Megadeth have been one of the big players in the metal scene since the 80s. With a new event, players all over the world can embody them even in World of Warships and other Wargaming titles. It’s a good reason to ask singer Dave Mustaine: What connects metal and gaming?
What happened with Megadeth? On August 28 and 29, a major event featuring Megadeth called Metal Fest will take place in four Wargaming titles. In World of Tanks Modern Armor, World of Tanks Blitz, World of Warships, and World of Warships Legends, you can play as commanders and vehicles inspired by the band.
Although the band has been represented in numerous other video games with their music, such as Gears of War, Operation Flashpoint, or Flat Out 2, their characters have never been playable in-game. For the first time in 40 years, the band’s mascot Vic will also have a voice, specifically as a commander of a tank or ship. Overall, the band has introduced over 350 new voicelines into the game.
Wargaming emphasizes that they chose Megadeth because they are among the top 10 favorite bands of their fanbase, and metal and gaming simply go well together. You hear that often, so we took the opportunity to ask lead singer Dave Mustaine why that is.
It’s not the first exciting collaboration from Wargaming:
“First and foremost, the community always comes first”
What connects metal and gaming? According to Dave Mustaine, it is primarily the friendship and camaraderie that the shared hobby brings. Whether in multiplayer games or in metal communities, you have something that binds you together.
This may also be due to the fact that both emerged from a niche. Neither metal nor gaming was really embraced by society, especially in the 80s and 90s. Fans of both subjects were mostly among themselves, and they were happy when they found someone who liked the same things.
Dave also mentions that it happened similarly in different neighborhoods and the metal community there. You simply grow closer together: “First and foremost, the community always comes first. When you have multiplayer games, it gives you a sense of camaraderie with the people out there. That creates the same glue that keeps us together in our metal communities.”
Metalheads and gamers have the same role models: Dave further explains that both genres work with great role models. As a comparison, he brings up an action film: “Who is the guy climbing onto the plane? Who is the superhero? It’s always someone with rock’n’roll in their blood, and I love that guy. I don’t want to be the little boy who is scared and hides.”
Action scenes in movies are also often underscored by metal or rock music to make the mood more exciting in general. It’s similar in games. There, the player controls a usually very strong character, who they want to be at that moment. That also connects the two communities.
In addition, many players enjoy stepping into that role and showing other fans in multiplayer titles how they accomplish things that others can look up to. These role models play a significant role for Dave in the interaction between metal and gaming.
“It shows you the beauty in the simplicity of things”
Why is the connection still so strong today? Today, 40 years after the founding of Megadeth, both gaming and metal music are much broader in society. Events like Wacken or Gamescom regularly bring tens of thousands of like-minded individuals to the same places.
Dave Mustaine continues: “It’s just a lifestyle. It actually shows you the beauty in the simplicity of things. Some things don’t have to be complicated to be good. There are so many things in my life that are simple and so wonderfully made.”
Besides the lifestyle, it’s also about the feeling and the message that both media and the communities behind them often convey. In games, it can often get brutal, and even in the lyrics and melodies of metal songs, not everything is always cheerful.
Nevertheless, one stands by an opinion: “I personally believe that as a songwriter, you can spread things that are important to gamers. Because at the end of the day, it’s always the message. Peace and love, that’s simply it. In the end, peace and love will always win.”
Why don’t other music genres have this? Mustaine doesn’t really have an answer to that, but personally believes it just doesn’t fit: “I think metal simply fits best.” Country music and pop music have cool lyrics and catchy melodies, but that’s not what you want to hear while gaming, says Dave.
Moreover, in gaming as well as in the metal scene, there is still a large share of word-of-mouth. Friends recommend good music and strong games, that’s just how you grow up. Again, it comes down to the basic attitude of fans from both worlds.
“The coolest thing is when you share things”
What makes multiplayer better than single-player? Two of Megadeth’s most successful songs were inspired by the game The Punisher from 2005. A classic single-player game, of which Mustaine long thought he enjoyed more: “I’m not a huge gamer, no matter how you flip it. But when I can play, I enjoy it a lot. The connection between the powerful music and the strong scenes in the game just does something to me.”
In multiplayer titles, he saw the problem being in synchronization with other players for a long time. Also, to avoid any embarrassment: “I like it when I play alone. It’s easier to hit restart and no one sees my low scores.” But the camaraderie in online games excites him.
The coolest thing about games is anyway when players share things, when high-ranking individuals help beginners. Mustaine also draws parallels to traditional martial arts that he practices himself: “I also love helping out myself. I taught many young candidates things in the past because it just feels rewarding.”
A Megadeth game is the logical consequence
How a ‘clonk’ led to a Megadeth game: We also asked Dave what his best gaming experience has been so far. And he told us how a “clonk” paved the way. Especially in the old arcades, he loved to be there, he says. One of the highlights there were the pinball machines.
These made a satisfying sound when you earned a new round of pinball, a pleasant “clonk,” as Dave describes. This sound actually gave him a rush that no electric game has been able to bring back to this day.
Nevertheless, it was this clonk that led to the creation of a Megadeth game. When the band was building their first website back then, they wanted to include things that fans could do. Together, they selected many little things from old classics and built a whole game on their website with it.
A new song, just for a video game – and it has to be really good
How does the game look so far? What started with the clonk and a website has been actively developed since 2017. The band wants to release its own game, with the chance to unlock an exclusive Megadeth song.
However, the project has been restarted in the interim and is still delayed. That’s why Dave emphasizes how grateful he is for the collaboration with Wargaming and how cool he finds it to actually be in a game before his own is finished.
Why is it important to respect the players’ time: Nevertheless, the band has clear goals for its own game, which is primarily to take the players’ time seriously. They absolutely wanted to avoid releasing a game for which people take four or five days and in the end are disappointed.
Therefore, the song that can be obtained also has to be really good: “We want to make sure it’s captivating and that the music is worth their time. As a player, you invest a lot of time to uncover the mystery in that game and find the song. If you then hear something you’ve heard 10 times before, that would be silly. That simply should not happen.”
Until then, you can be in World of Warships as Megadeth starting August 28. There, you can earn exclusive ships that play Megadeth classics like “Tornado of Souls” while you’re out on the water.
What do you think about that? Do you see things similarly to Dave Mustaine? Do you believe in the strong connection between metal and gaming? Or do you have completely different theories? Feel free to write us in the comments here on MeinMMO.
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