Games and the Music
Industry
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In Japan, video game soundtracks are doing a great business. |
Yeah, now there's an ironic twist - the United States is now trying to catch up to the pop culture of Japan! They've definitely led the way, but I expect you'll see the trend expand throughout Europe and America in coming years. |
What do think about the current round of movie soundtracks? |
This may not be a popular answer, but I'll tell you anyway. I love "score" soundtracks and don't generally care for "clump of tunes" soundtracks [from films]. Although there have been a handful of great songs from compilation soundtracks over the years, I personally prefer getting lost in a great score and letting it take me away on a great musical adventure… Some of my favorite film scores are The Fugitive, Braveheart, Star Wars, Con Air, Undiscovered Country, parts of Titanic, and Jurassic Park. |
Some game publishers have started to license top 40 hits for games from bands like Chumbawumba and Blur for use in their games. Do you think this is the beginning of a larger trend? |
Definitely. And for certain kinds of games, this is a great combination. For example, I am working to pull that off with our upcoming Navy SEALs game. However, I can't drop any hints about who I'm trying to get yet. Stay tuned… |
Tell me about your campaign to create a new Grammy category for "Best Original Music Soundtrack from an Interactive Game." |
A year ago I approached NARAS (The National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences) the official governing body for the Grammy Awards, with a proposal to consider this new Grammy category. Apparently a handful of proposals had been submitted before, but this is the first time it was taken seriously. My proposal consisted of two items: 1) A 40 page document offering a detailed background of the genre, and demonstrating ways in which game music is significantly different from music currently recognized by the Grammys. 2) A demonstration CD containing 18 different cuts of game music from throughout the industry. I wanted them to hear just how good game music can be. I included cuts from such games as Babylon 5, Interstate '76, SWAT 2, Outlaws, Quake, Gabriel Knight 2, Command and Conquer, and (of course), Quest for Glory V: Dragon Fire. After this formal proposal was submitted, NARAS decided to take a closer look. The initial review panel acknowledged that the proposal was worthy of higher consideration and sent it up to the Board of Trustees. The Trustees determined that they didn't know enough about the gaming genre to administer a Grammy category, or to judge it fairly. Their action was to set up a committee to spend time evaluating the genre. They're also planning a symposium for gaming and recording to take place in San Francisco later this year. Many of the top computer entertainment publishers should be sending representatives. I'm especially pleased to have been invited by NARAS to participate on the committee and at the symposium. I think it's well on its way. |
If everything goes well, when is the first time we can expect to see an award handed out in the "Best Score from an Interactive Game" awarded? |
The earliest the category can be adopted would be for the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards. Incidentally, these will be awarded in March of 2000. Hopefully, the millennial spirit of technology, progress, and change will carry over and speed the adoption of this new category [Grin]. We can always hope for the best. |
Do you think the reason NARAS hasn't been more receptive to this new category when it's been suggested before is due to some differences in generation? It took rap years to become recognized, and a category for dance and remix albums was just added this year. |
Many people's idea of the music being made for games comes from what our industry was doing 10 or 15 years ago. It's been a slow process to educate the people in the music industry at large that the music and sound in today's games are more than Donkey Kong-style beeps. The (NARAS) leadership is becoming aware. Next comes the most difficult step in the process of creating a category for interactive games. That will be determining how to fairly judge and award the game music Grammy, based upon a standard set of criteria. That may take some discussion...
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| Introduction | ||
| Page 1 | Professional Background | |
| Page 2 | The State of Computer Game Soundtracks | |
| Page 3 | The Making of the Quest for Glory V Soundtrack | |
| Page 4 | Technical Info | |
| Page 5 | Future Plans
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| Interviews | Design | Heroes | Macintosh | Timeline
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