SPOnG: "Award-winning composer Richard Jacques has lamented the continued support by developers and hardware manufacturers to offer an option to switch off the music in computer games."
Ha ha ha ha ha, are you kidding me?? Are you seriously supporting taking away an OPTION from gamers? Let me guess, its because this is kinda painting MS in a bad light that you feel it is worthy of support, am I warm? Don't be ridiculous, since when has having an option to listen to whatever music YOU WANT while you play a game been a bad thing?? If you agree with this guy then I suggest you buy a console that removes features or doesn't have any...maybe a NES?
Yeah, I agree, we should have the option. That really isn't for a composer to decide I'm afraid.
I mostly listen to my own music while playing games anyway so if more games supported it I'd be a happy guy because it means I can hear the game sound effects and my own music for the optimal experience.
I listen to the game's soundtrack in my first completion of a game on single player but anything beyond that (ie. multiplayer or other playthrough) I just listen to my own music.
For example I was playing Bayonetta and could stand the music in the game BUT thankfully I had the option to put on some Lupe Fiasco and it was a great experiance.
Some games are worth lplaying with the orignal sound tracks Zelda,Halo,God of War but some are not Motor Storm (Dont like Rock)Gears, Fall Out.
Come on, the guy's only saying that the feature isn't right for certain games, which I agree with. Playing a videogame is a way of submersing yourself into another world & the soundtrack is an integral part of that. I think what Richard has said is being perceived incorrectly. Who REALLY wants to play a game like Bioshock through first time with their own music playing?
Has Mcrosoft downgraded the X360 since it's release? Actually, each and every firmware has been an update and the Slim is another upgrade so... I don't know what you're talking about.
Ignore him....Sony fantroll is delusional, and obviously confusing the 360 with his beloved PS3. EVERYONE knows that SONY is the one that's continually downgraded the PS3 since launch, to cut costs, in an attempt to stop the bleeding. ;)
How can you not see the validity in galgor's comment?
Some games deserve to be played without any outside influence and in their pure form.
I'm not saying take away the feature because I don't like lack of choice, but it's definitely not needed for certain games.
Just like how cross-game chat, invite or party chat is not needed for me to have an amazing experience. It would be a nice addition, but I'm not clawing Sony to include it with the PS3 or its games. I'm sure galgor doesn't mind either.
Poul The only console I know of that continues to downgrade is the ps3. Just go compare the launch to the ps3 of today. You may be shocked in how sony raped the hell out of the ps3 to try and stay relivant. Lol not only that ps3 was the last console out and had the first price cut! And a completely new branding with the smaller ps3.
i think this is the best thing about xbox360. i wish all games on ps3 had this function. although i wouldnt use it for all games especially on first play through it would be a welcome OPTION nonetheless.
Same here , i'd rather enjoy a great soundtrack made for the game than to change it .
Fighting game, sport games and also racing games ... As for the rest , the music is part of the "mood" and i'd rather have the devs working to get it right rather than dismiss it
killzone 2 for example did it right in allowing customs soundtrack online for Online play ..
He is correct but i still like the feature. I only use custom soundtracks for racing games and nothing else. Just completed Reach and Enslaved and i could not ever imaging myself playing the game with anything other than the ingame music associated with the games.
These devs put a lot of time into the music which makes the atmophere more real to me. Unless it's a sports game, I usually never listen to my own music. I love in game music. I do wish Fallout had a "radio channel" in which I could listen to my own tunes though. It could still have commercials but I would drop my classics into it, so I could be able to listen to more than 20 songs. I loved that in GTA, just listening to my own CDs, iPod, cassette tapes(Vice City and San Andreas)
Would be great to only allow your soundtracks after beating a game.
edit: How I miss the rallisport 3 days playing my custom music. Great feature to have but also a way to kill an experience. What I really have always wanted is to allow the host or listen to other peoples music in game on my 360.
I almost never use custom soundtracks but when I'm playing Forza 3 its good to know I can do it to music that I want. Same goes for Hawx and Halo Reach multiplayer
It depends on the game really. Something cinematic where the music plays a big part, I could never justify changing the music to something else; the music is part of the game. But say I'm playing a multiplayer game where I'm going around firing guns at strangers online, why not use my own music?
I agree. Some games benefit from a bigger jukebox, particularly racing, fighting and shooting games. But most games really suffer when the music is removed. And it's a tragedy; So much amazing work unappreciated.
This is stupid, it is entirely a persons choice to use it and the fact that you can use custom soundtracks whenever is great. I guess I have mainly only used it for racing games though since he does make the good point of removing the score from something that is part of it. It's just the fact hes criticizing it as ridiculous seems stupid to me. No ones forcing the gamer to play his own music over the games own soundtrack.
I use the feature almost everyday as I jump into an online match of a game. However, when I'm playing campaign, I like it better off, with the exception of forza and gta.
Options are good, the last thing I want to hear when playing Forza 3 is some stupid rap. I have a ton of custom soundtracks ready to go depending on the game. I've been doing custom tracks since the original Xbox and I don't plan on stopping now.
Now in games like Halo or Gears of course I don't use a custom track because the music is epic already.
Simply put, gamers should always have that option.
There is a time when the soundtrack no longer immerses you. When your mind filters it out as you focus on a platforming section or perhaps your next boss fight.
Everyone is different. Having that option caters to everyone. Listen to it if you want. Don't listen if you don't want to. Seems simple enough to me.
I understand the directors intent in creating films in letterbox but every TV I know of now has the ability to change format size on HDTV's. On some movies there is a thing called pan and scan which was created to fill the entire 4:3 aspect ratio of older TV's. I myself enjoy watching movies in their original format but some don't and I honestly don't care if someone doesn't like the 'black bars'.
The same can be said for playing games. Some people might be more connected with the game listening to their own music. Sure a game like The Last Guardian will be better for me with the original soundtrack but I hate some sports games and racing game music. In fact I turn the music off in racing because I love the sound of the engines and the other sound effects. I still like having the choice though.
Consumers should have options available to them, features should not be mandated. If the soundtrack is really good enough then I think most people will listen to it anyways.
I'm sure he wants u to play the game using the inge music as part of the total experience. If in game character couldnt fly would u want to be able to fly if u had the option? He's trying to make that analogy between in game music and todays "coolest, and hip iTunes music". If it's that important too u then put ur ear piece in an listen to whatever u please. Not to mention my kids like watching me play games I'm sure greatest hit of the 80's doesn't paint the same picture as fallout or bioshock etc..,
Because people have the right to play whatever they want in the way they want? It's not the ideal experience, but fuck off for it is our personal choice.
screw that. if I want to shut the sound off during a game let me, if I want to shut the screen off im going to do it. I could care less about your artistic expression. same thing could be said about Sony trying to stifle hackers.
I like having the option to listen to custom music when playing a game, screw this guy. Sometimes I actually feel like I'm playing better when I have my own music on.
Good call Richard Jacques.
He is correct but i still like the feature. I only use custom soundtracks for racing games and nothing else. Just completed Reach and Enslaved and i could not ever imaging myself playing the game with anything other than the ingame music associated with the games.
I almost never use custom soundtracks but when I'm playing Forza 3 its good to know I can do it to music that I want. Same goes for Hawx and Halo Reach multiplayer
It depends on the game really. Something cinematic where the music plays a big part, I could never justify changing the music to something else; the music is part of the game. But say I'm playing a multiplayer game where I'm going around firing guns at strangers online, why not use my own music?
Regardless of how he feels , that's not his problem .. even without the custom option , people could just turn off bgms