How important to you is music in a game?

[Merricat]

I know that many have said that the music in the Gabriel Knight games is instrumental (:D ) to the gameplay, and personally, the fact that I loved the music in Neverhood contributed to my overall enjoyment of the game. The Monkey Island music is also great, and I loved that various characters had their own themes. The music in the Broken Sword games is pleasant and also informative--it tells you when you've hit on the right line of questioning, or when something important has occurred. But other games have used music in such a limited, repetitive way that it has driven me, a die-hard music lover, to turning down the sound entirely. So my question to you all is this: is music just as important to gameplay as it is to cinema, or is it merely jewelry?

[Cris Pandry]

Personally, the first thing I do in any game I play is look in the audio options section and set music to ZERO immediately. :)

If music was there for dramatic effect similarly to as it's done in films, then I don't see anything wrong with that, but looped clips just annoy me and play in my head when I go to bed afterwards!

A example of good music usage for me is the Adagio for Strings in Platoon. A bad example would be the music playing in Enemy at the Gates during the siege of Stalingrad! Imagine the same thing at the beach scenes in Saving Private Ryan?!

I only caught one music score by accident. That was in the Sherlock Holmes game - The Rose Tattoo. Seemed to change appropriately as you discovered things, solved clues etc.

Music in RTS and action games and puzzle intensive adventure games, just seems unnecessary and even distracting to me.

[Nautilus]

Some wiseman someday said: "Music/audio is 50% of any animation production". So, playing an adventure without listening to the music/audio seems to be a bizarre experience. :p

[Squinky]

When done well, it's very atmospheric. When done badly, it's annoying.

[tsa]

Music is becoming more important to me than it used to be in adventure games. I remember playing the Tex Murphy games with the music switched off, because it distracted me from the gameplay. In many newer games, however, the music adds another dimension to the gameplay. I like some of the mesic in adventure games so much I've even started collecting adventure game music in the springof this year!

[QFG]

It's always been an important factor to me - when I first heard the score to Monkey Island, I knew right away I was going to enjoy the game. Same with many other games with great scores - especially Grim Fandango!

[sierramindy]

By and large I am tone deaf so music is not a big part of games or movies to me. That said, I must add that the music in the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark just blew me away. It was so terrific! The music continues in the adventure game by LucasArts, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis. The whole start of that game is a pure delight for me. I also recall that I liked the music in
GK: Sins of the Fathers and especially in GK: The Beast Within. I have played and greatly enjoyed the first 3 games of the Monkey Island series but can't remember anything at all about the music. So music is not a big deal for me, except those rare times when somehow, something reaches my ears that I find enjoyable and even memorable.

[Melanie68]

I like music in games and it adds to the atmosphere for me, but I very easily forget it after I'm done playing. So I've never gone out of my way personally to listen to it outside of the game itself.

[Harald B]

Often one of the first things I do when playing a new game is to increase the music volume. I consider the music to be an integral part of the experience; on par with the graphics, I'd say. It would have to be really bad before I'd consider turning it off.
It occurs to me that in all my favorite games, I enjoyed the music a lot. That's probably saying something. Unfortunately, outstanding music seems to be a rare treat, in games as well as in cinema and tv series.

[MikaelS]

Music is very important to me. At certain level, music is even more important than graphics. As said, when done correctly it can really makes atmosphere fantastic.

[AprilLives]

Music and sounds are VERY important for atmosphere, if done well. In fact, I’m currently listening to The Road Back from The Longest Journey and still marvel at the quality. Hearing it takes me right back to the feeling of adventure I had when I first discovered the game. I also go back to the music of Syberia and Riven.

[cwapitm]

Music is important, but not as important as the plot or characters. However, a good soundtrack is like icing on the cake.:) I loved the soundtrack to Grim Fandango and the Monkey Island series. I'll never get tired of listening to them. I feel the soundtrack for Culpa Innata is well done too.

