Sound is something that naturally comes to us… literally. We
are born with the ability to hear, and this allows us to take in the world
around us, giving us information, which in some cases triggers a visual
representation of what we have experienced before. Even if we have not
witnessed these events take place, we still have an understanding built from
the sound that our brain has registered.
Visual entertainments have tried to enhance and further use
music and sounds in order to trigger an emotional response for decades. Film
has grown to create masterful scores and spend a lot of time perfecting audio
in order to really create a sense that we are in the events of that film. Sound
in these cases are used to instigate, fear, excitement or sadness through known
and unknown sounds. They can help us to understand the world of the characters
and it can draw our attention and focus to specific areas that the story teller
wants us to see.
As games have developed into a more “mainstream” mode of
entertainment and their popularity has increased, so have the budgets and
technology. Because the technology has improved so rapidly over the years, the
visuals have improved and stories in games have become more complex; even more
serious and require more cinematic moments in order to help tell the story and
set the players mood and focus. One thing that has come with this is the
realisation of the importance of music in video games. Composers have begun to
make revolutionary and popular scores to accompany a game; such as you’d find
in a film. The music is important for many factors to succeed. The music can
set a mood, triggering our emotions; which altogether enhances gameplay and in
some cases nurtures a player’s skill. Another important use of music is
identity. Some of the most popular games in the past decade have had extremely
unique scores, in which the main theme will define that franchise over time.
This can be seen with franchises such as Halo,
Battlefield and Elder scrolls. Or classically: Mario and Sonic. This
could also be said to have a major impact on sales.
The emotional response which is triggered by music may help
a player, and could drastically change the way they play without them even
noticing. The use of ambient sounds is important and breaks the barrier between
fiction and reality. Most games may use music to do this, but others,
especially in the horror genre may use ambient sounds in the environment; such
as rustling trees, or creaking wood/doors. This could act as a signal to the
player of where to go, but may also create a tension and fear for the player.
Game developers have learnt how to use sound over the years, with the use of
pentatonics, adaptive music and skilful sound theory. Pentatonic scales have been used throughout
gaming history in order to create cues to praise a player and to act as
acknowledgement of a correct action. Doing this saves the use of a visual cue
instead and can work with the music to enhance the players feeling throughout
without them even catching on.
The use of non-linear sounds is also very important with its
ability to instigate fear or confusion, but also its ability to lead a player.
These are sounds which exceed the “natural” range of living things. Something
that may be used as a distress call in the animal kingdom shows a sign of
danger yet also attention. This is an effective tool for both sounds in horror
games and setting negative tones in musical scores.
Although music is not always required for a game and in some
cases even interrupts gameplay or concentration. Sound is a very important
factor in the video game industry. Without it emotional strings cannot be
pulled and that sense of enjoyment can be lost. I think sound in video games is
something that really sets it aside from other forms of entertainment. While it
produces scores which compete with some of the best in movies, the genius of
sound use in games is one step above the immersion of films or tv. The ability
to create the sound freely as you control the in-game environment can spur
creativity and a drive to change the way you play or the emotion which drives
it.
http://www.amplifon.co.uk/resources/playing-with-your-mind/
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/what-shapes-film/201402/video-games-do-you-play-better-the-sound-or
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