MP3 BGM Option/Feature

(Shenmue I & II Re-Release Discussion)

MP3 BGM Option/Feature

Postby Domosuke » Fri May 25, 2018 10:29 pm

One thing I LOVED, about JSR HD, (not directly related to Shenmue, but a good Dreamcast title) was the fact you can use your own MP3's as the BGM, and it fit well with the game. Voice acting and sound effects went well.

However some games block this feature.

Will Shenmue HD remaster allow us to do this?

I really hope so.

I'm pretty sure this feature will be available for Shenmue 3, but as the HD remasters have been officially announced I wanted to talk about this feature for those games.
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Re: MP3 BGM Option/Feature

Postby FlagshipFighter » Sat May 26, 2018 12:16 am

Domosuke wrote: One thing I LOVED, about JSR HD, (not directly related to Shenmue, but a good Dreamcast title) was the fact you can use your own MP3's as the BGM, and it fit well with the game. Voice acting and sound effects went well.

However some games block this feature.

Will Shenmue HD remaster allow us to do this?

I really hope so.

I'm pretty sure this feature will be available for Shenmue 3, but as the HD remasters have been officially announced I wanted to talk about this feature for those games.


Since the current gen consoles (well, ps4 and xb1 as of now) both allow for background music functionality on an OS-level as well as how pervasive online streaming on music is (with services like spotify and soundcloud), these sort of features have declined this gen

I would recommend just setting up the background music player by using a spare USB with some mp3's on there and maybe have a playlist setup if you want to listen to custom music on PS4 or by using a streaming service.

I like the feature a lot, although I don't really like how ps4, xb1, ps3 and og xbox implemented it as much. Xbox 360 (and the psvita iirc although i can't confirm) had it work globally in almost everygame (except music games like guitar hero and rockband etc) and would mute the ingame soundtrack while leaving the sound effects on.

og xbox and ps3 (and psp) did it on a per game basis where the devs had to implement it into each game (like burnout and crazy taxi: fare wars). Ps4 and xb1 does it where it just plays the music on top of your game (so you have to go to ingame options and dial down the music volume)

Saying that: I'd never use background music for a shenmue game, that sounds like sacrilege to me since there's wonderful music in every moment (but each to their own). I've usually just preferred doing this in racing games and fighting games, usually where there's less story and dialogue exchanges happening.

Mp3 assignment in games (JSR as you just mentioned and tekken tunes in TTT2 as well) is useful where music is an integral part of the experience . Also iirc: current gen consoles don't give you the same freedom to just get MP3's files and assign it to games like you could on PS3 (heck on 360 you never could, you had to either use an external usb or RIP a CD if you wanted it on the main HDD)

imo the only sort of games this feature truly benefits are games like JSR you mention where iconic licensed music is removed (and you use the feature to circumvent it) or racing/fighting genre. For everything else: the way ps4 and xb1 handle it is completely serviceable and it would mean the devs wouldn't have to prioritise (what is essentially) a low-priority feature.

Long-winded answer but we got there in the end :)
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Re: MP3 BGM Option/Feature

Postby Domosuke » Sat May 26, 2018 4:26 pm

FlagshipFighter wrote:
Domosuke wrote: One thing I LOVED, about JSR HD, (not directly related to Shenmue, but a good Dreamcast title) was the fact you can use your own MP3's as the BGM, and it fit well with the game. Voice acting and sound effects went well.

However some games block this feature.

Will Shenmue HD remaster allow us to do this?

I really hope so.

I'm pretty sure this feature will be available for Shenmue 3, but as the HD remasters have been officially announced I wanted to talk about this feature for those games.


Since the current gen consoles (well, ps4 and xb1 as of now) both allow for background music functionality on an OS-level as well as how pervasive online streaming on music is (with services like spotify and soundcloud), these sort of features have declined this gen

I would recommend just setting up the background music player by using a spare USB with some mp3's on there and maybe have a playlist setup if you want to listen to custom music on PS4 or by using a streaming service.

I like the feature a lot, although I don't really like how ps4, xb1, ps3 and og xbox implemented it as much. Xbox 360 (and the psvita iirc although i can't confirm) had it work globally in almost everygame (except music games like guitar hero and rockband etc) and would mute the ingame soundtrack while leaving the sound effects on.

og xbox and ps3 (and psp) did it on a per game basis where the devs had to implement it into each game (like burnout and crazy taxi: fare wars). Ps4 and xb1 does it where it just plays the music on top of your game (so you have to go to ingame options and dial down the music volume)

Saying that: I'd never use background music for a shenmue game, that sounds like sacrilege to me since there's wonderful music in every moment (but each to their own). I've usually just preferred doing this in racing games and fighting games, usually where there's less story and dialogue exchanges happening.

Mp3 assignment in games (JSR as you just mentioned and tekken tunes in TTT2 as well) is useful where music is an integral part of the experience . Also iirc: current gen consoles don't give you the same freedom to just get MP3's files and assign it to games like you could on PS3 (heck on 360 you never could, you had to either use an external usb or RIP a CD if you wanted it on the main HDD)

imo the only sort of games this feature truly benefits are games like JSR you mention where iconic licensed music is removed (and you use the feature to circumvent it) or racing/fighting genre. For everything else: the way ps4 and xb1 handle it is completely serviceable and it would mean the devs wouldn't have to prioritise (what is essentially) a low-priority feature.

Long-winded answer but we got there in the end :)


As much as I love the Shenmue OST and original BGM, I just think it's more fun to rather just have pop music playing in the background, as the games do get quite tedious by doing tasks and doing other cut and dry activities and such etc. Having my fav music playing in the background would make it more interesting.

Especially in the first game when Ryo starts to work at the Harbor and stuff.

But I see what you mean.
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Re: MP3 BGM Option/Feature

Postby BlueMue » Sat May 26, 2018 5:13 pm

Shenmue is one of the games that really doesn't need such a feature.

It isn't like other open world games where just about anything can play anywhere from a radio or something. In Shenmue the music is very much part of the mood that Ryo is currently in, reflected in the free music bound to the story progression. And in Shenmue II it is about the feeling of each individual area.

What they could do, and that is easily possible, is to allow the cassette player to run in the background. You get a choice of music and it has a use in the game world itself.
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Re: MP3 BGM Option/Feature

Postby Niowiad » Sat May 26, 2018 5:45 pm

I remember abusing of that kind of feature on the first Xbox in my early teens :king:

My idea changed over time... in pretty much any well thought and worth playing videogame, the music (and sometimes even absence of music) is 100% part of the experience.
Music tracks and themes are literally handcrafted to dynamically suit specific moments, areas, characters and situations. Shenmue is definitely a great example for this, with a good variety of musical styles according to what's needed on any occasion.

The only games where I could possibly feel like putting my own music on would be games whose soundtracks are basically collections of pre-existing music tracks.
Any other videogame, with music specifically composed for it, is well worth being played with the original soundtrack.

Just my opinion O:)

Niowiad has received a thanks from: FlagshipFighter
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