[Wolfrider]

Music doesn't make or break a game for me, but man does it ever enhance the experience. The Sam and Max games have such great soundtracks and sometimes I find myself wandering around just listening to the background music. Same for stuff like Blackwell Unbound and Rorschach. The soundtrack just makes those worlds breathe in front of you.

I find good music helps when you're stuck too. It's much less irritating to be lost when you've got a catchy tune in the background then having to hear the same lousy jingle over and over again.

[Henke]

Music (and sound in general) is extremely important in games. I believe it's even more important in games then in movies for example.

[MadTricks]

When done well, it's very atmospheric. When done badly, it's annoying.

Second that.

[ProggleRock]

Perhaps the most important. Music tells you how to feel. It invokes emotion whether there is a context or not. With context, music is (IMO) the most powerful element to any game that tries to get a reaction from its user.

[Merricat]

I'm intrigued by the idea that some people are completely disinterested in game music. A completely silent game, to me, is as unnatural as laugh tracks on sitcoms. Really, the few times that I've turned the sound down on a game because of an irritating loop have been weirdly unsettling experiences. Wow. And I can't imagine films without music. I don't see it as emotional manipulation or emotional tyranny; rather, it's more of a complementary layer to the director's overal thematic course.

[tsa]

Well, in the case of Tex Murphy, it felt unnatural to me to be spying around in a house you just entered via a window, and having loud jazz music in the background. The music made the game less 'real'. Games like Myst (that I like a lot) are already so unreal that the music adds to the athmosphere.

[Crapstorm]

A good soundtrack is a nice touch, but I will always turn the background music off eventually after it has looped umteen times.

[Cris Pandry]

Merricat,

There must be very few completely silent games these days. It seems strange to compare Monkey Island 1 with something like Broken Sword 3 in terms of 'music'.

MI1 is equivalent to a 1920's silent film with minimal (if any) sound effects, with written, rather than spoken speech. The 'music' just reinforces changes of location. Visit voodoo woman, hear spooky music, visit the church, hear organ music; repeat ad infinitum. Yawn... How many times do you need to hear it to get the idea?

I think a game with good sound effects conveys much more ambience than a parrot like looping musical score. If you turned your music OFF you might actually hear some. ;)

Again, I think musical interludes that ONLY happen at the appropriate time add enormously to the overall experience. For example in between completed stages of MI1. Nice touch and quite appropriate.

I disagree that it's not directorial emotional manipulation to employ music (effects). I can't imagine For a Few Dollars More or The Good, The Bad, The Ugly without Ennio Morricone's score for example.

(There was an 80's Vietnam drama series called Tour of Duty which used The Stone's - Paint it Black as the theme tune. Due to copyright or whatever restrictions though, the DVDs of the series use generic guitar music in place of the 60's songs which completely alters the emotional involvement!)

Surely the point of music in films is to convey a particular mood to the audience? The director decides what gets played? Also, unlike games, the music in films isn't continuous!

So, I'm equally amazed that the majority here seem content to be subjected to the musical equivalent of Chinese water torture. :)

[Melanie68]

My off topic question:

(There was an 80's Vietnam drama series called Tour of Duty which used The Stone's - Paint it Black as the theme tune. Due to copyright or whatever restrictions though, the DVDs of the series use generic guitar music in place of the 60's songs which completely alters the emotional involvement!)

Wasn't that China Beach? Because I seem to remember that song being used there and I loved it!

[Cris Pandry]

No, different series Mel.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092468/

But thanks for pointing that one out. I missed that one. Have to look out for it.

[misa]

It's not actually that important to me in games as I usually play with the audio quite low and subtitles on (since the tv is usually on at the same time). Having said that, I do appreciate good music in a game. One of my favourite scores to a game is Scratches.

Movies on the other hand are different. Love a great soundtrack or score.

[RLacey]

I can't stand silence, so I always find myself humming tunes or playing music in the background if games don't have a soundtrack.

The soundtrack isn't the most important thing in a game, but it can certainly contriube towards the mood, and that makes it pretty important in my book.

That and I like music.

