You may have probably encountered Pong, the first video game with a small fragment of sound effects. Over the years, different developers have used music in myriad ways to ensure you have an out-of-this-world experience. If you have encountered titles like Skyrim and World of Warcraft, you must have noticed the orchestral suites in their storylines.
So, for years, sharp minds within the gaming industry have been innovating and producing engaging music to ensure your experience isn’t boring. It will, therefore, be out of order not to accord these masters their due. But before looking at some of the best video game composers, let us first see why music is important in the gaming industry.
The Importance of Music in the Gaming Industry
If game developers properly utilize music in their storylines, they can leave a lasting impression on players. Numerous studies by figures like A J Blood and R J Zatorre agree that music greatly affects emotions. So, using music can be a great way to connect with players.
This explains why designers in the video industry and the broad iGaming industry use music to strengthen user engagement. If, for instance, you are a casino enthusiast, you quite agree with this. Especially in casino online games like slots with numerous themes, you will not fail to find a game that doesn’t have a tight musical score.
Developers often turn to musical elements to influence how you respond to certain situations. Plus, music has a way to create a sense of nostalgia. Some studies have shown that it can evoke more vivid memories than visual stimulation.
When used well, music can deepen immersion and enhance realism. For instance, in Arctic Awakening, the developer uses music to add a feeling of anxiety to the severe snowstorm in the game’s opening scene. A strong relationship could exist between the games you love and their soundtracks, which keeps you returning.
Now let us look closely at some of the top masterminds behind the music you could enjoy as you game.
Nobuo Uematsu
For those who know anything to do with video game music, you can agree that the title Nobuo Uematsu is not new. Born in the late 1950s, Nobuo became famous after his contributions to the Final Fantasy video game. What might shock you about this master is that he is a self-taught musical who started playing piano when he was as young as twelve.
Nobuo, growing under the influence of Elton John, would later become a TV ad composer in 1985. After this, Tokyo-based game studio Square offered him a chance to compose soundtracks for some of the most historic titles. During this time, he met Hironobu Sakaguchi, with whom they collaborated on many games, including the famous Final Fantasy.
After about two decades, Nobuo had already made a name for himself and was ready to begin his own company, Dog Ear Records. Since stepping out of Square, Nobuo has composed music for many games, including the Super Smash Bros of 2008.
Despite stating that he is a fan of Celtic and Irish music, Nobuo’s compositions are usually diverse – ranging from modern and techno tracks to classical orchestral styles.
Jeremy Soule
Compared to Nobuo, Jeremy is quite younger. However, even with his fewer years, he has composed music for more than 60 games, not to mention his other works, including The Elder Scrolls, Icewind Dale, etc. Jeremy joined Square in 1994, where he only worked for about a year, and later joined Humongous Entertainment.
He did not take long to work for Humongous before leaving in 2000 to found his own company, Soule Media. As years went by, he formed DirectSong, a record label that would later publish the online versions of his music, plus those of classical musicians.
While most of his works feature the orchestral genre, Jeremy does not agree that this is his favorite style. He would rather be referred to as a practitioner who composes all types of music than one who focuses on only one type of genre.
Yoko Shimomura
From a historical point of view, women have been less represented in sectors such as classical music than in other sectors like literature. Now, moving to video game music, the ceiling seems to be breaking with many women composers taking centre stage, not to mention the famous Yoko Shimomura.
She is famously known for her unequaled contribution to the Kingdom Hearts video game and many others. Having graduated from Osaka College of Music in the late ’80s, Yoko embarked on her career journey when she joined Capcom.
About five years later, Yoko left the company and joined Square, where she worked on Live A Live as her first project. Later, in 2002, she left the company to freelance but did not stop working for Square – specifically on Kingdom Heart, The 3rd Birthday and Final Fantasy XV.
Martin O’Donnell
Like the previously mentioned names, Martin O’Donnell is another figure who has made a name for himself in the industry. Born in the mid-50s, Martin is famous for working on titles such as Halo Series and Destiny. He began his career by composing music for TV and radio jingles before moving to the video game music industry in the ’90s.
Around this time, Martin met the likes of Rand and Robyn Miller, who greatly transformed his career journey. Subsequently, he teamed up with Bungie and composed the musical score for Halo: Combat Evolved, which topped commercial charts.
Koji Kondo
A Japanese national, Koji Kondo was born in the early ’60s and is famously known for working on Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda. Koji joined Nintendo in 1984 and became the first person specializing in video game music that the company hired.
According to this Japanese musician, his career pursuits were inspired by his interest in gaming, not academics. He first learned to play electronic organs at age five when he was exposed to Yamaha Music.
When using a piano and computer program to learn how to develop, Koji used Famicom BASIC as a platform for his compositions and programming assignments.
As you have actually seen, music can be a powerful way to enhance the immersion of your games. By using appropriate soundtracks in your storyline, you can always ensure that your games are more competitive, leading to great business performance.