The music we hear in today’s smash hit video games is finally getting the respect it deserves. VGM (video game music) even has its own category at the Grammys.
At the 65th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2023, the ‘Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media’ was awarded for the first time in the Grammys’ history to composer Stephanie Economou.
She wrote the score for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarok. At this year’s event in February 2024, the award went to Stephen Barton & Gordy Haab for their unforgettable music in the Star Wars Jedi: Survivor video game.
Let’s dive in to discover why VGM is now a respected art form in its own right and reveal the names of some of the gaming industry’s most notable scores that are helping change the way we interact with music and video games.
Why is Video Game Music (VGM) now a major artistic discipline?
It may have only just been recognised by the Grammys, but VGM has long been considered an art form by many people. People today play thoroughly immersive high-end games, often for hours at a time, and so to accompany the action, it’s important to get the soundtrack right.
Just like the power of music can enhance movies and television shows, the same thing happens in the gaming world. The right kind of music can help set the tone and massively enhance the experience. Without any music, the games would be rather dull.
Over the past twenty years, some of the most talented young musicians, full orchestras, and well-known composers have crafted some fantastic themes and soundtracks that will be remembered for many years to come. Their contributions have made playing certain gaming scenes far more immersive.
Experts have even described VGM as one of contemporary music’s most exciting new areas. It is one of the only ways youngsters would ever listen to powerful classical/orchestral music, and it has opened up this new generation to a new world of music that they otherwise might have never listened to.
The new Grammys award was introduced to celebrate ‘quality original scores for video games.’ Other nominees for the award this year were the following:
● Composer: Sarah Schachner. Game: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
● Composer: Peter Murray, J Scott Rakozy & Chuck E. Myers “Sea”. Game: Hogwarts Legacy
● Composer: Bear McCreary. Game: God Of War Ragnarök
● Composer: Montaigne, Tripod & Austin Wintory. Game: Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical
It’s not just the graphically demanding triple-A video games that feature impressive music but also many of today’s feature-rich online slot machines made by industry-award-winning game development studios and software providers.
Take any online slot that has the highest payout percentage rate from Blueprint Gaming, NetEnt, Playtech, Games Global, ELK Studios or Play’n GO, for example.
Games from these companies have some fantastic accompanying audio and authentic sound effects that enhance the player’s experience. The slots with the most powerful music are often ones with equally powerful themes.
The next time you play online slots with a popular theme/genre, such as Greek Mythology, Ancient Greece, Norse Mythology, Science Fiction, Horror, Fantasy, Arthurian Legend/King Arthur, Atlantis, Roman Mythology, or even the Wild West, remember to play the game with the sound and sound effects turned up and pay close attention to the music.
It might make you appreciate the game a little bit more, knowing how much effort has been put into creating those sounds. Their efforts are often overlooked.
One day, we may even see a similar award at the iGaming industry’s most prestigious awards ceremonies being handed to online slot machines with the best score, just like the Grammys have for the best video game music. You never know.
Without the video game companies taking music seriously and employing our generation’s most talented composers and musicians, VGM wouldn’t be considered a serious art form in its own right. People have been forced to stand up and pay homage to the incredible music that’s being created. It’s about time they get the recognition they deserve.
What other video games feature amazing soundtracks?
The Elder Scrolls V – Skyrim video game featured music by composer Jeremy Soule. The most memorable tracks in this game include Dragonborn, Imperial Thorne, From Past to Present, Death or Sovngarde, and Secunda, to name a few.
Composer Motoi Sakuraba crafted iconic tracks, including Lord of Cinder, Gwyn, Ornstein & Smough, and Taurus Demon for the Dark Souls video game, and other famous composers who have made some of the best video game music are Manaka Kataoka for music in the Legend of Zelda: Breath of Wild Game, and Gustavo Santaolla for his contribution to the Last of Us video game.
That’s not forgetting Michiru Yamana, Yasunori Mitsuda, David Wise, Inon Zo, and Martin O’Donnell for their music, which has ended up in hit titles such as Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy 7, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Bioshock Infinite, Fallout: New Vegas, Mafia 3, and Persona 5, to name just a few games with amazing soundtracks.
Final thoughts
Now that VGM is a serious art form, it could take the gaming experience to a whole new level, and over the coming years, we will likely be treated to many more unforgettable soundtracks from well-known composers or from ones we haven’t even heard of yet.
The symphonic soundtracks we hear in the games are also commonly used in movie adaptations, which helps it reach an even broader audience across the globe. There is no doubt that video game music is here to stay, especially now it is officially recognised as a respected art form.
