Music with your game??

PlainP

Hi all, just a quick question for all the gamers

I'm just wondering how many of you listen to music over the game you are playing??

For example when I'm playing Trials Evo I hate the crap cheesy rock music that is played so I stick on Tool, it works really well with the game.

Also

When I'm playing Skyrim Bon Iver is just amazing for wandering around the wilds of the world.

So gamers do you do this or do yiz just stick with the original soundtrack for the game?

Kiith

I used to when playing World of Warcraft or Eve, but most games now i just use the ingame music. Skyrim has fantastic music, and it would feel weird having anything else then the ost playing.

Dave_The_Sheep

Depends on the game.

Pro Evo, I'd always be playing music to get the blood pumping.
Civ 3 and 5 I'd be playing something vaguely relaxing, etc.

Other games though, like Space Marine, Supcom, Skyrim, Dawn of War have great music so I can happily listen to those...

Music is part of the Skyrim experience though, to use your example. Now when I listen to the soundtrack in work ... It reminds me so much of wandering around the wilderness or Whiterun, etc..

PlainP

I felt the same about Skyrim until I put on Bon Iver couldn't believe how well it worked with the game.

I think maybe because I've been playing Skyrim for so long now it was nice for a change.

Was trying to think of good music to play over Fez but I don't think the music in that could be replaced with anything else. I love the "synthy" jingles.

Sephiroth_dude

It depends on what game I'm playing bit I love listening to my ipod when playing men of war

TheDoc

I'm mostly listening to music or have a stream from twitch.tv on in the background.

I play games that dont require much audio , WoW, Diablo 3, Lol etc. I'm not listening to some story, i'm just going through gearing up, levelling up etc.

krudler

I dont ever really play other music, am a soundtrack nerd so like to hear the score for the game, play music the odd time playing Call Of Duty but depends on the game type, I mostly play on my headphones so like hearing all the different sounds from different directions, say what ya like about COD but the sound design (except Blops) is fantastic.

D

honestly depends on teh game and its music.

Atm for repeated play throughs of Diablo3 I have the audio book of a game or thrones playing.

v3ttel

Depends on the game really....usually no. Too much going on with the story that you'd miss out on.

For FIFA I'd either be chatting to someone, playing music, having the stream of some other game side by side.

I do it sometimes for CoD, but I know not being able to hear footsteps in MP is a big disadvantage.

It is quite enjoyable when you can listen to music blaring away for an hour while playing FIFA online. Not hearing the commentary, etc, isn't a disadvantage.

garysully1986

I usually always have a podcast on while Im playing or youtube videos.

Joe Rogan is awesome to listen to as well as Kevin Smith's Smodcast

J. Marston

Sports games, I might listen to music or sports radio. Any game with a bit of a story though and there's no music. Don't want to miss anything important to the story or ruin the atmosphere of the game.

ShadowHearth

With 2 monitors I don't have time for music.

I got game On one monitor and then family guy/south park/American dad/cleveland show/top gear/father ted on second monitor shuffle style .

But when I play single player games like witcher etc I always keep original music and sounds. A big immersion factor is good sound. Asuch as I dislike skyrim, it has a great music/sound for outdoors, which sets a nice atmosphere.

krudler

ShadowHearth wrote: »

With 2 monitors I don't have time for music.

I got game On one monitor and then family guy/south park/American dad/cleveland show/top gear/father ted on second monitor shuffle style .

But when I play single player games like witcher etc I always keep original music and sounds. A big immersion factor is good sound. Asuch as I dislike skyrim, it has a great music/sound for outdoors, which sets a nice atmosphere.

I read that in Jesse Ventura from Predator's voice.

AnCapaillMor

Wipeout HD with Richie Kavanagh beating in the background is hard to beat.

Oink

I only like early compositions by Colt, Magnum, and other Smith & Wesson.
Anything else kills the mood. For me anyway.

Odaise Gaelach

I enjoy listening to (It's Not War) Just The End of Love while hitting zombies with baseball bat in Left 4 Dead 2. For some reason.

deathrider

It completely depends on the game in question, in my opinion. I'm not going to stick on the stereo while playing Mass Effect, for example, because there is some much dialogue in it, so the game gets my full attention. Or Dead Sapce would be another one, because the game itself creates a great creepy atmosphere which would be ruined by listening to external music.

