My reading for this dissertation has mostly been
on A.I. behaviours, and how important it is to get right within a game. Because
of this, I thought I would research another subject that I have
completed, Music and effects in games.
This
has been a topic that I have recently completed on both my dissertation and
group game. It was clear in both games that there was a lack of atmosphere,
part of which was caused my a lack of music and sounds.
'Music
not only gives you something good to listen to while playing, but when done
right creates an emotional connection to the game that can’t be replicated any
other way.' (1)
Like the purpose of all great music, it's supposed to change your heart rate — to move you and make you feel. (2)
The quote above emphasises what I feel is important with music
in games. While it is something, which isn't necessarily appreciated
by a majority of players, without it a gaming experience would be empty of any
character and substance. Music, when done correctly, engages players without
them even realising.
Firstly,
I looked into a range of games. Some where similar to this dissertation project
and others were completely different. I wanted to get a feel of what
sort of music fitted in with what style of game.
Below
is a video showing a users top 10 best songs from the video game, 'Zelda: Ocarina of Time'.
This music is some of the best I have ever heard when playing through a game.
It fits in perfectly with the surroundings the players find themselves in.
The
first song is taken from a carnival section of the game. The player
automatically gets drawn into the atmosphere of the fun bonus area within
the game by the up tempo, chirpy music.
The
second song comes from an area of the game that is mysterious and quite
challenging. Puzzles need to be solved and enemies defeated in the temple, set
in the middle of a large desert. The music gives the feel of an Arabian desert
with plenty of intrigue. Fantastic!
The
third song is from the beginning stage of the game. At this point, the game
world is a happy place and everyone around you is friendly. You can tell this
by the quick, lively, lighthearted tune.
The
fourth song is taken from where the player first learns to ride a horse. It's a
ranch where everything happens at a slow moving pace. It's a friendly place
with farmers going about their business in their own time. Again, this is
perfectly reflected in the music. It's a lot slower than the previous
tunes and captures the atmosphere to perfection. The melody also has
significance within the game, with the player having to play it on their
ocarina it in order for their horse to return to them.
The forest
temple is one of the most mysterious places within the game. It's
home to ghosts and phantoms. The music follows the pattern of some of the other
levels but has a tone of mystery and intrigue about it that immerses
the player into the environment.
The
sixth song is taken from a happy time in the game. It's where the player gets
reunited with Zelda. The tone is similar to when the player first sees Zelda
but this time, it has a sense of sadness about it, reflecting what has gone on
but overall the tone is a happy one.
The
seventh song in this video is taken from a level within the game that is full
of witchcraft. It's quite a fast paced environment and this is reflected
in the quick tempo music. It also has a sense of wizardry and madness,
which is cemented by the speedy, high ocarina main notes.
The
eighth song, taken from the Lost Woods, is another happy area within the game,
at least initially. Fairies populate it and I think the lighthearted tone
identifies this very well.
The
market is another area filled with friends and not foes. It has many palace
guards patrolling it, however, and I think the uniform sounds within the music
represent this. It just has the perfect feel of a lighthearted area within the
music
Number
one on this list is also my personal favourite. It fits the area of the game to
perfection. It has a sense of the Arabic desert about it with the notes on the
harp. Also, the area has a palace and I think this, along with the guards and
trained swordsmen are represented when the harp stops playing. A fantastic
background tune for a terrific section of the game.
Below is another good example of platform game music. This time, from the game Spyro: A Hero's Tail
Spyro was what originally got us into making, 'Rusty and the Cogbots'. The game plays in a similar style to ours by having very cartoon oriented graphics and many tasks to undertake along with various enemies. While this music wouldn't necessarily fit our game, the idea of high tempo, lively music would definitely work.
Below is another example of game music. This time, taken from Goldeneye 007 on the Nintendo 64.
This music is absolutely tremendous when playing the game. Taken directly from the film of the same name, this music plays when you are at the last section of the game, getting ready to try and kill the final boss. Being a realistic environment where killing everything around you is the general objective, the music does a fantastic job of getting the player pumped up and ready for the action to come. It's an example that wouldn't work within our game. The two are completely different and this style of music would have a negative effect on the user experience.
So, it's clear to me that while music can sound fantastic and engage players into a gaming environment it can also, if used incorrectly, ruin the feel of a game entirely. Below is a link to various videos, which show some the worst game music ever.... enjoy!
http://www.vgchartz.com/article/7610/vgc-top-ten-worst-instances-of-videogame-music/
This link is also a very good listen. It explores popular game music and how it's evolved with technology. It also tells how much recognition is now being given to video game scores.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00yj887
(1) Mulkin, Shane; May 19 2012; http://www.thextremepulse.com/the-importance-of-music-in-gaming/
(2) April 13 2008; http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89565567
Next week, I plan to have a main menu screen ready for the game. Doing the artwork for this should be really enjoyable.
Written by Phil
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