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.
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.
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.
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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