After experiencing a fairly “brutal” drought of first party games over the past few years, Microsoft finally has one flagship game in 2023. Obtained from the purchase of Zenimax and hence, Bethesda, the game ended up being an action RPG based on space exploration – Starfield. While it didn’t end up getting many awards at the end of the year, it’s hard not to recognize that Starfield helped boost the sales value of Game Pass, which is now the core of Xbox’s business. For the big boss – Phil Spencer, the ambitions for this game were much bigger.

In a recent interview with one of the gaming media in Brazil, Phil Spencer said that Starfield is a successful project with at least 12 million gamers already enjoying it today. He admitted that one of Microsoft and Bethesda’s goals is to make Starfield end up as durable as Skyrim later, where the difference between the two is only a matter of fantasy world themes and space exploration. In the name of this ambition, Starfield will not only get an expansion called Shattered Space, but also mod tools to facilitate community creativity later, including the opportunity to mix their own content.

When Classical Music Becomes Exclusive

For ordinary people, classical music orchestra performances seem exclusive and expensive. This is because classical music does require accommodations such as buildings and adequate instruments to support its performances. It’s no wonder that the organizers of the performance need a large amount of sponsorship. Listening to the music requires knowledge of classical music itself. Unlike pop music which is easy listening. So many people like it. Even in Europe, classical music is not necessarily known by people from that country. In Austria, for example, classical music performances are still quiet.

Gaming continues to grow among people of all ages and backgrounds, becoming an $85 billion industry in the United States alone (in 2022) and estimated to reach $533 billion in revenue worldwide by 2027. I’m convinced. Research shows that gaming is on the rise across all demographics worldwide thanks to smartphones. Similar to Golden Age opera, the music, stories and emotional experience of playing video games in communities is a normalized global and cultural experience that increases appreciation for symphonic artistic expression.

Aaron Hardwick is an assistant professor of music and director of the university symphony orchestra at Wake Forest University. His research on game music shows that performances of video game music by American symphony orchestras provide new opportunities for listening, performing, and composing, and increase audience engagement with the symphony.

What role does music play in the gaming experience?

`Starfield` is the most anticipated game in recent history. An epic soundtrack that gave birth to a new generation of classical music fans. Music plays various roles in gaming. The sounds of the game come from the table games and slot machines found in the bar. Sounds are rewards that indicate a player’s victory (or defeat). Nowadays, game sounds tell players when they succeed, achieve something, or fail. Music and sound support the narrative and provide an emotional foundation for engaging gameplay. Music can also serve as a teaching tool, instructing its players to perform certain actions, proceed in a certain way, or avoid certain areas. These are just some of the features of game audio.

We’ve come a long way since the 8-bit days of Atari and Nintendo. Many games today are large (some have over 500 hours of gameplay), have deep stories, and complex characters that require complex music. These stories represent different histories and cultures. The creators want to ensure that cultures and societies are well represented. Games are inclusive by nature, and we strive to provide a safe space for all gamers to experience joy, discovery, and wonder while playing. To create and experience beautiful music, these three elements must also be fulfilled.