Music in the world of online platforms
Music plays an important role in the world of online platforms. Carefully selected music adds to the entertainment of the the games on that platform, and it also helps to set the mood, making players feel as if they’re in a traditional playground. A strong soundtrack can really make a game feel as though it’s high-quality, giving the player the impression the developers have gone the extra mile in its creation so it is customary for an online casino in New Zealand to provide a soundtrack to their games.
Games that use pop music to good effect
As a music fan as well you might recognize some of the artists and tunes that appear in on the soundtrack of games. Or if you play a lot of games, you might even recognize certain songs or artists the next time you turn on the radio, simply because you played a game featuring them in the soundtrack. Here are some games that use pop music to good effect:
FIFA ‘08
The FIFA soccer series is one of those that keeps on giving. That goes for the music in them, too. Britpop band Blur’s “Song 2” is the title music for this one. That “woo-hoo” is iconic as the distorted guitars blast in. You can picture just jumping around while it’s playing, either in a poorly ventilated bar somewhere with friends or out in the soccer stadium terraces with fans. A highly entertaining track that really sets you up to play the game.
Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker
Perhaps games makers were ahead of their time and technology was too far behind when first trying to incorporate Michael Jackson related sounds into their games. All they could offer fans was a “Woo” from the King of Pop. Then along came the Moonwalker game on gaming consoles, which used the classic “Smooth Criminal” as its opening number when the game started. The music featured as Michael searched an abandoned nightclub to rescue orphans. It was in 1990, long before the controversies around Jackson himself.
Grand Theft Auto
The “Grand Theft Auto” series is well noted for its soundtracks. Their part of its charm and feature so much music that any track could be an anthem. That coupled with the fact that you never know quite what’s going to happen in games has really helped the GTA series become a firm gaming fan favorite. The original game set the trend by incorporating the Jan Hammer “Crockett’s Theme,” the standout track from the classic cop show “Miami Vice” into it. Even as you read this, you can no doubt hear the mellow instrumental playing in your head.
Saints Row: The Third
You don’t have to go far to find some mention of Kanye West in the media or elsewhere. Songs such as “Gold Digger” and “Stronger” have made the music star and former husband of socialite and businesswoman Kim Kardashian a major celebrity. Open-world game series “Saints Row” is another series that makes pop music such a major element of its games that you might want to tune into it as if it was the radio. “Saints Row: The Third” not only uses Kanye’s “Power” in its trailer for the game, but also during the game mission in which the player has to gatecrash a rooftop party. It’s a highly memorable moment, as is the tune.
Music is a major part of creating player engagement with a game, as it adds to the atmosphere of the game and enables the player to immerse themselves in the game. Other games that make good use of pop music include “The Beatles: Rock Band,” which features the music of the Fab Four; “Call of Duty: Black Ops,” which will delight any Rolling Stones fans with its incorporation of “Sympathy for the Devil” and “Alan Wake” which creates part of its engagement with the classic David Bowie track “Space Oddity.”
