The importance of videogame soundtracks to arts

Videogames and their soundtracks can transpose strongfeelings of emotion and nostalgia to the players. They can put the players in a position of control that connects them with the games in such a way that the music is an essential part of the entertainment, as stated by Koji Kondo. I spent my childhood in a forest neighbourhood in north São Paulo. Videogame and music was, back then, my favourite kind of entertainment. What I didn’t realize by that time is that all that instrumental music that I have been exposed to crafted an important part of my music inspiration to the point that I quite often find myself with the urge to go and revisit all those songs from my childhood.

Videogames and their soundtracks can transpose to the players feelings of emotion and nostalgia

The videogame industry nowadays is one of the most important and lucrative industries of entertainment. Videogames are complex, as they simultaneously mix visual and audio. They are also interactive, as they require from players the ability to solve puzzles and problems, allowing them to develop their creativity and expand their imagination to frontiers never wondered before. Videogames put the players in the focus when it comes to an immersion inside a world of visual, audio, social and multimedia interaction that should not be taken for granted, as they have a big impact in society in culture nowadays.

Games can vary a lot in content and genre, they can be simulations, RPGs, strategy games, sports, action or they can even be long journeys to new worlds with emotional stories that would make Tolstoy and Kubrick impressed, such as the epics of Metal Gear from Hideo Kojima or the Resident Evil Series from Capcom, for example. Some disciplined players can spend endless hours with RPGs, such as Mass Effect from BioWare, Fallout 4 or Elder Scrolls both from Bethesda, they can dedicate integrally hours following a history even without necessarily having to finish the whole game, such as what readers usually do with long books. 

There is an immense world of music production dedicated for videogames. Since the first games invented, music has been an important fact for this entertainment, as they were directly linked with the emotions and situations players are exposed to, such as a game over screen or having to deal with beating a hard boss in final levels.

For gamers who spend hours and hours dedicated to solving all the puzzles they are challenged with, the soundtrack and sound design is an important factor that many times goes unnoticed. The work of Koji Kondo, the composer of Super Mario's catchy melody is a perfect example of the feeling videogame sountracks can cause to players, even for those who slightly played Mario, it's already pop culture. 

The history of videogamem and electronic music made on computers walks side by side, as the first videogame soundtracks weren't able technologically to use orchestras or highly developed analogic instruments, such as the orchestral soundtrack of Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The production used simple computer softwares that could be applied to the hardwares available helped develop an industry of music production each time more complex.  

The history of videogame and electronic music made on computers walks side by side

Electronic music is a very complex subject, its history and how it has been created, from the first simple synthesizers and drum-machines to our well-developed MIDI platforms of Digital Audio Working Stations. It’s an endless world of bits, that mix both analogue and digital instruments. Indeed, nowadays there’s hardly a distinction between analogue and digital music anymore, every music produced by the industry will certainly have electronic features on it.

Everyone who dedicated part of his or her life to play any kind of videogame certainly knows its soundtracks by heart. Being exposed to Sonic the Hedgehog or to 80s techno of Streets of Rage brings back not only emotive memories, but a sort of music entertainment that goes far beyond only playing videogame if listened in isolation.

Important artists are also engaged with the production of soundtracks for videogames, such as Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails and the soundtrack for Quake, 1996. Some videogames use pop music non-licensed such as the famous Tony Hawk Pro Skater, Guitar Hero or Grand Theft Auto. This also allow players to experience well known pop music while entertaining themselves with their games. Usually games associated with sports and action opt for non-licensed music, as Fifa from Electronic Arts and Need for Speed are famous for.

Videogame soundtracks are usually a kind of non-commercial electronic (or what is considered to be commercial by music industry) or even orchestral music that is turned popular 

Videogame soundtracks are usually a kind of non-commercial electronic (or what is considered to be commercial by music industry) or even orchestral music that is turned popular . It is when, as much as with cinema, the public is exposed to "non-popular music". As an example, recently in Europe Distant World, music from Final Fantasy, is touring with an orchestra, featuring the original composer Nobuo Uematsu. London Philharmonic Orchestra has released an album just with classic videogame soundtracks in 2011, debuting 23rd in Billboard 200, the highest debut orchestral release since Star Wars Revenge of the Sith in 2005. 

Orchestras and videogame nowadays are closely connected, since 2003 when Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness was performed by London Symphony Orchestra. Where once was the perfect studio for Beatles recordings now stage Yoko Shimomura, a 48 years old Japanese composer, that has recently recorded the Final Fantasy XV soundtrack in the famous Abbey Road Studio in London.

Videogames are still not considered formal arts for orthodox publics and analysts of famous museums, but there are much things to be analysed when it comes to visual, music, storytelling and interaction on them. Videogames can be much more than pop culture or entertainment for youngters, they can show that the borders between what is pop and what is cult is not simple as many can assume.