Vid game composers going for high scores
By Tamara Conniff
Oct 25, 2007

The video game is the new radio. Or is it the new CD? Or the new score soundtrack? Maybe it’s all of the above. Like radio, video games now serve as a way for artists to be discovered, and many acts are breaking thanks to song placements. Sales of games by far outshine CDs -- “Halo 3,” for example, made $170 million in sales its first day on the market.

And as far as scoring goes, some of the most innovative orchestral music is being produced for video games. Many such scores are now even being performed live by full orchestras to eager fans. Composing for games has come a long way since Pong.

Inon Zur, who’s done a slew of music for television and trailers, says he has “much more creative freedom” writing for video games -- mainly because of all the options, different endings and various levels of games. It’s never the same thing twice, and the music plays a large role in the emotional journey of winning or losing, he says. Zur, whose current projects include “Crysis” and “EverQuest II: Rise of Kunark,” has been scoring games for more than 10 years. He says that thanks to the advancements in memory capacity, full orchestral scores can be included.

The Hollywood Reporter
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