GamerNode: Features - Custom video game soundtracks for your 360

Custom video game soundtracks for your 360

Category: Industry, Posted: 09/17/2007 at 02:39AM EDT by Tim Mellish, Contributor

Music is an essential part of any video game. It evokes emotion, sets the tone for the moment, and adds that extra layer of polish to an already amazing experience. Games like Final Fantasy (insert number here), Gears of War, BioShock, and Metal Gear Solid are just some of the titles where the music plays a vital role.

Fans of games can attest to how amazing some of their favorite scores are, and can probably pick out any scene within these games just by listening to the music. But then the Xbox 360 came along, with it's custom soundtrack feature built in so that any game could play whatever music the gamer desired.

While some in the industry like Marty O'Donnell from Bungie aren't too hip with the custom soundtrack option, one can't deny gamers are given a pretty cool opportunity to try out music with games they didn't think possible.

Like many gamers I have spent long nights with my iPod and Xbox 360, trying out various movie and game scores with different games trying to find those gems.

Games, when matched with a certain piece of musical score, just come to life like never before. Trust me when I say this, after playing the following games with new music, it's going to be hard to go back to the original experience.

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Posted by Coyotegrey on 09/17/2007 at 04:47AM

I hope to GOD that you don't use custom soundtracks on your initial playthroughs.
When you substitute your own soundtrack you more often than not lose a crucial element of the game that is the musical cues. These musical cues can enhance certain moods such as seclusion and/or a sudden sense of urgency. Without them, a substantial part of the narrative is no longer there and you, the user, feel like you are less a part of the actual experience than ever before.
Now custom soundtracks during multiplayer games and/or multiple playthroughs are ok in my book.
Just try and imagine listening to any other than the in-game music during critical plot elements in an MGS game such as when Sniperwolf dies. Think about that for awhile.

Posted by BahamutBBob on 09/17/2007 at 05:48PM

Using a custom soundtrack in Guitar Hero 2 would make that game a lot more challenging. Too bad it's not possible :(
Also, links to the trance podcasts you mentioned in Geometry Wars would be nice, I'm interested in that :P