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One of my favorite films, Swallowtail Butterfly, centered upon a
Tokyo group of free-loading urban urchins known as Yentowns. One
plot-driven night, the main characters come into possession of an
outwardly harmless tape recording of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.”
Unbeknownst to them, the real value of the cassette was a dual
layered code hidden within the tape, containing blueprints and
instructions on printing fake yen. Who knew such delicate
information would be placed inside not only an archaic format, but a
deliciously horrid song to boot? Talk about awful planning. I
wouldn’t have been surprised if the tape had been thrown away and
its secrets lost forever.
Putting aside the inevitable events which followed, most of which
involve lots of stolen yen and an angry yakuza, we are constantly
reminded of the recording “My Way,” and privileged (or coerced,
depending on your taste in music), to hear the tune several times. A
deliberate reference to the rogue, anti-establishment attitudes of
the Yentown folk, the song itself takes on its own identity through
the film, and brings a greater perspective on the entire plot. Not
to mention the song’s notoriety, which helped Western audiences
relate to and enjoy the film much more so than most modern Asian
films. And Swallowtail isn’t the only film to utilize major musical
influences. We’ve got a whole host of films which borrow from all
walks of music, classical, jazz, rock, pop, even national anthems.
Blending fiction with history, musical or otherwise, not only
introduces audiences to new, overlooked themes, but can also lend
credibility and intricacy to otherwise placid storylines.
Well crafted RPGs contain deeper storylines than film, more
interactivity and control, and a whole lot more music. Yet, there
hasn’t been a major release which contained anything but a
unique-albeit-inspired soundtrack. This isn’t to detract from the
great OSTs of our day. Kondo’s Zelda theme, Uematsu and a slew of
themes will forever echo in the ears of gaming history. But what’s
keeping gaming from using the same devices as film, and taking
famous, brilliant songs of our time and adapting them for the main
event? Sports games almost exploit the fact that mainstream artists
are featured, and for good reason. Most casual gamers would rather
play along to their favorite contemporary music than something
completely foreign. In my humble opinion, facets like this are the
reason games like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater sell more than, say, a
Grandia. Not only is Tony Hawk a name-brand, popular songs also
compliment the gameplay.
Now, this isn’t saying that any RPG can just throw in random
popular songs and turn a profit. There aren’t many popular songs
which would fit into a random battle with a giant foam monster. Song
selection has to fit the mood of a story, and reveal something
deeper about the characters or events at hand. The classical genre,
and perhaps jazz, are great places to start for traditional
hero-slay-evil games. I can name a slew of composers and specific
pieces which would make great battle themes. Chopin’s Fantasie
Impromptu, Mrvica Selections, even the Gypsy Kings. I easily imagine
a forest or Spanish style backdrop, monsters and knights fighting to
the guitars and flamenco of the Gypsy Kings, or a gothic castle,
complete with leather-clad fighters and the piano of Maksim Mrvica.
Classical music also has enough variety to provide town themes,
world map themes, even dramatic, story-charged pieces. And the game
could, just like sports games, tout the fact that the music is by a
Chopin, or a Bach or Liszt. Having their names on the cover would
appeal to the casual, educated gamer who knows who those composers
are. It adds a point to the game’s favor over others without known
composers. And honestly, most people who play RPGs are intrinsically
smarter and worldly than those who don’t, and thus would probably
know a major composer by name. So it’s a win-win situation for
everybody, an appeal to the musically-inclined geek in all of
us.
We’ve already got games like Metal Gear, Shadow Hearts, and Medal
of Honor which blend historical characters, events, and themes with
fiction, so why not complete the circle and add in some timeless
music as well? Who knows, it might be the perfect platform to launch
a new, inspired series, and inject some much-needed freshness in the
genre. |
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