A wonderful, cutting-edge celebration of video games and their music
Video game music has come a long way since 10-second loops of a couple of chiptune beeps-and-boops. Now, these scores are rich and diverse: they pluck at the heartstrings, build momentum, and enhance immersion. The Sound of Gaming spotlights this artistry, with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra presenting music ranging from Tetris to Call of Duty. Simultaneously live across three spaces – the physical performance, a broadcast on BBC Radio 3, and an Extended Reality (XR) online experience – the result feels like a glimpse into the future, whilst remaining thoroughly entertaining in the present.
The music itself has been lovingly selected, thriving on contrast: the serene beauty of Ori and the Will of the Wisps shifts seamlessly into Fortnite’s zany fun. Although I expected music of my favourite video games to resonate most, actually the most compelling pieces were from unfamiliar franchises: God of War’s haunting singing and swelling orchestra filled my living room, and Dear Esther’s tentative start built to a wonderfully exciting crescendo.
The performance’s Extended Reality (XR) element is rough around the edges, but possessed of a unique charm. Fifteen minutes before curtain-up, you enter a museum-like virtual space populated with other audience members, and soundbites from members of the orchesta discussing their favourite video games. Avatars move around using traditional PC game controls – WASD keys and a mouse – and there is an action-oriented room where participants fly around collecting coins.
As the performance kicks off, the crisp, powerful sound you expect from the BBC permeates throughout the space. So, whilst most people head to the Theatre (wide-screen view of the orchestra) or the Courtyard (three screens spotlighting different elements of the performance), some continue their coin-collecting with an exquisite soundtrack. There’s also a motion-captured avatar of conductor EÍmeer Noone in the Foyer, beside an information board describing which game each song has been taken from.
The Courtyard quickly becomes my favourite spot: perched atop a cube, surrounded by screens, I join fellow avatar ‘Veggie’ in conducting and dancing. This virtual staging imbues the performance with a surprisingly sociable feel, as I swivel the camera to look between different parts of the orchestra ad catch glimpses of my fellow avatars. Periodically, I nip off to see what’s happening in the other rooms – all the while accompanied by the superb music – but keep returning to the Courtyard where I feel most immersed.
This XR experience is a work-in-progress, and it does show. There isn’t much time to explore the arena before the music starts, and it closes as soon as the last song is played, which seems a waste. It was unclear before entering what the experience would be, and there are definitely some attendees in the chat frustrated by its controls (“How do I turn around, I can’t see anything!”); a quick how-to and what-to-expect guide could solve these issues rather easily. A software crash mid-performance boots users out and it takes frustrating moments to re-join.
Movement feels clunky, reminiscent of a Second Life early build, and my laptop touchpad is a poor substitute for a proper mouse. Connecting to my television to enjoy the higher-quality speakers makes it harder to engage with the interactive elements of the show, as I am tethered via HDMI cable. This is why I prefer console gaming: I can’t help thinking how much better the experience would be if I could access it through my Switch.
The pairing of Baldur’s Gate with Starfield is a low-point, with both pieces feeling overly similar and dragging in performance. Elle Osili-Wood’s introductions are informative and interesting, striking the right balance between describing the music, and discussing the game it came from. But she does not introduce all of the songs, and their absence is felt.
Nevertheless, The Sound of Gaming is a unique experience, with some truly incredible music. I left excited to see a live performance in the future, which testifies to both its strengths and weaknesses. The show is powerful and exciting, well worth the effort to see; but also, the live performance still holds more appeal over the XR version. As a glimpse of the future, it’s tantalising, and far more compelling that I expected. Plus, some incredible musicianship to boot.
The Sound of Gaming is a regular program on BBC Radio 3, and this concert will be available to stream on BBC Sounds until 23rd December.