Key Of Grey

Photo courtesy of Mike Schmid

September 6th, 2009 – Today I was playing Little Big Planet, a whimsical little game for the PS3. Aside from the ridiculously cute characters, the music is the most important part of the game. It’s so integral to the game play itself, that it completely dictates its pacing.

But what I really noticed today was the music playing in the background of the menus. It’s fantastic and represents the game perfectly. Unfortunately, this is not always the case in video games. Many gamers blow through the menus on their way to playing the game, so I guess that developers don’t always spend the most time with the music there.

I, however, feel that it’s very important to the overall experience. For an exaggerated idea of why this is important, try leaving the game sitting on a menu screen and go do something else with the music in the background. With most games, it grates on you, making you want to turn the game off. With Little Big Planet, it draws you in and makes you want to go back to playing.

I actually don’t like the game that much, but I like the music. I wish more game developers spent the time developing the musical experience throughout their whole game, and not just during exciting parts. With all the indie game developers coming out with games with great music, it’s time for the big game companies to catch up.