We discussed in class how the limitation of hardware dictated what sounds could be created, thus shaping the music. In the case of the Atari 2600, some pitches were not even in tune. In the modern era, technology has advanced to the point where masterpieces using full orchestras can be included in video games. One use of the modern level of sound fidelity is Baba Yetu, used in Civilization IV, as was mentioned last class. Even if the status of video games as art is debatable, music is certainly an established art form. The music in video games can be quite influential in establishing the mood of a game, so why not have a dedicated Grammy award category for it? There is not one yet, simply a category for “Score Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media,” a rather long and non-specific category. This article argues that one of the reasons that video games should not be lumped into this category with film and TV is that many more games with decent soundtracks are released yearly than TV shows or movies. Additionally, this will help to legitimize video games as an artistic medium, by putting them on equal footing with film as opposed to just an element of a catch-all category, a mere footnote.
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