Aminin na natin, di ba mas masarap kung habang naglalaro tayo e nakikinig din tayo ng music?

Obviously, not all music lovers are gamers, but it’s almost a sure bet that if you’re a gamer, mahilig ka sa music. Music plays an important role in your game experience. How much more satisfying is it to slay monsters if you’re all pumped up by the stirring soundtrack? What would survival horror games be without the mood-setting creepy music and sound effects?

Don’t believe me? Then try playing the game na naka-mute yung PC, TV or handheld mo. Di ba boring? :)

Or how about the teaser site of our latest game, Grand Chase. Doesn’t the stirring theme music complement the eye candy and make you even more excited to play this game? (If you haven’t, sign up for the closed beta already.) Just how important is it to choose the right music? Well, Waukster also asked me and Kevin which song we liked best for the Grand Chase teaser site, so if for some reason you don’t like the music, you know whom to blame hehe :)

Music has been an important part of Level Up! even during the early years. It seems like it was only yesterday, but it was way back in 2005 when the company’s first music album, RoK On! Music Inspired By Ragnarok Online, came out and further cemented Level Up! and online gaming as part of Pinoy pop culture.

I remember as a tech and gaming journalist being blown away by the album. Siyempre nakakuha ako ng libreng kopya noon sa presscon haha but it was an album that I wouldn’t have minded buying with my hard-earned cash. It may be harder to realize now that online gaming has become more mainstream, but this album was revolutionary. From an unknown start-up that was familiar only to diehard gamers, Level Up! was now being introduced to the general public, thanks to efforts such as this music album and a tie-up with Jollibee.

Speaking of the Jollibee tie-up, remember the Ragnarok GameBee? Heck, I even bought my daughter Sam one; she was just three at the time because this was circa 2004. Excuse the image resolution, this was back in the dark ages :)

Back to RoK On, I loved most of the songs there, particularly Kamikazee’s “Chiksilog,” which has since gone on to be an anthem among the Level Up! community. I thought it was really cool that through OPM, Ragnarok and online gaming in general were entering mainstream consciousness. Suddenly, gaming was cool, and even mainstream media was taking notice (well, me and my fellow gaming journalists knew it a long time before then).

And while it may be senti, I have to admit that I still have a soft spot for Moonstar 88′s “Pag-ibig Ko Sa ‘Yo.” Partly because it was cool to see the music video on MTV, and partly because the girl who played Willow the Assassin in the promos for Ragnarok’s Amatsu and Kunlun game patch and in the video was a friend of mine and then officemate, Claire Chan.

Here’s a photo of Claire in her Willow costume — remember this? :)

And here’s a copy of the “Pag-ibig Ko Sa ‘Yo” music video that GM Tristan posted on his YouTube channel. Brings back memories, doesn’t it?

I’m not sure if she was the first to coin the phrase, but I remember Philippine Daily Inquirer president Sandy Prieto referring back then to the youth as the “Ragnarok Generation.” I guess this shows how wildly popular Ragnarok had become, and how a passion for online gaming was being seen as one of the defining traits of the younger generation.

Over the years, of course, Level Up! has become more than just Ragnarok, and you might say that the Ragnarok Generation is now turning into the Level Up! Generation. Just look at how Level Up! Live has grown, from basically a Ragnarok event to a Philippine institution that showcases all the Level Up! games and brings together our communities. Not to mention that this year, LU! Live is bigger than ever since the Philippines is hosting the 2008 Ragnarok World Championship — the first time that the RWC is being held outside South Korea.

And yup, music is still very much a part of the Level Up! experience, and different Pinoy bands just love performing at our events, playing our games, and interacting with our communities.

Now that’s music to our ears!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 24th, 2008 at 11:06 am and is filed under Play to Win. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.