This is not to say that no one enjoys video game music. I certainly do. Some gamers out there would consider themselves video game music enthusiasts. This is instead to say that to the average gamer, the function of music in a video game is purely background noise; the average gamer may be familiar with a few famous themes, most likely able to hum a few lines of it on command, but wouldn't recognize the name of the person that composed it; the average gamer would find it silly for someone to be playing video game music on the piano as serious, standalone pieces.
Think about this. Suppose you were sitting and watching a piano recital. Suppose that, in this recital, talented musicians played beautiful works of classical music, as far back as Bach and as recent as Copland. Suppose that someone then played the theme from Final Fantasy VII by Nobuo Uematsu. Usually, there would be several reactions in the room.
- The gamers would immediately recognize the theme. Many of them would probably find it a bit out of place. "It's video game music."
- Other gamers would recognize it, probably think it felt out of place, but enjoy the experience and appreciate it as serious art. Perhaps they would marvel at the beautiful arrangement.
- The non gamers wouldn't recognize the theme. After further inspection, perhaps reading the program notes, they would think to themselves, "Seriously? Video game music?"
- Other non gamers wouldn't recognize the theme, but would appreciate the music as serious art.
Many non gamers still have the impression that game music hasn't advanced farther than this. That familiar, eight bit theme that repeats over and over. Even if they are aware that the technology has greatly improved for musical creation, they still are not aware of how much the talent and musical prowess has improved, that now, sweeping orchestral fanfares accompany the action on screen that could be easily mistaken as music one might hear in a symphony hall. Why is this the impression that I have experienced?
My guess is that video games still are not considered as a genuine art form by many. This is the opinion of such critics as Roger Ebert, who said the following:
"[I] consider video games inherently inferior to film and literature. There is a structural reason for that: Video games by their nature require player choices, which is the opposite of the strategy of serious film and literature, which requires authorial control."To further illustrate the point that undoubtedly many people have, ask any parent what their kids are doing at any given time. It's essentially guaranteed that they will have a different facial structure and emotional reaction when saying, "They're reading," or "They're watching a movie," then when they say "They're playing video games." Reading is a healthy activity that infuses knowledge. Watching a movie is great because they do it too. Video games, on the other hand, are something that people do when they're bored and have nothing better to do...I wish they would go play outside or something.
"I believe the nature of the medium prevents it from moving beyond craftsmanship to the stature of art. To my knowledge, no one in or out of the field has ever been able to cite a game worthy of comparison with the great dramatists, poets, filmmakers, novelists and composers. That a game can aspire to artistic importance as a visual experience, I accept. But for most gamers, video games represent a loss of those precious hours we have available to make ourselves more cultured, civilized and empathetic."
These people, including Roger Ebert, are typically ignorant of the very basic ideas of how video games work. For example, Ebert stated that player choice somehow discounts authorial control. Ebert, then, has never experienced games like Metal Gear Solid or Final Fantasy, or virtually any game with anything resembling an in depth story line. In the example of these two games, the players will find themselves watching cinematic sequences and reading or listening to dialogue just as often as they find themselves actually controlling the character, and the "choices" they make do not ultimately change the outcome of the game to an extent that it removes the rest of the storyline, as he seems to imply. Being entertained by a story is the very nature of role-playing games, and that is what Hideo Kojima prides himself in creating his stealth action saga.
I am not a gamer that believes that my time spent gaming is a "loss of precious hours." What I do and play is valuable to me. Playing video games as a child has shaped my imagination and, of all things, my musical ability. My first inclination to be a composer game from listening to the soundtracks of video games and imagining being the one who wrote the soundtrack to the next Zelda game.
The music in movies is today considered to be valuable music. At the most important award shows celebrating films, such as the Academy Awards or the Golden Globes, awards are given out in recognition of outstanding musical scores. The average Oscar watcher, in fact, may even have an opinion on some of the movies present. "Oh, Atonement had really good music, I hope that one wins." Most movie viewers will notice how integral the score of a film is to it's plot development and emotional impact; suspenseful and horror films are an excellent example of this. Symphony orchestras around the world commonly play music from films, even put on entire concert series's based around them.
Why then are video games put in a different category altogether? Why are there no major award shows on networks like NBC or Fox that celebrate video games, despite the video game industry bringing in just as much revenue as the movie industry? Compared to it's counterpart, it's rather rare to find game music played by symphony orchestras, and when it is, it's primarily in Japan; an exception is the Video Games Live tour. I think it all comes back to the question of worth and artistic value. Most people, especially non-gamers, don't view games as truly important, but rather a hobby that's mostly part of childhood, and even that is wrong: the average American gamer is thirty-three years old.
Of course, times will change. In fact, times are already changing. Video games are on the road to eventually being accepted as important works of art rather than simply things people do when they're bored. For example, the Eminence Symphony Orchestra was created for the purpose of playing video game music last year. And with that new respect, just as in the movie industry, will come a wide respect for video game music. No longer will the idea that video game music is merely drone and mechanical noises be so inexplicably widespread. Composers like Martin O'Donnell will be given honors just like Hans Zimmer. People will go to concerts by the ESO even if they aren't gamers. Video game soundtracks will be available on iTunes far more readily than they are now. But until that day comes, video game music will continue to go on largely unappreciated, a comedy of sorts, the lowest of art.
"For over ten years or so game music has developed into a very large market. However in countries outside of Japan I think game music is still a potential growth market that has not yet developed to the extent that we are seeing in Japan." - Nobuo Uematsu
Patrick Dunnevant






















