Music plays an important part in gaming, and always has, especially for video and online games. It can be used to add suspense and excitement, as well as to let a player know when they’ve won or lost a game. Music has even become the focal point of games, leading to new ones being invented, like Rock and Roll Bingo, and there are even games dedicated to rock and roll stars.
Rock music, in particular, has slowly seeped into other industries, such as the theater world with Bat Out of Hell! The Musical and in a wide range of genres when it comes to films. However, its presence in the gaming industry spans decades and is now paving the way for other musical genres.
Setting an Atmosphere in Games
Let’s just have a quick look at music. It’s everywhere. We grow up listening to all kinds of music before we develop our own tastes. Music can control emotion, bring up nostalgic feelings, help us relax, work out and even pass time when we’re traveling.
It’s also used in games to establish the atmosphere and set the tone of a game. Game developers can use music to guide players when it comes to how to play a game, or react to it. Music in games can also subconsciously tell players what to expect in a game.
Just as films have soundtracks, so do some games. There’ll be a fair few that focus on a specific musical genre, perhaps even a particular singer or group, like Guns n Roses who have their own online slot on bingo platforms. With some of their hits featured in the game, the title is going to appeal to their fans, as well as getting new ones – just watch out for the air guitar when you’re walking through the November Rain!
From Queen: The Eye Rock to Guardians of the Galaxy
Rock music features heavily in the gaming industry, and has done for decades. Queen used their music in eYe, a game released in the late nineties. Focusing on a futuristic world, ruled by the all-seeing eYe, the player takes on the role of the secret agent who discovers a secret rock music database. The player is sentenced to death and has to fight champions in a televised competition.
Although the songs were released, a few were only exclusively available on the game.
Before that, in the mid-nineties, Aerosmith featured in the arcade game Revolution X. And just last year, Guardians of the Galaxy was released on various gaming consoles, bringing with it a stellar soundtrack. It includes the likes of Blondie, Def Leppard and Pat Benatar.
This goes to prove that rock music and video games have a long history that shows no sign of slowing down. In fact, it’s setting the trail for other music genres coming into a lucrative industry. Snoop Dogg is due to appear in Call of Duty: Vanguard. Stormzy has already featured in Watch Dogs: Legion a couple of years ago. Bringing together different genres only means a wider audience, which is good for both gaming operators and players.
