New York, NY (Top40 Charts) The FIFA football video game franchise is a cultural phenomenon. It boasts an enormous player base and sees astronomical revenue, a necessity for the developer as they spend a fortune on obtaining the rights to use the images of the world's biggest football clubs and players.
When we think of the most important part of FIFA, or any game for that matter, often the first things that come to mind are graphics, gameplay, physics, and user interface. Music might be relatively far down on the list. In fact, music is a crucial part of any game, FIFA being no exception. Let's take a look at some of the music used in the newest edition of the franchise, FIFA 23, and discuss how important it is.
The History of Music in FIFA
The FIFA video game series has existed, in one form or another, for nearly 30 years. The first iteration, FIFA International Soccer, came out on the Sega Mega Drive console in 1993. This rudimentary early game contained no third-party music, simply in-game music created by composer Jeff van Dyck.
In fact, it wasn't until the release of FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 four years later that players would get the chance to experience a FIFA title with a full, licensed soundtrack of third-party music. The game was met with acclaim, with Blur's iconic Song 2 becoming synonymous with the title after it was used as the main theme on the game's home menu.
These days, music use in games is a given, we hear it in everything from a mobile shoot-em-up game, old school like Teris to an online casino slot game. However, back in the 90s it was a novel idea, including music in a title was an extremely effective method developers could use to set their game apart from the competition.
FIFA 98 set a precedent; every subsequent FIFA game became associated with a particular song. A memorable track included would work to further cement that title in the memories of its players.
Music in FIFA Today
The FIFA franchise has become more than just a football game. It works as a reflection of cultural preferences and behavior, particularly the trends and opinions seen among young males, who make up the vast majority of its player base.
The song lists featured in modern FIFA games are incredibly varied, composed of a mixture of established and lesser-known artists. Having a song included on a FIFA title can do wonders for a track's popularity, the franchise has helped propel some songs to the top of the charts.
Players have come to expect an eclectic and carefully curated soundtrack. EA, who develop the FIFA games, even have a dedicated music department who select the tracks to include and secure the rights for their use.
Conclusion
FIFA 23 is much like other editions. First and foremost, it is a football game. However, for some players it is much more than that, and they have come to expect additional things from their football game of choice. Music, surprisingly, is very near the top of the list.