[Merricat]

I actually do like silence--as a writer, I need it, even, and when I'm working, I do not listen to music. The rest of the time, though, is filled with the soundtrack of my life; for example, I run in the park every morning and couldn't manage without my ipod. Music is like Proust's madeleine; it can take you back to any place and time more easily than a way-back machine (showing my age, again). And Cris, I agree with you with that film scores are meant to manipulate, but I think heavy-handedness is deplorable even music, and the best scores are subtle contributions, rather than ham-fisted tyrants. The same goes for games, I think, at least for me. ;)

[bleaksand]

meh ... I usually leave the music level at 25% and max out the voice and SFX levels.

I do appreciate good music, but given the choice, I prefer ambient noises (i.e. nighttime crickets, summer-day cicadas, city traffic, ...) over atmospheric loops. More immersive for me.

[Gazzoid]

I think music/ambience is important. Other elements like storyline and characters are far more important, but we need music for atmosphere and even tension build-ups. And ambience is important because it helps to make the game worlds seem alive. Scratches is one good example and i'd say Broken Sword 1 is another. I love/d the creepy accordion music that plays when you ask questions about the clown, or even the music that plays in the sewers when you pick up the clown's nose. It really makes it mysterious.
I also don't mind if the music re-loops, providing it's good/catchy. If the music is too loud to the point were i can barely hear the character's voices, then it can prove annoying and i'll turn it down a tad.

[samIamsad]

A good soundtrack is a nice touch, but I will always turn the background music off eventually after it has looped umteen times.

It's kind of sad and funny that so many years afer iMUSE (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMUSE) and Origin (http://www.mobygames.com/game/wing-commander/adblurbs), that's what music in games is: Some kind of tune looping in the background. I mean, how 'bout something that actually takes into account that you're playing a game? That shifts and turns and reacts accordingly to what a player's doing at a given point in time? Few games do that, and most that do it do it horribly. Think: Morrowind every time the game switches to battlemusic.mp3 whenever a potential threat comes near. The player might not be even aware of that yet. Music starts. Well, now (s)he is.

[Trumgottist]

So, I'm equally amazed that the majority here seem content to be subjected to the musical equivalent of Chinese water torture. :)

What's Chinese water torture to you is taking a shower to me. (Tastes differ.) While I may actually agree with you that specific musical snippets together with ambient sounds probably makes for a more immersive experience, I very much like soundtracks I can sing along to.

The difference between Discworld and DW2 makes this clear to me. The music was made by the same man (I don't recall his name at the moment - you can use Google yourself to find out if you're interested), and both games follow the old "one looping track for each scene" standard. The sequel has better sound quality (the old game has pretty bad sound effects, and the music is whatever midi your sound card is capable of), and the composer opted for a more ambient thing, but I prefer the music in the old game. The music in the Drum is the location to me, even more so than the graphics.

I suppose the music in games like that, to me, fills the same function as the background paintings.

Edit: I should add that I think that interactive and adaptive music is interesting and with potential. Like Sad Sam, I'd like to see it explored more. (And would like to do so myself in a future game.)

[Thesaya]

Music can destroy a game, but mostly it makes it so much better. One way of using music that i found wonderful, wasn't in an adventure game but kinda similar, "Vampire: The Masquerade, Bloodlines. If you go into a club, club music, you can turn on the tv or the radio, and you can suddenly hear music from a stereo.... (found a few new bands from the soundtrack) Also, you don't forget the music when it is really catchy, i can hum Monkey Island theme any time..

[Terramax]

I'm sure we had another very similar thread to this a month or two ago?

Anyway, I personally can't play an adventure unless it has a great soundtrack. Unless it's an adventure that works greatly because of its lack of music.

I consistantly play the soundtracks to Myst Exile & Revelation, Curse of Monkey Island, Broken Sword I, Grim Fandango and Discworld Noir on my MP3 player at work.

If only I could find a way to rip the music from Discworld 2...

The only old adventure where the music is substantially rewarding (so much so I wouldn't mind if the composer remixed them) is the 1st Gabriel Knight. The music in the shop in particular.

