Is it something you actually buy games for? Do you listen to video game music outside of the game it's from?
Or is it just a nice extra that doesn't matter at all? Would your enjoyment of a game be ruined if the soundtrack was terrible?
Music is a huge part of my life in SO many ways. It is a major aspect to atmosphere in video games. The right or wrong music can make or break the game. Picture Silent Hill if it had Animal Crossing's music - it wouldn't be as scarey, would it? I am a HUGE fan of the Castlevania music ever since the first game but moreso since they began adding live orchestrated music in Symphony of the Night and later games. I was let down by Lords of Shadow's music which did not have the organ-style opera-like tones and ballroom waltzing music I loved so much. I generally played it with Disturbed or something upbeat on rather than listen to the music in game once I beat it and went searching for missing things on my replay.
I have full sound tracks to Symphony of the Night, Super Metroid, and Castle Crashers stored on my laptop, I collect OST CDs that come with pre-orders or special offers from my games (Like Lunar Silver Star Story and Eternal Blue) and listen to them while I draw my art. And I Love my Best of Guilty Gear OST that my friend bought me - Japanese Import worth over $60 at the time with amazing music and remixes from the series.
Two games I think prove my point with music well are Bayonetta and Wet. The music in both those games lets your adrenaline pump for the combat when you have to take down hordes of enemies. The second you hear Fly Me ti the Moon (Climax Remix) on Bayonetta you feel "Alright! Time to do this!" at least that is how I felt. It filled me with confidence. Wet's songs like Insane get stuck in my head - to the point my friend gave me his OST as I sing the song far too much - and though they are few in selection they also fit the noir western feel of the game.
TigressStar and I used to play Wipeout Pulse on the PSP and it allows you to make a playlist of MP3s from your PSP to use in the game for music. She made me a selection of my songs I asked her to make for me but tossed the old song In The Summertime by Mungo Jerry on there which is a slow and relaxing song like Low Rider by War. I found I could race easier to that than to my songs like Bad Habit by Offspring or Get Free by The Vines because it relaxed me and made the game appear as if moving slower somehow.
Edit: I'd like to add Katamari series to the list of wonderfully fitting music I listen to in the game and outside of the game. I honestly have disliked a couple versions of the series because the music was not as good as other installments.
I like my video game music. I jam out to it everyone once in a while. Also, before you ask, yes when I say "jam out" I mean jumping up and down bobbing my head like a maniac.
So yeah I said it's very important. Plus it's something to listen to while there's gameplay going on.
