Music for the masses

One of the least appreciated aspects of game development is audio. Although it can be just as important as graphics and storyline when it comes to establishing atmosphere, sound effects and music are generally overlooked. In fact, you're most likely to notice sound in a game when it's done badly. Enter Music4Games, a new website dedicated to computer game music and audio design.

Features so far include an interview with Tony Moss from the British record label and nightclub Ministry of Sound, a review of the soundtrack from PlayStation game "Medal of Honor Underground", and a feature on music in Sega Dreamcast games. The heart of the site though is a directory of musicians and audio designers which is intended "to become a Who's Who of the game music sector". Obviously as the site has only just opened this week it's likely to be a little thin on the ground at the moment, but if you are a developer looking to out-source the audio side of your game it's well worth a look, and if you're a musician yourself you might want to get yourself listed.