BBC talks to composer about the challenges of writing game music

James Hannigan, music composer for the Harry Potter games and Red Alert 3, spoke with the BBC about the challenges of writing game music. He explains that games often require him to write music for scenes he hasn't seen -- the complete opposite of what happens in film and television.

An interesting observation involves the differences between composing for third- and first-person games. Hannigan points out that more prominent music could "conflict" with the player's sense of immersion in a first-person game, often prompting more understated approaches compared to third-person adventures. He also appreciates gaming's influence on getting younger fans hooked on classical music, which becomes "acceptable and reasonably fashionable to people because it comes from their favorite games."

With shows like Video Games Live getting more attention, it's always interesting to gain some insight into an aspect of games that too often goes uncelebrated.