Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What is the unofficial soundtrack to your favorite MMO?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/18/the-daily-grind-what-is-the-unofficial-soundtrack-to-your-favor/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/18/the-daily-grind-what-is-the-unofficial-soundtrack-to-your-favor/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/18/the-daily-grind-what-is-the-unofficial-soundtrack-to-your-favor/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Testament
Official soundtracks are great; don't get me wrong. But sometimes I like to just throw on some of my own music to better mimic my mood at the time of playing. There are still albums from the late '80s that remind me of Wasteland or Pool of Radiance every time I listen to them -- almost 25 years later!

As talented as our favorite game theme composers are, we don't always want to listen to the default soundtrack every time. So what gets you through your game of choice? Do you enjoy some metal? Classical? Country? Oldies? Dubstep... or whatever the kids listen to these days? Let us know!

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: What is the unofficial soundtrack to your favorite MMO? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 May 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>daily-grindmusicopinionsoundtrackstdgtestamentthe-daily-grindthemeFri, 18 May 2012 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Road to Mordor: Soundtrack bonanza!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/08/the-road-to-mordor-soundtrack-bonanza/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/08/the-road-to-mordor-soundtrack-bonanza/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/08/the-road-to-mordor-soundtrack-bonanza/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

One of the probably-not-very-interesting things about me is that I'm somewhat of a video game soundtrack aficionado. Ever since MP3s became all the rage, I've been collecting my favorite tunes from console and computer games, often replacing the in-game score with my own personal soundtrack.

MMO soundtracks, as a whole, are hit or miss with me. While there are many incredible pieces out there, a bulk of what you find is low-key atmospheric stuff that isn't meant to be on anyone's Top 40 playlist. Lord of the Rings Online has its up and downs as a soundtrack, but overall it really does evoke the spirit of Middle-earth. It's hard to imagine playing the game, especially the early levels, without hearing these tracks.

I've collected both the soundtracks to Shadows of Angmar and Mines of Moria and have been saving them for a special occasion. Today is that special occasion. These were composed by Chance Thomas (who's scored many Lord of the Rings-related games) and Stephen DiGregorio. Ranging from bombastic to sinister to folksy, this score covers the gamut of themes and emotions related to the journey of the Ring. It's cool to listen to it independently of the game, as you can appreciate the score for what it is -- and see how the pieces evoke memories of your times in LotRO.

Instead of individually reviewing all 40 or so tracks, I'm simply going to pick my 10 most favorite to share with you!

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Soundtrack bonanza!

MassivelyThe Road to Mordor: Soundtrack bonanza! originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 08 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chance-thomasdrums-in-the-deepelvesfeaturedhobitslord-of-the-rings-onlinelothlorienlotromines-of-moriamoriamusicostrivendellscoreshadows-of-angmarshiresoundtracksoundtracksstephen-digregoriothe-hobbitthe-road-to-mordorthorinthorin-oakenshieldtom-bombadiltop-10tracksFri, 08 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: The soundtrack to your virtual life]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/26/the-daily-grind-the-soundtrack-to-your-virtual-life/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/26/the-daily-grind-the-soundtrack-to-your-virtual-life/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/26/the-daily-grind-the-soundtrack-to-your-virtual-life/#commentsFiled under:


I can't work without background noise and one of the great things about working from home is that I get to decide what that is. I devour boxsets and films and have endless playlists on iTunes. Recently though I've started listening to music while I play MMOs. You'd think the in-game soundtrack would suffice but I find if I'm doing something like grinding I need specific tracks. I've started listening to music while raiding which is often difficult as I'm also on voice chat talking tactics at the same time. However the music does help, especially when it comes to timed or phase encounters.

I'm curious, readers, do you have playlists for raids? What about grinding? Do you find music helps you get through the more boring bits of your game of choice? On the other hand, do you think in-game music is perfect? Do you find yourself listening to other game soundtracks?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: The soundtrack to your virtual life originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 26 May 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>background-noisemusicsoundtracksoundtracksthe-daily-grindTue, 26 May 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: The silence is deafening]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/06/the-daily-grind-the-silence-is-deafening/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/06/the-daily-grind-the-silence-is-deafening/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/06/the-daily-grind-the-silence-is-deafening/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Sometimes I think my life has a soundtrack. Heavens knows I keep my music on nearly all the time in one form or another. Endlessly cycling through songs on my desktop, my mp3 player with me when I'm not near my computer. Even my crackberry has song clips as ring tones rather than just regular ring tones. So the idea of doing anything without music makes me twitchy.

As mentioned in Yesterday on Massively, I spent quite a bit of time in EVE last night. While zipping around, it dawned on me that EVE is probably one of the few games that I actually listen to the in-game soundtrack on. Now this isn't to downplay the excellent soundtracks of games like World of Warcraft and the like. But I'll be honest -- I've gotten sick of WoW's music as I've heard nearly all of it by now -- myriad times. As such today's question is: what in-game music has been something you've just gone bonkers for, and you will actually keep your music off for? Are there any such games? If not, what kind of music would you like to hear as a game soundtrack? For that matter, what kinds of things do you listen to if it's not the in-game music?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: The silence is deafening originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Dec 2007 08:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardccpeve-onlinefeaturedin-game-soundtrackmp3musicsoundtracksworld-of-warcraftwowThu, 06 Dec 2007 08:07:00 EST