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.
Music, as it relates to game design, should be used in order to grab a gamer's attention. Keep in mind that audio can possess different moods, depending on what's being conveyed onscreen. For example, if a game within the horror genre is being created, sounds which frighten or unnerve the player should be rampant. What about a game that's more action-packed, though? It would be easy to assume, then, that this particular game would possess a more exciting soundtrack by comparison.
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.
If you want to talk about the most essential elements of game design, no one can overlook music. Not only is this able to bring life to the most pulse-pounding soundtracks, but it's easy to see that music can set just about any scene that can be imagined. Audio is necessary, to say the least, but it must be created with a sense of quality intact. Once this is done, it's easy to see that one's efforts in game design will turn out to be that much greater.
Music, as it relates to game design, should be used in order to grab a gamer's attention. Keep in mind that audio can possess different moods, depending on what's being conveyed onscreen. For example, if a game within the horror genre is being created, sounds which frighten or unnerve the player should be rampant. What about a game that's more action-packed, though? It would be easy to assume, then, that this particular game would possess a more exciting soundtrack by comparison.
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.
If you want to talk about the most essential elements of game design, no one can overlook music. Not only is this able to bring life to the most pulse-pounding soundtracks, but it's easy to see that music can set just about any scene that can be imagined. Audio is necessary, to say the least, but it must be created with a sense of quality intact. Once this is done, it's easy to see that one's efforts in game design will turn out to be that much greater.
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