Video gaming and music go hand in hand. In fact, it is an inseparable part of video games because it gives the players a sense of fulfillment while playing—just like playing slots in True Blue casino. It also adds character to each game. This influence was not only seen in recent years but also long before that. The more notable one would be Commodore 64, which launched their very own SID chip for sound effects. This has changed the way how people see video games and how they experience them as well!
Aside from the sound effects, there are some songs used by different game companies to suit specific genres or even themes. For example, the Final Fantasy series uses mostly Japanese artists like Nobuo Uematsu, who did most of their soundtracks. However, the more notable one would be Nobuo Uematsu with his song “One-Winged Angel” from Final Fantasy VII because it was also used in Kingdom Hearts and Advent Children.
This influence can also be seen in pop icons like Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Beyonce, and Bruno Mars, where they do covers or even include songs for specific games into their albums. Some of them have even gone on to promote video games, such as David Guetta, who included a song featuring Taped Rai called “Electrochoc,” which is a remixed version of Rayman Origins theme song.
Here are five more ways video games influence the music industry:
- Soundtracks
- Video Game Soundtrack Covers
- Video Game Soundtrack Collaboration
- Collaboration between Developers and Musicians!
- Collaboration between Artists and Developers/ Gamers
Soundtracks
The first and most notable way would be soundtracks! Video games have different genres that can easily cater to the audience. What is more amazing is how they make a whole new genre out of it by curating songs for its specific genre. The influence can also be seen in lyrics where there are rapping parts or even singing parts specifically created for video games. Music was used as an inspiration throughout the years, from old Commodore 64 to Wii, which has been used since Wii Sports Resort. This included some popular artists like Mute Math, A Static Lullaby, and In Flames which were used in some game franchises like Call of Duty and Guitar Hero.
Going by the trends, music has been greatly influenced by video gaming culture. There are new artists that slowly rise in the industry, and they use video games as their inspiration. This is especially true for indie artists, where most of them make video game soundtracks and do covers for certain songs. Music has evolved as an art form through gaming which has given gamers a whole new experience.
Video Game Soundtrack Covers
Some famous artists have done covers ranging from pop and electronic to rock, which were made specifically for video games. Usually, this is due to collaboration with a certain game company or even just because they like it. This can be seen with Lady Gaga, who covered “Bad Romance” during one of her gigs but still gave credit to the Final Fantasy series. She also did a cover on an anime theme song from Street Fighter.
Music influences video games and vice versa! These covers have been used as a way to promote the game, sometimes even creating an anime trailer or just adding it into the soundtrack of one specific game. This is how these artists collaborate with the game companies to promote their products and give recognition to each other!
Video Game Soundtrack Collaboration
Aside from artists covering songs that were made specifically for video games, there are musical collaborations between gaming cultures and groups like Sugar Ray, who collaborated with Ubisoft on their soundtrack for Far Cry 3. Sugar Ray’s lead singer Mark McGrath has mentioned that he was impressed by Ubisoft. Firstly, they invited him personally to do a cover of “Fly,” and also they were on the same page with Sugar Ray since they wanted it to be blended into the game. This kind of collaboration can lead not only to promoting the video game but also to giving recognition to other artists they have inspired!
Collaboration Between Developers and Musicians!
Aside from using songs and free pokies, one good example of collaboration between musicians and developers is how Square Enix worked together with Nine Inch Nails for Final Fantasy VII Remake to create a special soundtrack representing their dark side because they wanted something different compared to what they usually do. This was a great move because NIN is known for industrial music, which perfectly blends into FF7’s atmosphere, which has always been dark and grimy throughout its development process. Some gamers actually love the game more because of this!
Collaboration Between Artists and Developers/Gamers
Aside from collaborating with the company itself, an artist or a group can be chosen by the developers to work with them on their upcoming video games in order to make the game more appealing for certain audiences, like how SEGA collaborated with Hatsune Miku for Project Diva X. Sega went as far as creating a VR Arcade which is popular among gamers nowadays! Hatsune Miku was even rumoured to have gained more fame than Disney’s Frozen at some point due to her catchy songs that are perfect for karaoke nights–much more than “Let It Go.” Even other companies like Capcom are going along with it by making live concerts where there are special guest appearances by the game’s voice actors! This proves that even video games have influenced music as a whole in such a way that it became a business.
What Else?
Video games have given us memorable and classic songs! Some of them were made specifically for the game itself, while some are remade by other famous artists who were inspired by the game’s atmosphere or theme. Musicians can also be hired to do the soundtrack for certain games. Sometimes video game companies will collaborate with musicians/bands/artists to create something new and exciting for gamers! Aside from that, there are also live concerts where people gather to see special appearances of voice actors or concert dancers, which makes this a very interactive experience for these kinds of events.
In Closing
All in all, it is safe to say that video games influenced music and not just the other way around. Video games have inspired musicians and bands to create new sounds or songs from existing ones while also being influenced by video game companies aside from giving recognition first. This shows how much power music can give people as they are becoming famous enough to be known around the globe in a matter of years. It has been said that this will continue rising as time passes since there are now more kinds of genres to choose from, like pop, rock, techno, or even j-pop.
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