The difference between Discworld and DW2 makes this clear to me. The music was made by the same man (I don't recall his name at the moment - you can use Google yourself to find out if you're interested), and both games follow the old "one looping track for each scene" standard. The sequel has better sound quality (the old game has pretty bad sound effects, and the music is whatever midi your sound card is capable of), and the composer opted for a more ambient thing, but I prefer the music in the old game. The music in the Drum is the location to me, even more so than the graphics.

If I remember correctly, the first Discworld was released around 1993 time when MIDI files were still popular. The sequel was made some years later when original music composition in games were making great leaps.

Also, DW2 is different in that it pays homage to pop-culture (the cinema and Holywood locations, settings in the desert, etc), in synch with the game itself, unlike the original which had a greater medievil emphasis.

[Ninja Dodo]

Yeah the music in Bloodlines was really well done... but non-contextual (that is to say, not existing within the game-world) music that's purely there for atmosphere can also really work. Some games that wouldn't have been the same without:

Little Big Adventure, Outcast, Grim Fandango, Shadow of the Colossus, Beyond Good & Evil, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney...

One game where I really couldn't stand the music anymore though was Morrowind. There's like one track of generic fantasy music in the entire game and god does it get annoying.

[Trumgottist]

If I remember correctly, the first Discworld was released around 1993 time when MIDI files were still popular. The sequel was made some years later when original music composition in games were making great leaps.
Yes, that's part of my (badly expressed) point. DW2 has technically much better sound, and the advances in technology allowed the composer to create a more ambient soundscape, but I still prefer the looped MIDI tunes of DW1.

I don't want things to go back to the early nineties, though. Grim Fandango is an example of a game with a great soundtrack. It's subtle in many places, but not afraid of coming to the foreground at times either.

Also, DW2 is different in that it pays homage to pop-culture …
And that's part of the reason why the game itself is much inferior to DW1 IMO, but that's another discussion, unrelated to the music.

[Thesaya]

Yeah the music in Bloodlines was really well done... but non-contextual (that is to say, not existing within the game-world) music that's purely there for atmosphere can also really work. (...)

One game where I really couldn't stand the music anymore though was Morrowind. There's like one track of generic fantasy music in the entire game and god does it get annoying.

Just so I don't get misiterpreted, i like integrated background music too, i never turn it off. Oddly though, one of the few games i've turned off the music in was morrowind :P

[Erwin_Br]

Day of the Tentacle wouldn't be the same without its wacky music. Neither would Grim Fandango without its jazz. Music plays a very important role in defining the ambiance. Sound effects alone can do a lot, but it's not the same.

--Erwin

[Terramax]

One game where I really couldn't stand the music anymore though was Morrowind. There's like one track of generic fantasy music in the entire game and god does it get annoying.

I cannot agree more. All these fantasy games have these uninspired orchestral soundtracks. There must be a law for it.

It's kind of sad and funny that so many years afer iMUSE and Origin, that's what music in games is: Some kind of tune looping in the background. I mean, how 'bout something that actually takes into account that you're playing a game? That shifts and turns and reacts accordingly to what a player's doing at a given point in time?

Metal Gear Solid, amongst other things.

[Ninja Dodo]

One fantasy-esque game that I felt got it right is Gothic, particularly 3. There's some nice tunes in there that really add to the character of the world and it's varied enough that it doesn't grate.

[Erwin_Br]

I would love to see a system like iMUSE implemented in modern games. But music has always been under appreciated, and companies won't invest in a complicated system that "just plays music". Fortunately there's still good music to be found in games, though. The new Sam and Max series is an excellent example.

--Erwin

[equallyAvant]

Music is essential to games. Adventure games are not like a Tetris game... Its a full image and sound experience. Adventures create an atmosphere and part of this atmosphere is the music. Imagine Broken Sword 1 without its beautiful soundtrack.... :crazy:
Its a shame and most recent adventure games out there dont have any decent soundtrack due to low cost production values...

