.

6) It depends on the game. Generally music has been all about atmosphere and immersion. The big, boomy orchestral sounds of Supreme Commander help to give that great sense of the 'epic battle', while the conservative, very ambient soundtrack of Half Life 2 arguably adds to the sense of bleakness as you wander around City 17.

7) I think that soundtracks generally follow the musical tastes of the contemporary. I'm not sure that the games industry (which allows the level of musical freedom in soundtracks enjoyed over the past decade or so) has been around long enough to really see such a great change.

8)My favourite moment. I'm torn between Total Annihilation's "Ambush in the Passage" (great track when things heat up) and the Tracer Tong ending in Deus Ex.
Honourable mention goes to the boss battles in the original Pokémon games and the Unreal Tournament Menu.

Hope this is somewhere along the lines of what you're looking for. Anything useless/needs clarification i'll happily edit :)
Click to expand...

nope its all good i cant influence your answers so all sorted, thankyou keep em coming people :D
 
Neoni said:
What was the first video games console you ever used? Gameboy Colour

What do you remember about it? It was a birthday present and at the time i thought it was amazing :D

What do you remember about the music/audio generated or played by the machine? Not very loud

Also did it have any impact on you in relation to the images on screen? I only played Pokemon on it, but the music fitted in well with the game. Made me feel more "in the game"

What is your opinion on the evolution of games music? (from when you first played a console until now.) The sound is a lot clearer. Helps when playing games as well e.g. when playing COD you can hear if someones walking near you

How does modern video games music impact you while playing? A lot, i like to have it nice and loud for the effect ;)

What do you think the future holds for video games music? I don't think it will change much, doesn't really need improving to be honest

What’s your favourite video game music score/piece (you can include a certain moment within a game) Walking through Pallet Town on Pokemon Red. Nice, happy music :)
Click to expand...
 
What was the first video games console you ever used?
Sega Megadrive

What do you remember about it?
Blast processing! Sega do what Nintendont! And the big games library of course.

What do you remember about the music/audio generated or played by the machine?
The general audio quality was quite low and the sound samples fairly simple, but it more than made up for that by usually having music with many different layers and sound samples.

Also did it have any impact on you in relation to the images on screen?
Usually very complementary - like Sonic 1's green hill zone's very chirpy, happy music complemented the colourful surroundings.

What is your opinion on the evolution of games music? (from when you first played a console until now.)
I think it's starting to lose its iconic value from the 'chip tunes' and midi tones of the 1990's. Although the ambience that licensed and recorded music brings is a bonus.

How does modern video games music impact you while playing?
I feel generally it helps to keep you immersed in your surroundings, it helps put you in the right mood. For example, the remake of FFIV for the DS's rendition of the Final Fantasy IV boss music for the elemental four fiends is extremely powerful in provoking intimidation in a games context - this powerful enemy is confronting you and what you're hearing is not only a good piece of music in its own rights, but it makes great use of tension in a musical context, which really puts you in the mood for a boss fight.

What do you think the future holds for video games music?
I'm not really sure where it can go from here, I predict bigger companies will start making greater use of licensed music to add immersion to their games. Other than that there's not a lot of room for movement because we can record and manipulate sound very well.

What’s your favourite video game music score/piece (you can include a certain moment within a game)
Probably The Extreme from Final Fantasy VIII, which is from the last boss battle.
 
Video Game Music Questionnaire:

What was the first video games console you ever used?
the 2600 from atari
What do you remember about it?
not much about the actual machine, games: qbert and one other it had something to do with dungeons, for the life of me i cant remember the name

What do you remember about the music/audio generated or played by the machine?
not a lot of inspiring music

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.)
leaps and bounds man,lleaps and bounds

How does modern video games music impact you while playing?
very much so, scores in games like killzone2 add tension before playing so that you will do what the game developwrs intended you to do(frack the other team up) and the metal gear series has been groundbreaking in my opinion. from the boss battles to climbing the ladder in mgs3 and get the bond type music, i really dont think that better music could have been chosen/written

What do you think the future holds for video games music?
more of the same i hope, setting the mood, helping you to get into the characters head and mindset

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

split decision,
as i have mentioned before mgs3 climbing the ladder, if you have played it youll know what i mean, the music sneaks up on you as you dont expect it and it becomes a sort of encouragement to complete that particular moment

and

mgs4 fighting the last boss battle, it sums up the series greatly as instead of one score it encorporates several different pieces of music, one from each of the mgs playstation titles boss battles bringing you back to each title as each piece plays and while doing so you find yourself with a huge smile on your face as you realise what music is playing and the memories that are tied to that music, i mean even thinking/typing about it now i find myself with a smile on my face
 
What was the first video games console you ever used? Atari 2600

What do you remember about it? Combat and Tennis were great fun with two players.

What do you remember about the music/audio generated or played by the machine? Beep beep hiss. Vanguard had good music though. Years later I noticed they stole it from the film Flash Gordon/Queen.

Also did it have any impact on you in relation to the images on screen? Not much on the Atari. That all changed with the C64.

What is your opinion on the evolution of games music? (from when you first played a console until now.) It's responsible for some of my favourite music of all time. I'm a massive C64 music fan, and I like most of the great Amiga composers too. Once composers stopped being restricted by the hardware, some of the creativity was lost. No longer did they have to think of ingenious ways to achieve the sound they wanted. Everything that was available to a conventional musician was now available to them.


How does modern video games music impact you while playing? Little, unless it's particularly good. I can't remember loving a game soundtrack in the last 10 years. The likes of Rock Band are excepted, as they're based on popular music.

What do you think the future holds for video games music? Not a lot. It'll take a serious talent to ***** my interest for it once more. Someone to do for a game what John Williams did for Star Wars.

What’s your favourite video game music score/piece (you can include a certain moment within a game) "The last ninja" level 1, the Wastelands, by Ben Dagleish on the Commodore 64. It's genius from start to finish.
 
What was the first video games console you ever used?
Sega Master System

What do you remember about it?
The controller and Alex the Kidd

What do you remember about the music/audio generated or played by the machine?
Was really basic and bad quality, but at the time i thought it was awesome. No more than 1 sound at 1 time, and only a few different sounds.

Also did it have any impact on you in relation to the images on screen?
Not really, but it did make the game more enjoyable.

What is your opinion on the evolution of games music? (from when you first played a console until now.)
Its progressing, and some games will use music effectively which greatly enhances the game itself.

How does modern video games music impact you while playing?
If the music suits the game it makes me get into the game and want to play it more

What do you think the future holds for video games music?
I think eventually music will be taken seriously and we will have music which will not only be background noise but would make the gameplay much, much more enjoyable.

What’s your favourite video game music score/piece (you can include a certain moment within a game)
Final Fantasy 7! The Boss Theme. The whole OST is brilliant though!
 
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