By Dustin Perry
Published April 16th, 2022
Ask anyone who played the Playstation 2 game “Mx vs. Atv Untamed” the first thing that they can think about the game. I am willing to make a small wager that the answer would be “Face Down” by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. That game was released in 2007, and to this day it is still imprinted in people's memory. Now think about how often you hear a metal or rock song in video games released today. As someone who plays them almost daily, it’s progressively getting harder to play without a Spotify playlist (or a podcast about rock made by two misfits) in the background.
AMANDA THOMAS/GUITARIST MAGAZINE VIA GETTY IMAGES
Let’s go ahead and talk about one of the biggest mainstream games involving rock music. Yep, that's right, you can probably guess where this is going. The video game franchise of “Guitar Hero.” The first Guitar Hero game was released in the year 2005 by developer Harmonix. Just in case you have lived under a rock (dad joke achieved), Guitar Hero involves using a guitar-shaped controller to play along with rock/metal songs. After 5 years and 17 titles, the popularity of the franchise had died. With the new developer Activision ceasing production and development of the games. Many people have speculated why. Was it the repetitiveness? Was it the developers' focus on quantity instead of quality? Or was it people growing out of the genre or video games? No matter the cause this is one of a small selection of video games that focuses on rock music at its core.
Now think about what makes an intense moment, boss fight, or overall gameplay more immersive, one hell of a playlist. If I am seconds away from defeating a notoriously hard Dark Souls boss, fighting hordes of zombies, or using a comically super-powered car in a demolition derby I want engaging music. Technically speaking that music would come down to personal preference. But I would want a heavy guitar riff blasting while mowing down the undead endlessly. I mean hey there's nothing like a Chris Motionless Blegh. Some notable games with metal playlists include titles like Twisted Metal (Rob Zombie, Wolfmother), Killing Floor 2(Fit For a King, Impending Doom), Halo 2(Incubus, Breaking Benjamin), and Doom (an entire metal soundtrack Composed by Mick Gordon) just to name a few heavy hitters. Notice a trend in these games? Most of these games tend to be darker, more horror-themed games. Is this feeding into one of the many stereotypes associated with our community(potentially an interesting podcast topic)?
Now let's look at the music in most current mainstream games.
The top 5 most viewed games on Twitch in March 2022 were Fortnite at number five, Valorant at four, Grand Theft Auto 5 at three, League of legends at number 2, and taking the top spot was a game called Just Chatting. I have never heard of Just Chatting so I cannot speak on that game. But Grand Theft Auto 5 is a game I have played for almost 8 years( feels like an eternity) and they have an interesting music system. Their game implements a “radio” with a wide variety of genres and stations. The three stations associated with rock are Vinewood Boulevard Radio, Channel X, and Los Santos Rock Radio. They represent Modern Rock, Punk Rock, and Classic Rock but yet no Metal representation in the game. At this point, everyone has heard of Fortnite for better or worse. This game consistently features in-game live events and promos featuring artists like Travis Scott, Bruno Mars, and Arianna Grande. Once again not a single Metal band has yet to be involved with Fortnite. Modern gaming has evolved, leading to a downfall of metal in the gaming industry it appears.
We asked our amazing community on Facebook to let us hear some games with metal that left an imprint on them. Here is some of the feedback that was given. Games like Guitar Hero and Doom were a constant. Madden 2007 and 2008 got some love with bands featuring AFI, Sum41, In Flames, and KIllSwitch Engage. Wreckfest and Tony Hawk's American Wasteland were mentioned for having banger playlists. Smackdown Vs Raw 2006 and 2007 had songs from the incredible Three Days Grace. Throwing it way back to the people playing Slamscape and Carmageddon were jamming to songs by Fear Factory and God Lives Underwater. We here at The Musical Misfit appreciate every person who supports our content. We truly listen and love our fans.
In conclusion, we could sit and debate video games and music all day long. But I feel like the metal community needs more representation in the gaming world. More times than not I find myself playing with a custom playlist in the background. We as a whole entity have spent years building and developing an atmosphere that is loving and accepting. It just kind of stinks that something that has been a major part of my life isn't as accepting of our extended family.
Citations:
https://gta.fandom.com/wiki/Radio_Stations_in_GTA_V
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