The Music of Video Games

These past few months I have talked about very many aspects of video games; art, graphics, revamps, and much more. But one thing that I have failed to mention is one of the most important aspects of video games- the music. Gaming soundtracks have changed so much from the classic 8-bit tracks from Mario to the “barbaric choir” of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. There are many different soundtracks to many different games, and there is something for every single gamer.

A lot of gaming developers believe that the music makes the game. Composer Akira Yamaoka was hired to write the soundtrack for the Silent Hill series. This is what he said when asked in an interview about how his sound differs from other gaming composers:

When I make music for Silent Hill, I don’t really think about making music for games. Silent Hill is a horror game, and I want people to be scared. But at the same time I like to convey the message. So I don’t really think about making this music for this stage… I try to think about what message we want to convey to the players.

I am a HUGE Akira Yamaoka fan. Before ever reading this article I was able to clearly receive and understand the message that he was trying to convey. His style of music was intended for a survival horror series involving situations of terror, the ultimate nightmare that captures you on a psychological sense and shakes your inner core. He does is by combining some of the most interesting instruments. If you listen to a piece of his work you can hear the electric guitar, the scrapping of metal, the beat on the side of a trash can. It all combines to leave a terrifying piece of music. Here is Devil’s Laughter from Silent Hill: Shattered Memories…

While he can create pieces like this he also does a fantastic job at the more subtle, slower pieces. There is not much banging or grinding, or horrific laughter. Instead there is the sweet sound of a piano. In certain cases I find this to be more terrifying than the previous song. I suppose it is that psychological factor that playing in. You listen to this slow piece expecting for something loud and scary to jump out. Sometimes it does, and sometimes not. Here is Promise (Reprise) from Silent Hill 2…

The soundtrack makes the game. Without it the game can be flat and emotionless.

 

Video Games as Art – Paintings and Exhibits

Aside from what is actually on the screen when playing and game, and gaming tattoos, paintings and drawings are also a big portion of the side of video games as art. Check out some of these amazing pieces from artists on deviantART.com…

Video games in art form is popular among pop culture. It’s on our tee shirts, in our books, and now it’s in museums. The Smithsonian American Art Museum will be displaying many pieces of video game related art in their gallery. The exhibition is called The Art of Video Games and it will begin showcasing on March 16, 2012 and last until September 30, 2012. There will be 80 games on display including Tomb Raider, Okami, Bioshock, DOOM II, Pac-Man, and many more. Chris Melissinos is the man in charge for the exhibit.

Video Games as Art – Tattoos

This week in blogging I’d like to focus on video games as more than just a game, but as art. People all over the world go to different lengths to create an artistic representation of games. Today the focus will be on video game tattoos in honor of receiving my first game based tattoo this past Monday.

This is my Organization XIII tattoo based of the video game, Kingdom Hearts (pardon my odd posture. It’s hard to take a photograph of your own ankle!).

Here are some other popular gaming tattoos…

So what do people think about the concept of video game tattoo? Some people think it’s lame. Some people think it’s awesome. People who find the idea of gaming tattoos to be ridiculous are usually not gamers themselves. They might not play video games at all, and think it’s “geeky”.  But what about that person’s tattoo of say, a unicorn? As with all tattoos it is up to the person getting it. What does it mean to them? To me, my tattoo is a representation of one of my favorite games. And there is a more personal underlying meaning behind why I favor the characters in the game. If someone wants to know, they should just ask me and I would happily tell the story.

WhatCulture! did a piece on the art of video gaming in tattoo form. They said in their article, “…each tattoo shows the players love for gaming and demonstrates the mediums power to communicate as an art form.”

Kotaku.com offers a few tips on committing to video game based tattoo:

1. Make sure the art is exactly what you want so that you’re favorite character isn’t inaccurately depicted.
2. Try it out first. There is such a thing as temporary inkjet tattoo paper so that you can make your own tattoos at home!
3. As with all tattoos, go somewhere that you trust. You don’t want your Mario tattoo to look like a stick figure mess.
4. It IS a tattoo and it is going to be there forever. Make SURE it’s what you want to see when you’re 50 years old. Personally I look forward to seeing my XIII tattoo when I’m old and have grandkids.