Music in Games

[Rathands]

I got into an argument on Youtube with someone over the value of game music. Specifically we were discussing an orchestra rendition of a collection of Mario tunes and I've basically been told I'm an idiot because I believe that they are as much actual music as any of the classics since even 8-bit tunes have to be composed by someone.
I just thought they came across as a bit of a snob and rather dismissive of the hard work people put into the media. I reason even Mozart, if he were alive today, would likely be working in the film or game industry, as it seems to encourage original works. Or he might be a rocket scientist - probably sick of that bloody piano by now.
Anyway, this is just my opinion but I wondered if other people felt the same or agree with the alternative view point. Escapist, your thoughts?

 

[Johnnyallstar]

Music is music. The medium they either do, or do not accompany doesn't depreciate the merit of the fact that is is music.

 

[WorldCritic]

Music is music. The medium they either do, or do not accompany doesn't depreciate the merit of the fact that is is music.

Pretty much this. Nothing else to say.

 

[burningdragoon]

Not only is it obviously legitimate music, but there are also plenty (at least more than 0) well known composers who have made music for a number of things, including games. Harry Gregson-Williams comes to mind. He did the music for Metal Gear Solid 3 and 4 (maybe 2 and 1, i dunno) as well as a number movies.

 

[Valagetti]

Look at Portal 2. When you get closer to solving the puzzle, the music adds on. Yes it is very important.

 

[Tupolev]

Sometimes people attack video games' status as an artistic medium on the grounds that gameplay design is not an artistic process, typically explaining this using some level of reasoning on how gameplay design differs from other sorts of expressive design. I can understand these arguments, even if I tend to disagree with them, having experienced things very much contradictory to their claims.

However, attacking the artistic merit of either games or things within games that belong to a more specific artistic medium (which is accepted by that person as artistic) on the grounds that those things themselves do not have artistic qualities due to having been implimented into, or built for, games? Now that just seems silly. I'd love to see the actual argument for it, but maybe not.

 

[nukethetuna]

As someone who has spent most of his free time in life enjoying video game music to me, I would personally place it as far more important than any other kind.

And I know well enough that there are people that feel that way about any other kind of music you can think of.

Anyone that can dismiss another form of music isn't being particularly fair. :/