[Lee in Limbo]

Good musical cues are absolutely essential to game design as far as I'm concerned. Where a lot of games seem to fall short is that they don't involve composers early enough in the process, so the music they get is static and artificial. A good composer who sees how the scene is playing out and has a clue about the gameplay can write variations of their main themes to suit specific actions and events; thus making the music not only atmospherically correct but relevant to the gameplay as well. I'd love to see a lot more of this in the games that I play.

That said, so long as the composer is aware of the level of interest their pieces create, particularly over a sustained period, it is possible to create atmospheric moods that keep the player immersed for however long it takes to finish the scene.

And I too have turned down the music or the volume when a track proved to be too annoying. I also turned down the music for one or two scenes that were too nerve wracking, however. The standout memory I have of that is the basement cavern sequence in Shivers, which I had a lot of trouble completing until I turned the music down and got my nerves under control. That music during that scene really messed me up. A case of the music working a little too well.

Paradoxically, I had to turn it up for other scenes, because some of those musical cues were absolutely magnificent. My favourite is still the planetarium sequence. I have that music around here somewhere, I have to dig that up again. Love that piece.

Mind you, I'm a musician, amongst other things, so music is inordinately important and affecting to me. YMMV.

[JKR]

When done well, it's very atmospheric. When done badly, it's annoying.

I agree with this. It's great when it's well done, but annoying when it isn't. I won't stop playing a game that's fun because of annoying music, but I'd rather it be good. All in all, music doesn't affect me in a game unless it's that bad that it's annoying.

I like music to blend in seamlessly so that I don't notice it's there, but I would notice if it weren't.

[Crapstorm]

Music is essential to games. Adventure games are not like a Tetris game...

Whoa! Bad example. Tetris (the arcade version) had terrific music. It was like electronified Russian folk music that changed tempo with the rate that the blocks were falling. When I'm 90 years old, I will still remember those melodies fondly (and probably little else).

[Squinky]

Daa da-da-daa da-da-daa da-da-daa da-da-daa da-da-daa daa daa daa daa...

[MoriartyL]

Music is nice. I like music, I compose music, I certainly don't mind it. But if there's no good vision behind it, the game's better off with silence. Silence is underrated, you know.

[nikolas]

Heh...

I find music necessary in adventure games and games in general. I'd be out of job, if I didn't feel this way! :D

Just a few notes: It's damn difficult, if not impossible to have "interactive" music and iMUSE is not a perfect example really, I'm afraid. Morrowind, was totally bad to that account, although the music was very fine, and Jeremy Soule did a great job!

The "following the player" is a totally complicated thing to do for any composer and takes a very dedicated coder, as well, to make it happen.

Now, "adaptive" music is rather easier to do but it is rather limited.

What some people mention about looping is true, in games. :( I mean, if you are stuck for 50 minutes in an area, you are stuck with the same music, basically for 50 minutes. Even your favourite band wouldn't have much of a chance there. In addition to that, music NEEDS to be in the background, it's not a concert, it's a game, so it can't be too... amazing, or better, too complicated.

I find that silent games are rather... empty for, but I'm rather biased as well! So dunno...

[Squinky]

Silence is underrated, you know.

This is true. And even in games that have good music, having periods of silence can really add to the atmosphere.

[Terramax]

This is true. And even in games that have good music, having periods of silence can really add to the atmosphere.

Care to mention a few games? I can think of Silent Hill and that's about it.

[Crapstorm]

Any first-person game that aims to immerse the character in a highly realistic environment would be undone by a continuous musical score. In these sorts of games, the only music you should hear is that which is incidental to the setting (e.g., a radio in the room, or musicians playing nearby). There are plenty of good examples of this, but right now I can only think of Barrow Hill and Gabriel Knight 1.

In Hollywood films, continuous musical scores are standard. Personally, I am tired of the idea that the filmmaker must guide the audience's emotions at all times using music. A lot of films and console games these days play like a series of music videos. I really don't think that's the direction adventure games should be going. Less is more.

