Default Soundtrack, but where’s my custom playlist?

When the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 were released boasting hard drive capabilities, the prospect of custom soundtracks was definitely a plus. Microsoft ushered in the use of custom soundtracks with the Xbox and continued the trend with the 360. The PlayStation 3, however decided to introduce the custom soundtrack via their 2.40 firmware. But as time moves on, the question remains: are custom soundtracks still wanted?

Xbox 360 users have had the custom soundtrack option since the 360 hit the streets. Sony elected to put the power in the hands of developers, allowing them to include custom soundtracks if they wanted the option in their games. So far, only a few games support the feature, and most are from the PlayStation Network. Sadly, the amount of disc-based games using custom soundtracks for PlayStation 3 can be counted on one hand. Burnout Paradise is one of the only games worth noting that actually uses the feature.

So why is Sony lagging behind Microsoft in this simple, yet desirable option? With Sony handing off responsibility to game developers, they simply have disowned the problem. Certain genres have always worked better with custom soundtracks. Sports, FPS multiplayer, and puzzle games could all use the option with great results. Skate for example, has a great variety of songs in its soundtrack, but listening to the same tracks constantly gets old, and turning off the music is the only option.

Criterion did a great favor for Sony by adding custom soundtracks in the Cagney update. Racing games are played best with fast-tempo music, and sometimes we have better (unlicensed) music on our hard drives than the developer was able to acquire. Just giving us more options couldn’t hurt; and it only leaves the gamer to blame if they pick inapplicable music.

Being able to play your own music is just icing on the console. We don’t need it for every single game, but having the option seems like a simple way to please gamers. Sony needs to get their gaming division to support this application, or program the code to release to all developers for an easy addition. I’m tired of listening to the same tracks every time I play. Microsoft, kudos to you.