There are many elements which are associated with the process of game design. Amongst them is music, which is a factor that most students may not pay much attention to. After all, it has become such a commonplace element in the development process that, sometimes, we often forget just how much work goes into this level of composition. For this reason, I believe it's vital to look into the importance of music, as it relates to game design.
To start off, music helps to captivate a gamer's attention at the onset. It could be done in a few ways, one of them being the excitement factor that comes from racing titles like "Need for Speed." However, soundtracks can just as easily instill feelings of dread in players, provided that's the design. After all, titles such as "The Evil Within" show that you do not necessarily need a catchy soundtrack but rather ambiance that can make an experience greater.
What about creating music that doesn't get old after time has passed? This is a tricky line to walk, which I'm sure most people would agree with, and I believe part of this comes from the fact that composers tend to overlook how long video games are played. Depending on how engaging a particular game is, hours could pass until the system is turned off. What this means is that music should come across as annoying, for lack of better terms, and strong composition can help to prevent any negative outcomes.
One of the most effective video game composers, in my view, is a man by the name of Koji Kondo. For those who do not know, he was the composer behind a number of video games, amongst the most popular being the "Legend of Zelda" series. In fact, he purposely created music so that he could listen to it, giving himself an hour or so before he decided whether or not the music annoyed him. It was a strong strategy which ultimately resulted in equally strong soundtracks for games he helped with.
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.
To start off, music helps to captivate a gamer's attention at the onset. It could be done in a few ways, one of them being the excitement factor that comes from racing titles like "Need for Speed." However, soundtracks can just as easily instill feelings of dread in players, provided that's the design. After all, titles such as "The Evil Within" show that you do not necessarily need a catchy soundtrack but rather ambiance that can make an experience greater.
What about creating music that doesn't get old after time has passed? This is a tricky line to walk, which I'm sure most people would agree with, and I believe part of this comes from the fact that composers tend to overlook how long video games are played. Depending on how engaging a particular game is, hours could pass until the system is turned off. What this means is that music should come across as annoying, for lack of better terms, and strong composition can help to prevent any negative outcomes.
One of the most effective video game composers, in my view, is a man by the name of Koji Kondo. For those who do not know, he was the composer behind a number of video games, amongst the most popular being the "Legend of Zelda" series. In fact, he purposely created music so that he could listen to it, giving himself an hour or so before he decided whether or not the music annoyed him. It was a strong strategy which ultimately resulted in equally strong soundtracks for games he helped with.
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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