Over the years, video game music has significantly grown in popularity.  The sheer amount of remixes and covers on the Internet can easily attest for this.  A unique culture has grown up around the music of video games, fostering creatively and enabling us to hear our favorite catchy tunes in a different light.  The musicians and fans are as diverse as the music that they remix and listen to. 

One of the most expansive and devoted remix communities on the web is Overclocked Remix, which can be found at ocremix.org.  Since being founded in 1999, Overclocked has been an organization dedicated to promoting video game music as an art form¹.  The catalog of remixes and video game beats is extensive and covers the music found in games on nearly every system.  Like video game music itself, the music contained on the site spans most genres and tastes.  Here’s a great example:

 

[embed:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-fu5gk-Okw ]

 

 

Another great remixing community is Dwelling of Duels.  Dwelling of Duels holds competitions based around the covers of video game tunes featuring live instruments instead of software².  Every month a different theme is selected that the entries must follow.  Winners are selected by the community of the website.

Video game music has even spawned some hilarious parodies.  For example, Youtube user brentalfloss has a growing collection of parodies that add lyrics to popular video game theme music and level music.

 

[embed:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=615PWcBIH0U ]

 

 

There are even bands that regularly cover video game music and spruce up the old tunes by adding live instruments instead of synthesizers and occasionally implementing the music in different genres.  The band The Minibosses plays covers ranging from Metroid to Contra to Ninja Gaiden.  Another example is The Black Mages, a band featuring famed Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu, takes Final Fantasy songs both old and new and transfers them to a rock setting.

 

[embed:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuxfQjJ-3DM ]

 

 

 

Jazz can be found in the world of video game music as well.  A full episode of The Sound Test, a podcast hosted by Ray Barnholt dedicated to video game music, was even dedicated to jazz renditions of game tunes, from Phoenix Wright to SimCity.

 

[embed:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irzePebOMiM ]

 

 

Music in video games has been sampled in hip-hop.  Artists ranging from YtCracker to Random sample tracks from video games like Mega Man 3³.  A genre of hip-hop has even been formed around sampling gaming tracks called Nerdcore.

As far as orchestral work goes, that is covered by the fanbase of video game music as well.  Video Games Live takes popular video games songs and transforms them into a live concert experience complete with a full orchestra.

With all of the content presented here, it’s easy to see that the fanbase of video game music is as varied and colorful as the music itself.

 

Video games have also dipped their hands into the vast well of licensed music, especially with music games.  As far as the music industry goes, video games have been a boon to music sales.  Songs by older bands like KISS and Aerosmith have seen a boost in sales due to music games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band⁴.  Some songs included in the game have seen a sales boost as large as 843 percent.  In fact, the Guitar Hero that focused on the music of Aerosmith sold better than the band’s last album, Honkin’ on Bobo.  Although the sales of music video games have begun to wane in recent years, the video game platform continues to be a viable way to sell music.  The inclusion of real instruments and keyboards for the next Rock Band may even boost sales even further as interaction with music continues to become more immersive.  

 

Next Up:  Sound and Immersion 

Works Cited

1. "About Us – OCRWiki – OverClocked ReMix."OverClocked ReMix. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov 2010. <http://ocremix.org/info/About_Us>.

2. "Rules." Dwelling of Duels. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov 2010. <http://dwellingofduels.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=54&Itemid=63>.

3. "Top 10 Hip-Hop Songs that Sampled a Video Game." examiner.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov 2010. <http://www.examiner.com/video-game-in-national/top-10-hip-hop-songs-that-sampled-a-video-game>.

4. Peckham, Matt. "Music Sales Rejuvenated by Rock Band, Guitar Hero." PC World. N.p., 22 Dec 2008. Web. 26 Nov 2010. <http://www.pcworld.com/article/155870/music_sales_rejuvenated_by_rock_band_guitar_hero.html>.

Images Cited

Dodd, Sandra. "Sandra Dodd's Collection of Links and Articles ." Benefits of Video Games. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov 2010. <http://sandradodd.com/videogames/>.

Videos Cited

"Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Objection! (Metamorphosis Jazz Band)." youtube.com. Web. 26 Nov 2010. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irzePebOMiM>.

"Red XIII Redux ~ Final Fantasy VII (OC Remix)."youtube.com. Web. 26 Nov 2010. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-fu5gk-Okw>.

"The Minibosses – Mega Man 2." youtube.com. Web. 26 Nov 2010. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuxfQjJ-3DM>.

"The Truth about Toad." youtube.com. Web. 26 Nov 2010. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=615PWcBIH0U>.