In an interview with ESPN The Magazine last week, EA Sports music tastemakers Steve Schnur and Cybele Pettus hinted at what could be a groundbreaking feature on upcoming sports titles.
Music Streaming services like Pandora, Spotify and even Sonys own “Music Unlimited” have changed the way we listen to music and they may soon change the way we enjoy music in sports games. Steve Schnur, President of Music at EA, gave his take on the current music industry in relation to gaming:
“Right now we’re tethered to a one-year experience…but we want the gamer to be able to hear what’s cool in week 7 of the NFL, not just week 1……What once was MTV or radio for an older generation is now FIFA or Madden.”
It is still unclear how EA will approach this new way of managing Soundtracks on their popular sports titles. Music updates throughout the year much like roster updates are one option, while adding an entire music streaming catalogue for the users to customize is another. The latter would most likely be trickier to pull off considering licensing agreements, but if EA partners with an existing streaming service, it is not out of the realm of possibilities.
As we await more developments we can reminisce about how far we have come since Fifa 98’s Chumbawamba earworm that rocked the sports gaming world and undoubtedly got stuck in you head for a solid 6 to 8 months.
What are you guys’ thoughts on live music updates or even custom streaming options in sports games?Comment below, share and be part of the conversation!