Music and gaming are inseparable. Music helps video game brands reach a wider audience. On the other hand, those soundtracks become popular, thus promoting the voices behind them. It’s a mutual relationship which has taken the industry to new heights. It’s no longer about the graphics and sound that accompany games. But music also plays a critical role when it comes to determining how well a game will perform among its targeted audience.
It’s not a surprise that games and music walk hand in hand today. This is far from what used to happen decades ago when audio or sounds were only used to illustrate certain actions. Let’s take the example of the first, commercially-available computer game called Pong. This 1950s game featured 2 bats represented as rectangles and a ball. It was a tennis game where a bleep sound would be used every time the ball hit the bat. Even though this game was quite basic in form, it still managed to catch the attention of players across the globe.
Then in 1972, they released the first game console in the US which was known as the Magnavox Odyssey. But this machine was silent when playing games. This went on until Atari came up with their Atari Video Computer System 5 years later. This system proved that sound really mattered in gaming. However, these were still considered very basic sound effects in gaming.
The beginning of music in the gaming industry
What followed after the 1977 period was a sound revolution in the gaming industry. A basic arcade game known as Space Invaders was introduced, and it arrived with a menacing tune which would put fear in players. This music grew more frantic even as invaders came close to achieving their target while the player kept fighting them away.
This was the first time that music was being used in gaming to help players immerse themselves into the game which they were playing. And the reason why Space Invaders was so powerful was because it was the first arcade game where the concept of audiovisual was used to pump more adrenaline in players.
First-forward to several years later
Games became sophisticated because sound tracks were being added to accompany them officially. Throughout the period, games such as Donkey Kong, Tetris, and Pacman all featured unique sound tracks which were played through unique low-tech processors.
This was an important phase in the gaming industry since it was the first time that composers such as Shigeru Myamoto were being recognized for their sound track which graced the Zelda series of games.
Then in 1989, MJ recognized the potential that games had on music promotion. He released his popular title called Moonwalk which featured synthesized versions by Beat It and Belly Jean. This creation was to pave way for artists who had contributed in video game development at the time.
The use of music is still critical when it comes to marketing online games regardless of whether these games are being played for free or for real money. The gamification of casino games is further pushing this agenda forward, which is why some veteran land-based casino players from the US, Canada, and the UK now prefer to play online too. If you live in Canada, you will find that the best online casino games available for Canadian gamers are no different from those available for the US or global gamers in general. No doubt, music has managed to do a good job in promoting games of all genres.
