Friday 27 March 2015

Game Design & Why Students Must Consider Music

By Jennifer Marie Anderson


There are several elements to be had when it comes to game design, music being amongst the most important. In fact, I am sure that many students, in this field, can tell you all about how this element is so commonplace in this day and age. With that said, there is still the idea of why, exactly, music is so necessary for this type of work to be fulfilled. For those who are hungry for knowledge, as far as art is concerned, here are a few points to make note of.

If you want to talk about how music plays into the game design, you have to look at how it gains someone's attention. For example, if a soundtrack is composed for a lengthy roleplaying game, chances are that it'll have a grand feeling, as if a greater destiny awaits. However, it's just as easy to assume that a game in the horror genre will possess an air of tension. Simply put, music is tailored to fit any scenario and it's better because of this factor.

Music should also be created in a way that doesn't detract from the overall experience a game has to offer. The main reason for this - and I am sure that many others can agree - has to do with the fact that some bits of music can drone on a player's mind. After an hour or so has done by, you may be wishing for a change in audio. Fortunately, many composers have recognize this and there are some examples of this which stand out more than others.

Koji Kondo has been revered as one of the greatest composers in the world of video games. The way that he created music, for titles like "The Legend of Zelda," was interesting because of how he was able to listen to his creations for extensive lengths of time. He knew that certain pieces of music could grind on the brain after time has passed, which he did not want. The fact that he judged his own music, based on this system, showed how in-tune a composer can be with his or her audience.

To put it simply, music is always going to have a place in game design. It's just a matter of how well it's composed, which is what the aforementioned talking points have been able to cover. Without music, it's easy to see that most video games will fall flat, since audio has the potential to create some of the most engaging atmospheres imaginable. Without this element, it's easy to see why the efforts of those in game design may not be as strong.




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