Interview Fallout's Mark Morgan at Music 4 Games

[Jason]

Tags: Fallout

Codex approved Fallout/Fallout 2/PST soundtrack composer Mark Morgan answered a few questions over at <a href="http://www.music4games.net/Features_Display.aspx?id=337" target="blank">Music 4 Games</a>.
<br>
<blockquote>M4G: What would you like to hear more of from game soundtracks?
<br>

<br>
Mark Morgan: Maybe experiment in different ways with how music can be implemented to work in game-play and get away from the wall to wall music approach that seems to permeate not only games but film and television as well. The over-the-top orchestral thing is cool but I believe that sometimes producers are selling themselves and their game short by not being open to different modes of composing. In a lot of instances I feel a more emotional, ambient or minimal approach can really draw the player in by creating this totally immersive experience.</blockquote>
<br>
On that note, I'd like to nominate <a href="http://www.aidanbaker.org/" target="blank">Aidan Baker</a> as the next ambient game soundtrack wizkid. Somebody make it happen.
<br>
Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.bluesnews.com/">Blue's News</A>

 

[Lyric Suite]

The problem is that he is talking from the point of view of what games were like in his own generation. Today it seems to be the other way around: most companies try to go for a more subdued, not necessarily ambient but definitely non intrusive music tracks, which i suppose it's fine, but i kind of miss the days when music was as characteristic and instantly recognizable as everything else in the game, and that includes bombastic scores a la Total Annihilation.

 

[Morbus]

Wot? Modern games' musics are all about big epic shit. At least in RPGs, and in FPSs too. Look at them!

 

[St. Toxic]

kind of miss the days when music was as characteristic and instantly recognizable as everything else in the game

Ditto. Might as well turn it off and put something else on in the background, nowadays.

 

[Edward_R_Murrow]

kind of miss the days when music was as characteristic and instantly recognizable as everything else in the game

Ditto. Might as well turn it off and put something else on in the background, nowadays.

The one great thing about the Xbox 360 hardware; custom soundtracks without the ass-raping slowdown present in most PC games. Even Winamp slows just about any game down when in the background, much less some resource-hog like windows media player, real player, or such. But throw some electric jazz fusion, instrumental rock behind even a sloppy, buggy, poorly optimized piece of shit like Oblivion or Fallout 3 and there is no loss in performance, even on a 360.

Anyways, yeah, some variety would be nice. Most music sounds the same nowadays in games, just like most games control and play much the same. It's lame. I'm not asking for brilliant compositions, just interesting stuff that fits the mood or sounds unique. Like Ninja Gaiden, God Hand, F-Zero X, Arcanum, or Painkiller. It doesn't have to be stupendous, just not generic as can be.

 

[Kingston]

My theory: When you had Generic Windows MIDI sounds, the music had to be good. Now with fancy-pants equipment composers pay attention to the quality of the sound rather than the quality of the music.

 

[St. Toxic]

The one great thing about the Xbox 360 hardware; custom soundtracks without the ass-raping slowdown present in most PC games.

You should probably upgrade your processor. I have no problems playing HD movies in the background.

 

[catfood]

Even Winamp slows just about any game down when in the background, much less some resource-hog like windows media player, real player, or such.

That's why you should use a player which uses little resources such as http://www.foobar2000.org/. It also plays way more file types than Winamp or WMP.

 

[MetalCraze]

The one great thing about the Xbox 360 hardware; custom soundtracks without the ass-raping slowdown present in most PC games.

You should probably upgrade your processor. I have no problems playing HD movies in the background.

Or use foobar. Winamp, only fuglier - but it doesn't eat your CPU.

 

[Lyric Suite]

What version of winamp are you using? If it's anything above 2.91 you are a gigantic faggot.

 

[Wyrmlord]

The problem is that he is talking from the point of view of what games were like in his own generation. Today it seems to be the other way around: most companies try to go for a more subdued, not necessarily ambient but definitely non intrusive music tracks, which i suppose it's fine, but i kind of miss the days when music was as characteristic and instantly recognizable as everything else in the game, and that includes bombastic scores a la Total Annihilation.

Surely then you have not heard of a certain game called Oblivion where even a rat attack is commemorated by epic orchestra music. Which incidentally was composed by the Total Annhilation guy himself.

Fact is that the said composer is rather ubiquitious and also criticized for being too over the top, even when it does not fit the game.

 

[Gragt]

Or use foobar. Winamp, only fuglier - but it doesn't eat your CPU.

I'd replace "fuglier" by "sober" or "functionnal".

 

[User was nabbed fit]

True that. I like the look of foobar once you've configure it to your tastes (it's quite modular). And very accessible.

 

[Morbus]

What version of winamp are you using? If it's anything above 2.91 you are a gigantic faggot.

And if you think that Winamp 5 equals winamp 3 you are a gaylord.

touche

Winamp 5.5 eats up ram, sure, but it doesn't slow down anything, and has all the goodness of winamp 2. I have it constantly on, like ALWAYS, and play EVERY SINGLE GAME I OWN normally. Also, 2GB ram is more than enough for all of them, even with stuff like photoshop and shit running. Without any drop in fps...

 

[Gerrard]

Composer! Symphonic music for everyone!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4NeJ1ANgv4#t=7m45s

What version of winamp are you using? If it's anything above 2.91 you are a gigantic faggot.

Oh, that's kinda like with using anything above Windows 98.

 

[Hory]

It's a fact, 7 in 10 Codex elitists prefer foobar2000.

True that. I like the look of foobar once you've configure it to your tastes (it's quite modular). And very accessible.

I suggest a vertical playlist list. 3 rows of tabs are confusing.

 

[Gnidrologist]

Foobar is shit. And by shit i mean shit, not shit as in teh shit.
Latest versions of Winamp kicks the living shit out of every other shit player out there. It has all the functionality, a flawless interface and doesn't slow anything unless you have a shit rig from 19th century like LyricSuite, accordingly to his principles, appearantly does.

 

[Lyric Suite]

Surely then you have not heard of a certain game called Oblivion where even a rat attack is commemorated by epic orchestra music. Which incidentally was composed by the Total Annhilation guy himself.

Well, i never played Oblivion, and i *could* be mistaken, but it's been years since i've played a game where i even bothered to pay attention to the music. It's usually so bland that it fails to be intrusive no matter how loud it is. I don't think greater emphasis on ambient scores is going to solve the problem where the music is so unmemorable that it just sits in the background anyway.

 

[doctor_kaz]

Other than Mass Effect and Okami, I can't think of a soundtrack in a game in about the last two years that has really made an impression on me. They have gotten so damn generic now. Pretty much ever great soundtrack that is on my favorites list comes from a game that is more than four years old.

The over-the-top orchestral thing is cool but I believe that sometimes producers are selling themselves and their game short by not being open to different modes of composing.

Hear hear. Too bad Bethesda doesn't agree.

 

[Kane]

[...]and that includes bombastic scores a la Total Annihilation.

Do you know the name of that style/genre by chance? It elicits certain associations with 191x-industrialism for some reason.