How Important is Music to Video Games?

Yesterday I was playing Heavy Rain and I said to myself: "Why not try this game without any music? How much difference would it make? " A big difference. Any of you who played that game would remember the really emotional moments. Well they weren't really emotional and it sort of ruined the experience of the game. And so I started testing out many other games too like Batman Arkham Asylum, Dead Space ... and I discovered that music is a really important detail in games. Not because of its nice tune and all, but because of the emotion it gives. Music actually makes you get into the game even more. And then I thought about how hard it is for music designers to design music, especially for a video game. In a movie or TV show, everything is put into place and the time for something to happen is precise, so music designers know when to add a sudden jolt to the song if the movie were a horror one for example. But in a video game, the gamer decides when something happens and music designers have to find a way to work around that, which they did a great job with. Some people don't appreciate the art of music in video games. What I suggest is playing through some of your games without music, like I did, and appreciating it!

What Mobile Gaming Means to the Gaming Company

Ever since Snake was created for selected Nokia devices, mobile gaming has been evolving. We Had the N-Gage, then the iPhone, and now the Windows 7 phone. But what can mobile gaming do to help the gaming company?

• First of all mobile gaming is portable gaming, and the Windows 7 phone is more or less Microsoft's first portable gaming device.
• Also, since it is a portable device, you can slip the phone out of your pocket and play some games anytime, anywhere.
• And finally, mobile games consume less energy than a Playstation or Xbox, for example. So mobile gaming might be the saviour of our planet.

This is not to say mobile gaming doesn't have it's disadvantages.

• First of all controlling the game can be a pain in the ass. From tilting the screen to a virtual analog stick, nothing can be quite as comfortable as a controller in the hand.
• And don't forget battery power. How frustrating would it be if you just beat an annoying boss and were about to save your game when suddenly you get the "please recharge your battery" sign and your mobile shuts down?
• And finally, I can't imagine spending hours staring at a tiny screen, compared to and large HD tv.

Sam Gabriel is the author of VGNtertainment. A blog all about video games. To find out more about your favorite games and consoles visit VGNtertainment.

Gran Turismo 5 European Release Date Confirmed!

Gran Turismo 5's European release date is confirmed for November 3 2010, one day after its release in the US! And this was confirmed at this year's Gamescom Sony press conference!

Gamescom 2010 Sony Press Summary!

If you hadn't already known, at this year's Gamescom, moments ago, the Sony Press Conference was held! Many new announcements were made! First of all, as we knew from Comic-con 2010, Cole was made a bit more similar to the old Cole. Well we got to see how he looks like. A little balder, back to the same old clothes, but still has many tatoos!!! Also, Insomniac announced two incredible games: A new Ratchet & Clank which features 4-player co-op. And, the long-awaited, Resistance 3!! Both were announced with trailers. Thank you Sony for an incredible Gamescom 2010!

VGNtertainment Full Renovation Complete!

Dear fans,
As you might have noticed VGNtertainment has been modified with a new logo and template! But that is not all. Check out VGNtertainment's twitter (twitter.com/VGNtertainment) account! New background too! And stay tuned because I will be writing new articles almost daily! With new modifications comes new dedication!

Starcraft 2 Mania!

Yesterday I just went to my favorite gaming store, only to find out that Starcraft 2 is SOLD OUT!!!!! Why does this keep happening to me? I need that game, everyone is playing it online while I'm the only one wanting to play it online! I played Starcraft for at least 5 years, improving my Protoss skills step by step until I was unbeatable against my friends. And now, wanting to get it again discovering all the new units and creatures in each and every race, and playing through another awesome campaign, I only find out that it is sold out! I can't wait to get it so I'm going on a trip to every single gaming store I know, in search for that awesome game!