On the other hand if it's simply an action game, I'll happily stick on a few albums. I'd sit for hours trying to get my combos right in Mortal Kombat while listening to some Anthrax or ICP. The same for games that's I've played through before. If I'm simply belting through a second playthough on a harder difficulty, I usually don't need to involve myself in the story too much, as I've already done that on the first run, so bring on the music.

johnny_ultimate

In 98% of the games I have played, I'd consider it sacrilege. It's not the creators intention, and since a game's overall soundscape tends to be so much more than mere music, that would all get drowned out if I was listening to something else. Plus, the dynamism of game soundtracks is something that is under-appreciated - so subtle at times that you're not even meant to notice it. It's tailored to your experience, and just like a film score, is there for a reason. So many great soundtracks out there, too.

Then there's the 2%. 1% being the games that work with custom soundtracks (BeatHazard, Vib Ribbon etc...), which is nice, although I tend to find they're not really as dynamic as they could be. And the other 1% is the stuff with licensed soundtracks that don't particularly serve any purpose. There, I guess there's an argument for external music in that situation, although I'd almost prefer to just turn off the music in options and listen to the ambient sounds instead. Pity the foley artists whose work usually gets drowned out by licensed nonsense.

I've heard Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Episode II has an appalling soundtrack. Maybe I'd make an exception there.

deathrider

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

In 98% of the games I have played, I'd consider it sacrilege. It's not the creators intention, and since a game's overall soundscape tends to be so much more than mere music, that would all get drowned out if I was listening to something else. Plus, the dynamism of game soundtracks is something that is under-appreciated - so subtle at times that you're not even meant to notice it. It's tailored to your experience, and just like a film score, is there for a reason. So many great soundtracks out there, too.

Then there's the 2%. 1% being the games that work with custom soundtracks (BeatHazard, Vib Ribbon etc...), which is nice, although I tend to find they're not really as dynamic as they could be. And the other 1% is the stuff with licensed soundtracks that don't particularly serve any purpose. There, I guess there's an argument for external music in that situation, although I'd almost prefer to just turn off the music in options and listen to the ambient sounds instead. Pity the foley artists whose work usually gets drowned out by licensed nonsense.

I've heard Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Episode II has an appalling soundtrack. Maybe I'd make an exception there.

I often leave the sound effects on when I'm listening to music. That way I can still feel the power of the punches traded in Street Fighter, hear the cars screeching round corners in Need For Speed, or the shots ringing out in BulletStorm.

frozenfrozen

I always end up having to pause it to hear things and then I start playing a lot better so I leave it off. (FPS only player.)

MarkusBrady

I listen to podcasts when playing mediocre games or ones which I have played before. If it's something I care about I either listen to the game music or have BNL/Girl talk/bowling for soup on low in the background
Also recently the soundtracks from the Humble Indie Bundle and the orange box soundtrack

johnny_ultimate

Bowling for Soup! Nostalgia migraine! I can genuinely state I haven't thought about that band since 2005 or so (arguably with good cause).

nyarlothothep

I used to do it a lot. Remember playing Quake 2 and listening to the radio during the summer. Playing Morrowind in the summer of 2003, I listened to a cassette from 1986 of Queen, it had A Day at the Races and A Kind of Magic on it. Good times. Used to play NY Racer while listening to Phantom and if I recall correctly I probably put on some tunes whilst playing Baldur's Gate. I find that when you spend a lot of time on a game or the music is crap one likes to listen to one's own music.

Grayditch

Slayer.

34% Increase in online kills.

Nickco

Yeah mostly on xbox games or games you don't have to think much like fifa or wow, but I can't do it with games like skryim or Lol, sometimes on CoD I need some music on though, other times when I get serious the music doesn't help

JohnMarston

Being able to upload your own soundtrack into Gran Turismo 5 is a godsend, especially for the endurance races and if youre grinding repeat races for extra cash

Overheal

Music in Nuclear Dawn or TF2 can actually help improve your flow and rhythm and yes results in better scores. In SuperMNC the music is normally a cue to something important happening on the battlefield, so it's good to listen out for it. In other games, like Counter Strike, I wouldn't dream of having anything but deathly silence as I listen out for enemy footsteps and weaponsfire.

psugrue

JohnMarston wrote: »

Being able to upload your own soundtrack into Gran Turismo 5 is a godsend, especially for the endurance races and if youre grinding repeat races for extra cash

wait wait....you can actually do this.....well sh*t! cant believe i never knew before

JohnMarston

psugrue wrote: »

wait wait....you can actually do this.....well sh*t! cant believe i never knew before

Yes indeed, i cant remember exactly where the option is but its there