[RichardI]

The first thing I do when I start a new adventure game is to turn the music off. I find it annoying - good or bad makes no difference to me.

Rich

[Risingson]

Care to mention a few games? I can think of Silent Hill and that's about it.

Monkey Island?

[Devona]

Music is extremely important.......the whole sound track is. A well-done sound track - music and voice - contributes heavily to keeping you involved in the game - it's the atmosphere, the tension, the emotion etc.etc.etc.

A good soundtrack blends into the game and enhances it. A bad one can simply ruin a game, making it too annoying to even play at times.

[a|A]

Music is as integral to an adventure game as it is to a feature film - in some cases, I would say even moreso. In a movie you're there to experience something, an event, a journey - the music enhances that experience for all the audience members, really helps put you 'in' the moment. With an adventure game ( and all computer games really ) you're not only experiencing something, but you're actively taking part it in. You want music that does not seem out of place ( so as to ruin the illusion ) but so that it sits in the background and enhances your gameplay experience. I think what makes adventure game so unique however, is the use of themes.

Take Kings Quest 6 for example, it is one of my most fondly remembered games as a child. What struck me about the music is a single musical theme that runs the entire way through the game. You hear the nightingale sing it, It's the love theme, it's all around you. And so many games do it. The music ties the whole game into a cohesive whole, and truly makes the experience. My Personal Favs ? The Gabriel Knight, Laura Bow ( Carrington's Office? Brilliant! ), Quest for Glory, Monkey Island, Grim Fandango and Psychonauts ( yes, I'm including it, so there ) soundtracks. I remember every single little tune from them. They're all wonderful!

I think it's so sad that sound, audio, and music don't play the same part these days. Occasionally you get games with brilliant audio work like the recent 'Bioshock' ( Amazing Avant Garde Orchestral Score ), but for the most part the music just isn't there anymore. Rarely do I want to go out and find the soundtrack ( If there's a soundtrack at all ). And I think gamers are yearning for music to play a bigger part. Take the song at the end of 'portal' ( "Still Alive" it's called : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6ljFaKRTrI ). People went crazy over it! And it's not an amazing tune, but it's witty, and it's in the moment. And people loved it.

And I'm ranting!

[Merricat]

Everyone's comments regarding this question have been very interesting. I would like to point out, though, that the "if it's done well, it's great; if it's not done well, it's terrible" is kind of a given--I mean, you can say that about every element of a game (or anything else, for that matter). Puzzles are great, unless they're illogical, and then they're awful. Characters are essential, unless they're poorly written, and then they're annoying. And so on. :)

[Terramax]

Monkey Island?

Yeah, but the music in the first Monkey Island was terrible. It was more torture than heightening the experience.

[Squinky]

I liked it. But then, I played the CD version.

[MoriartyL]

a|A: I would argue that the reason we need music in movies is because movies, being a passive experience, can get pretty boring otherwise. Compare a TV show with a constant and dynamic symphonic score to a show without any background music, and you see what I mean. Watching people move around and do things is reasonably entertaining, but not that entertaining that it can hold your interest for hours at a time. So the music fills in the holes in the entertainment, making the emotions stronger so that you don't lose interest in them.

A game is usually more involving than a movie. So music isn't as important. I could play very long games without music and never get bored, if they're good games. Only a bad game needs music.

Edit: I've already changed my mind. Certain types of games, like platformers, are so interactive that music is totally unnecessary. But adventures aren't all that much more interactive than movies. So I guess even a good adventure could use music, though not as much as a movie.

[Terramax]

a|
A game is usually more involving than a movie. So music isn't as important. I could play very long games without music and never get bored, if they're good games. Only a bad game needs music.

I think you're speaking for yourself there. Both I and people I know will stop playing a game if it doesn't have a good soundtrack.

I haven't bought GTA: San Andreas because of the supposed Rap and RnB music. In fact, whilst on the subject, the music from the GTA games (most particularly the first two) are possibly the most memorable aspects of the game, speaking as a fan (or ex-fan).

