Some of the most learned minds have often remarked regarding the perplexing mathematical connotations in nature, which often make themselves visibly apparent even in the tiniest aspects of our lives. The fields of mathematics and music have both, often gyrated around similar concepts, traditionally being closely connected to each other. The proximity of this relation can even be seen in various musical compositions, often incorporating advanced mathematic theorems of Game Theory or even making use of the Fibonacci series. Many, like the Pythagoreans of ancient Greece, may go so far as to wager that there exists a harmony in nature, which tends to arise with numbers.

No matter what the outlook, the element of surprise would be limited if videogames, a universe structured in a viscous labyrinth of mathematical code, should also choose to strut down a musical avenue.

The music videogame genre has grown in a vibrant fashion over the last few years, from quirky titles garnering little more than cult followings to a piping-hot global phenomenon. Drawing on gameplay, whi­ch is strategically oriented around the pla­yer's interactions with various musical sc­ores or individual songs, music videoga­mes have grown to take on a variety of forms.

However, the success of these games didn’t occur overnight. Marked by sparse, early beginnings nearly two decades ago, the release of Dance Aerobics (prior to 1998’s critically acclaimed Konami arcade title, Dance Dance Revolution) and Sony’s 1996 classic PaRappa, spearheaded a fledgling music videogame genre. While both games functioned on the basis of on-screen musical cues, music games had yet to create an appeal among the general non-gaming population.

With the dawn of the new millennia, a slew of well-crafted karaoke-based music games such as Sony’s Sing Star, did manage to bring a new voice to the fore, easily appealing to a relatively non-gamer audience. However it was 2005’s Guitar Hero, by gaming studio Harmonix, that really struck a chord amongst the fans, enticing gamers to rock their hearts out on tiny plastic guitars.

Today, with a new generation of music video games, its appeal has undoubtedly grown, competing successfully with the ranks of genres such as sports and first- person shooters.

Its ability to appeal beyond age or gender limits as well as include every imaginable form of popular music from hip-hop battles to classic rock oldies, makes it quite a console favourite.

Games such as 2010’s Guitar Hero: Warriors Of Rock, focus primarily on rock music with classic artists such as Queen, metal legends Megadeth and more contemporary bands such as Fall Out Boy, adding variety to the 90 plus song list. Boasting nearly 500 tracks, available to players at launch (with the incorporation of downloadable content) and a wide array of gaming controllers for drummers, singers and guitarists, the game promises to be a treat to those keen on establishing their digital rock star avatars.

Other titles such as Karaoke Revolution: Glee, cashing in on the success of the hit TV series Glee, lets the vocalists amongst us exercise our vocal chords, belting out songs performed on the show. For those interested in disk jockeying, DJ Hero 2 lets you spin a turntable control while someone sings along. Drawing on probably the most influential music icons of the last 50 years, 2009’s The Beatles: Rock Band is an immersive journey into the music of the Beatles which stands prominent as a music videogame as well.

Although most of the aforementioned games cater to consoles such as the Xbox, Wii or PS3, PC titles such as Audiosurf have also made a mark, visually mimicking the player’s music selection to create and sync tracks accordingly, thus even putting the level design in the gamer’s hands.

With the music videogame genre offering a new gaming and musical experience in almost every title, it would probably be a good idea to just sing a song, while we let our controllers play along.

The writer is a Mumbai-based gamer