Richard Jacques is a versatile video game composer who left resident employment at Sega Europe to become a high-profile freelancer. Growing up in Warwick, his musical family encouraged him to learn to play the piano and trombone from a young age. At the Junior Royal Academy of Music, he was exposed to a range of music playing orchestral, rock, and jazz ensembles and learning new instruments. His eclectic background and diverse influences were soon evident in his colourful first compositions too. Jacques later studied an undergraduate degree in music encompassing performance, composition, arrangement, and music technology. During his final year, he successfully applied for an in-house music position at Sega Europe in London and started work two days after graduating in 1995.

At Sega Europe, Jacques worked on a range of technically challenging but creatively liberating projects. He debuted on DarXide before famously creating all new in-game music for Shinobi X in the style of Yuzo Koshiro. His score to F1 Challenge impressed musicians at Sega Japan so much that he was hired as a guest composer for several of their projects. He created several fresh electronic themes for Daytona USA Champion Circuit score and made an education hip-hop entry to Jet Set Radio somewhat later. He is also fondly remembered for his busy jazz-influenced scores to Sonic 3D and Sonic R released towards the end of the Saturn's lifespan.

Jacques was responsible for the compositions used in the interactive radio system on 2000's Metropolis Street Racer. His versatility allowed him to create a range of music suitable for each station and the innovative approach soon influenced other games such as the Grand Theft Auto series. In 2001, Jacques recorded his first cinematic full-orchestral score, Headhunter, with the London Session Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios. His award-winning work on this score was praised for its dramatic orchestrations, heroic themes, and use of electronic and percussive elements. It was historically performed at the First Symphonic Game Music Concert in Leipzig and has since become a popular entry on Video Games Live.

Shortly after Headhunter's release, Jacques left Sega Europe to become a freelance composer. This gave him the freedom to participate in several film projects and establish a reputation within the trailer and commercial industry. Nevertheless, he returned to create the well-received orchestral score to Headhunter: Redemption in 2003. He has also continued to make border-hopping Sega Japan compositions such as Jet Set Radio Future, Sega Rally 2006, and OutRun 2. Jacques has been at the centre of several recent Sega scores, Sega Superstars Tennis, Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, and Sonic and the Black Knight, where he has tributed the past while taking Sega's music to new destinations.

Jacques is now regarded as one of the greatest game music composers. He has recently created epic orchestral scores for Starship Troopers, Pursuit Force, Highlander, and the Battlestations series while continuing to indulge in electronica in Total Immersion Racing and The Club. He has also blended orchestral forces with electronic science-fiction influences in Mass Effect and African polyrhythms in Conflict: Denied Ops. Away from the big budget titles, Jacques has acted as a technical consultant for numerous SingStar karaoke titles and crafted interactive music for the EyeToy line. Jacques' numerous works are clearly impressive for the way they competently explore diverse genres while rejecting clichés associated with other game music.