Ok guys, I know my first article was nothing special, so I'm gonna try harder this time... I've decided to start anew... my last article had the planning and brainstorming of a Gamespy article (Ha! Eat that Citizen C for ignoring my pleas!!!). =) Naw, I don't have anything against GS... unlike many people around here... anyway... This time I'm gonna concentrate on what can be done to make game music better, and how things are really looking up.

Sit down and watch a movie. Watch Star Wars, or Gladiator, or the Matrix, or any number of other movies. They all have great music. Music in movies helps immerse you in the action, or drama, or even the comedy. Seriously, go download Barbarian Horde from the Gladiator soundtrack. It is one of the single most cool songs I have ever heard. Now imagine that against a background of Warcraft, or Diablo, or what have you. Wouldn't that rock?

Now, why isn't that kind of thing a part of the games we play daily? Simple. The musicians that do the soundtracks for games simply don't have enough resources. Look at Final Fantasy VII. It's music sounded like it was in MIDI format most of the time. Imagine what Nobuo Uematsu (sp?) could have done with a full orchestra! Now, John Williams gets his own orchestra for every movie he does. Well, then again, he kind of is the conductor of one… but anyway...just IMAGINE!!!

Hey, that reminds me... wouldn't it be cool if John Lennon did music for a game? That'd end up something like The Neverhood, which has one of the best soundtracks for a game IMHO.

Back to topic. What can game musicians do to improve their game soundtracks? Here's my foolproof guide:

1. Get Inspired
The absolute best way to write good music is to listen to good music. If you are writing a techno soundtrack, pop in the Crystal Method or Chemical Brothers. If you're doing big epic orchestral music, listen to movie soundtracks. If you're doing blues or country, get your inspiration from real blues or country. Get my drift?

2. Keep the game in mind
Don't get carried away and right up a huge symphony. This is still part of a game. Keep the game in mind. Keep the mood of it mind. Your job is to augment the mood and experience, not overtake it.

3. Use real instruments
If possible, use the real thing over the electronic alternative. It always sounds better, and you can do more with it. This is a given of course...

4. License Real Bands
Look at the success of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. If your game allows it, license real bands to do music for you. Another fine example is Quake. Getting Trent Reznor was a genius idea. First, people know who they are, allowing you to both p1mp your soundtrack and also to have the real deal, be it rock, techno, etc.

5. For God's Sake, If It's Gotta Be Techno, Make It Good Techno!
I've seen far too many games that rely on half-assed techno as their soundtrack. It sucks. If it's gotta be techno, make it good, like Unreal Tournament, or N2O (they licensed The Crystal Method to do the soundtrack for them... good stuff). Techno may be the easiest genre of music to slap together for a game, but believe me, you'll get panned if what you do slap together sucks...

Well, that's it for now. Go forth and make good music for your games!

On another note, go to www.modplug.com and get the Modplug Quickstart Kit. You too can make kick ass techno music! I'm learning to, and having a great time! And no, that wasn't a shameless plug. I have no affiliation with ModPlug.