Game Music: a support or a component by itself?

[woootbm]

So basically, it depends on the game and the implementation. I always say that you can't please everyone.

Oh, no. I wasn't questioning *you*, but rather the idea of someone of your musical intellect asking for thoughts from the common folk.

Personally, I feel like those classical influences truly never die. Conan the Barbarian sounds like Carl Orff, Star Wars sounds like Dvorak, Lord of the Rings sounds like Wagner (okay, that last one was an obvious choice, but still...), etc. All these great soundtracks are aping the masters. Do the regular people know? Nah. Does it work? Hell yeah, it does!

Lacking a designer will leave a game starved of mechanics, lacking a writer leaves a game with a lackluster story, lacking a decent artist will leave a game without compelling art, etc. As the old saying goes, "do what you are good at."

The person asking the question is a composer, sooo ...

 

[MushroomCake28]

Oh, no. I wasn't questioning *you*, but rather the idea of someone of your musical intellect asking for thoughts from the common folk.

Personally, I feel like those classical influences truly never die. Conan the Barbarian sounds like Carl Orff, Star Wars sounds like Dvorak, Lord of the Rings sounds like Wagner (okay, that last one was an obvious choice, but still...), etc. All these great soundtracks are aping the masters. Do the regular people know? Nah. Does it work? Hell yeah, it does!

Ohh lol. Well even if we are more "musically educated" (let's use the "" to stay politically correct) than others, it is important to seek advice from those who will play your game/watch your movie, meaning people who most likely won't have an advance musical formation that will allow them to fully understand the music. It doesn't mean they shouldn't enjoy it, but what they enjoy and what we enjoy greatly differs, and that's why it is important to listen to everyone's opinion.

And yes, you are right in saying that classical influence will never die. Classical music is by definition more complex and more elaborate than any other style due to its intellectual nature. Most film scores are indeed highly inspired by classical music, especially form the romantic/post-romantic era (like the way they use brasses... Mahler? Bruckner? Wagner? Strauss? Yeah... all of the above lol). Although most people might not enjoy much classical music, its influence will always be present in all kinds of music (the number of "stolen" melody in pop songs is astonishing).