On Thursday (7/9) at MCV (U.K.), a videogame trade publication, Christopher Dring writes, “Thousands upon thousands of young people—decked out in branded t-shirts—swarmed around a sold-out Wembley Arena in April.… These music lovers were queuing up to witness the London Philharmonic Orchestra perform classic songs from The Legend of Zelda video games…. According to The Official Charts Company, video game soundtracks generated £223,000 in the UK last year, which is a relatively miniscule figure but a growing one…. Last April’s gig was the third time the Zelda concert has toured the UK in the last four years, while a rival event—Video Games Live—has just sold out of three shows in Germany for the beginning of next month….. What about the medium’s credibility amongst its musical peers? … In 2012, when [Zelda executive producer] Jason Michael Paul put together a Final Fantasy-themed concert in America, one musician told the press that he was effectively playing ‘muzak’. ‘The perception has definitely changed since then,’ insists Michael Paul.” Said Tommy Tallarico, CEO and producer of Video Games Live, “People who grew up on games—folks 50 and under, which is now about half of the world—understand the significance and importance of video game music.”
Posted July 10, 2015