As with any game, music helps define the setting. When I travel around in real life, in stores, cafes, shopping malls, my home, past a building site, all I hear is music, music that represents my current culture. I think that should be the same for games, regardless of whether fiction or non-fiction.

What would Jet Set Radio be without the music? It represents the rebellious nature of the characters you play and the kind of zany world they're in. Then there's the music that exaggerates comedy elements, enhances it.

Not all music forces a feeling on an audience. If people stopped putting music into games, I wouldn't play them anymore.

[Merricat]

Well said.

[nikolas]

What gets rather annoying for me (which could be bizzare as well) is that many times music is... overdone.

I mean, music should enchance the game and certain moments. Not have it in every moment, every scene, every level, all together.

But problem, with games, is that without it, even with voice acting, it's totally empty. Real world, consists of 100s of sounds at any given minute*, all different. This would make the sound designers job a nightmare and the coders implementation as well.

But I have to be honest, in some case I enjoy the tune in the back, while the character is... walking in a city, for example, in other cases, I just don't understand it...

*While typing, every key I hit is a bit different, there is also the computer humming, my lips going up and down, cause I'm eating as well (:D) and my foot on the floor, which I hit periodically. Putting the same sound for the foot, or keys, would result in something awful and same. Imagine and all this for a simpe post typing...

[MoonBird]

This is tough question... There are games, that would be absolutely nothing without their soundtracks, and then there are musically almost silent games, their music is "ambient real life sounds" and so on... Let's say, that in the games older than 2000 it is crucial, but not in newer games.

[Terramax]

Ambiance is a good thing. Ico and Myst III did well without music overload (that being said, I'm glad they rearranged the music for Myst III for its soundtrack - it sounds so much better).

[JKR]

Everyone's comments regarding this question have been very interesting. I would like to point out, though, that the "if it's done well, it's great; if it's not done well, it's terrible" is kind of a given--I mean, you can say that about every element of a game (or anything else, for that matter). Puzzles are great, unless they're illogical, and then they're awful. Characters are essential, unless they're poorly written, and then they're annoying. And so on. :)

Not trying to pick a fight, BUT... :)

I have to disagree. There are some things that, when in a game, I really don't care if it's good or not, I still would rather it wasn't there. Some examples... If a game has a "great" math puzzle, well, I hate math puzzles. I don't really care how great it is! Or excess violence. They could make it brilliantly gory, but I'm just not interested. And I'm sure there are people who are that way about music. They just prefer not to have it, so they turn it off right away. It could be the best composition ever written, doesn't matter to them.

But I do understand what you mean. As far as "when it's great it's great, awful is awful" IS pretty obvious. :P

[Merricat]

I do see your point, JKR; what you're talking about is personal preference. As the question is regarding the importance of music (to the individual) in a game, personal preference of course dictates a person's response. And as you indicated, if a person doesn't like X in a game, then the quality of X doesn't matter to her or him. But to say that a thing is great unless it's bad is, as you say, obvious, and doesn't actually answer the question. So I don't think you're picking a fight, although I'm not sure with what you disagree. Since this is an opinion question, I'm only interested in what people think, nothing more. :)

[Merricat]

I do see your point, JKR; what you're talking about is personal preference. As the question is regarding the importance of music (to the individual) in a game, personal preference of course dictates a person's response. And as you indicated, if a person doesn't like X in a game, then the quality of X doesn't matter to her or him. But to say that a thing is great unless it's bad is, as you say, obvious, and doesn't actually answer the question. So I don't think you're picking a fight, although I'm not sure with what you disagree. Since this is an opinion question, I'm only interested in what people think, nothing more. :)

Ah, forget it. Once I start talking about X, the joy has gone out of it for me. :P

[Cris Pandry]

Ah, forget it. Once I start talking about X, the joy has gone out of it for me. :P

Ahh, the Joy of X. Music of love...

[Merricat]

Ahh, the Joy of X. Music of love...

See how we are?