Sounds for Games

Music effects the way people learn as a motivator music has been in the forefront of social change. Both influencing and also being influenced by society.

 

Nowadays it’s easy to forget the social implications and the power of music – available as it is at the click of a link on the internet, but as one of the earliest forms of entertainment, storytelling and plays a vital part in society, facilitating communication.

 

In music, arguably the most influential track is ‘Good Times’ composed by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards – one of the most sampled tracks of all time, sampled by bands and performers from Queen to Justin Timberlake. It set president for copyright and crediting composers. Though it might not be the first song people think of it’s inspired or enabled the creation of many others, making it one of the more influential songs written.

 

It’s power to incite emotion has been used in every genre from the stage to the screen and very often it is the soundtrack that makes or breaks a scene or film. Though this property is often overlooked due to the subtle nature of it’s effect, music has the power to sooth or terrify and a talented composer can do with a tune what chapter upon chapter of prose is needed to achieve.

 

Sound has become an indispensible part of video games though the first video games on consoles like the Magnavox Odeyssey were completely silent (Pong’s sonar beep being regarded as the first ever game sound effect) before games like Space invaders used simple, repetitive rhythms that sped up as the enemy neared to generate suspense and panic.

 

Journey escape was possibly the first to contain actual music, with its digitized versions of Journey songs. And Tetris’ repetitive soundtrack becomes one of the most recognisable original pieces of music produced for the video game industry. From then on, music became a firmly established part of the music industry, through Zelda, Final Fantasy and mega man.

 

The release of the Nintendo 64 meant that games began to rely on the CPU to generate sound and music and new genres of games such as survival horror took full advantage to create atmosphere using music and sound effects.

 

From then on games like Dance Dance Revolution, based solely on music led the way to cement Music as a vital part of any game.

 

Games have grown in sophistication and the technology has grown to house it, games now contain scores of music that would rival other media such as films. As in these media, sound is used to build and enhance mood, atmosphere, ambience and tension. Many successful game franchises have distinctive themes and background music that not only enhances the game experience but are so distinctive that they become synonymous with the franchise itself.  

 

Horror games such as Amnesia use music and sound to create feelings of dread whereas games like Bioshock infinite use it to create feelings of Zeal or wonder. Virtually every major game produced now has a unique soundtrack and as much research gets done into getting authentic music and the correct music as does into the visuals of the piece. Nowadays the visual and sound designs are strongly intertwined. Making them stronger than they ever could have been alone. Composers such as Jack Wall - Mass Effect and Splinter Cell: PT, Jesper Kyd – Hitman and Assassin’s Creed ii and Koji Kondo – Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Super Mario have rightfully earnt their place as excellent composers, and their scores