Post by Shadow Phoenix on Dec 13, 2007 23:14:31 GMT -5
So, I took a class entitled Asian Music & Culture this semester. The class was incredible--lots of fun. One of the last things that we had to do was to make a poster on a topic regarding Asian music. After much thought and contemplation (and an off-hand comment by my girlfriend, who was also in the class), I decided to do a project analyzing the music of video games. In an effort to make my job just a little bit easier, I also narrowed the focus of my study to the music of Final Fantasy, particularly Nobuo Uematsu's bulk of work. I made a timeline of the development of the genre of video game music, traced the development of the technology, included comparisons of other influential composers, and gave some more analysis about the music itself. Since I can't actually post my poster up here, I will give you the outline that I developed and worked off of to develop the poster.
Please let me know what you think whenever you have the time to read it. Thanks!
Note: the original formatting definitely did not stick. I'll see if I can do anything about that after I finish my work up here.
Video Game Music: Cross-Cultural Influences Defining a Genre
I. Introduction – Video Game Music as an Art Form and a Genre
a. Purpose of study
i. I chose this topic because there are far too many people, particularly in the U.S., who have too many misconceptions regarding video game music. Not only is it a fascinating subject, but it is truly an art form that deserves a level of appreciation.
ii. Video game composers in Japan are regarded like a cross between John Williams and a rock star like Sting—they are modern legends. Why then, is there music so often disregarded here in America outside of fandom?
iii. This project also seeks to elucidate some of the history behind why video game music sounds the way it does and why some people may hold their opinions.
b. Misconceptions
i. Primitive
1. When most people think of video game music, they probably think of the earliest video games. Almost everyone can hum the Super Mario theme, but they remember it sounding hollow and generally possessing poor sound quality.
2. The same goes for the original animation. While the original games are now considered primitive, the masterpieces of classic games made due with what little technology they had and created something wonderful.
3. As time has progressed, the so-called “primitive” quality of games has evolved to the point where games now look and sound like fully CGI movies. Still, so many people consider the media of video games to be inferior to movies, even though just as much (often more) money is put into creating a video game.
ii. Cartoonish
1. Because video games are animated, most people equate them with American cartoons, the vast majority of which are geared towards children.
2. Cartoons have only recently been geared towards adults at all, with programs like South Park & Family Guy, which are both comedies. Because of this, most people do not consider anything animated to be of a serious quality, either for storytelling or as an art form.
iii. Just for kids or nerds
1. The cartoon factor lumps video games, manga, and anime in with American cartoons and comic books. Since most of the consumers of these media are children or adults considered nerds, the general public does not even give them a chance, preferring to stick to more familiar American media like books and movies. These are taken more seriously than video games, which is a shame.
II. Functions of Music in Video Games
a. Different Kinds of Games
i. I borrow this list and concept from Eric Pidkameny’s May, 2002 article.
ii. First Person Shooters
1. A kind of game from the player’s point of view in which the player moves the character around to accomplish tasks, often wielding a gun. Common FPS games are Doom, Resident Evil, and Halo.
2. The music in these games mostly functions to:
a. Create an atmosphere
b. Provide clues that certain events are happening, like a danger theme
c. Motivate players
iii. Graphic Adventures
1. Games which focus on exploration of the environment and solving puzzles. Common GA types are the Kings’ Quest and Myst series.
2. The music in these games mostly functions to:
a. Create an ambience
b. Engage, but not distract player, as it will be looped often and be heard many times
iv. Platforms
1. Games which features many levels and follow a fairly set path as the character makes its way from beginning to end.
2. The music in these games mostly functions to:
a. Provide a level of excitement
b. Show differences between levels
c. Encourage players
v. Role-Playing Games
1. Complex games with rich storyline and well-developed characters. Focus is more on fighting monsters and conquering evil.
2. The music in these games functions a lot like film scores:
a. Give character and area themes
b. Allow for emotional identification
c. Give a cinematic backdrop
d. Provide transition between plot elements
e. Immerse player more deeply in storyline
b. Interactivity – Recent developments unique to game music
i. Interactive music is essentially music which changes somewhat to fit player’s actions.
ii. In First Person Shooters, this could be specific to player actions—with the music sounding different if the player was being aggressive than it would if they were being stealthy.
iii. Could also involve the blending of two themes as a character passes between two areas or approaches a large monster.
iv. Challenge for video game music composers is to create a soundtrack which involves the player, since they are not merely passive observers as with movies, but simultaneously active participants and observers who control the action of the story.
v. The 2002 game, Rez, took this a step further, by creating a techno-based soundtrack that actually responded to onscreen actions. The game was met with mixed reviews, but is surely indicative of the future of game soundtracks: basically giving the player control over what he or she hears and making the gaming experience fully immersive and interactive.
c. Different Opinions and Approaches to Video Game Music Composition
i. “If you really do the music right, they're not gonna notice it.” – Mike Pummell
ii. “It’s sort of like writing for a string quartet…imagine having only four instruments, and you're going to produce 30 minutes of music. And you’re supposed to keep it interesting. That's the challenge.” – Pummell
iii. “In my career as a composer in the game industry I have had to convincingly compose Classical, Rock, Techno, Dance and Rap music.” – Darryl Duncan
iv. “For the theme song for Mission Impossible for Nintendo 64, I was given 125k [of memory]. I've seen word processor files bigger than that. I had to do the entire game; all the music you hear within the game; to fit within 350k.” – Duncan
v. “
Please let me know what you think whenever you have the time to read it. Thanks!
Note: the original formatting definitely did not stick. I'll see if I can do anything about that after I finish my work up here.
Video Game Music: Cross-Cultural Influences Defining a Genre
I. Introduction – Video Game Music as an Art Form and a Genre
a. Purpose of study
i. I chose this topic because there are far too many people, particularly in the U.S., who have too many misconceptions regarding video game music. Not only is it a fascinating subject, but it is truly an art form that deserves a level of appreciation.
ii. Video game composers in Japan are regarded like a cross between John Williams and a rock star like Sting—they are modern legends. Why then, is there music so often disregarded here in America outside of fandom?
iii. This project also seeks to elucidate some of the history behind why video game music sounds the way it does and why some people may hold their opinions.
b. Misconceptions
i. Primitive
1. When most people think of video game music, they probably think of the earliest video games. Almost everyone can hum the Super Mario theme, but they remember it sounding hollow and generally possessing poor sound quality.
2. The same goes for the original animation. While the original games are now considered primitive, the masterpieces of classic games made due with what little technology they had and created something wonderful.
3. As time has progressed, the so-called “primitive” quality of games has evolved to the point where games now look and sound like fully CGI movies. Still, so many people consider the media of video games to be inferior to movies, even though just as much (often more) money is put into creating a video game.
ii. Cartoonish
1. Because video games are animated, most people equate them with American cartoons, the vast majority of which are geared towards children.
2. Cartoons have only recently been geared towards adults at all, with programs like South Park & Family Guy, which are both comedies. Because of this, most people do not consider anything animated to be of a serious quality, either for storytelling or as an art form.
iii. Just for kids or nerds
1. The cartoon factor lumps video games, manga, and anime in with American cartoons and comic books. Since most of the consumers of these media are children or adults considered nerds, the general public does not even give them a chance, preferring to stick to more familiar American media like books and movies. These are taken more seriously than video games, which is a shame.
II. Functions of Music in Video Games
a. Different Kinds of Games
i. I borrow this list and concept from Eric Pidkameny’s May, 2002 article.
ii. First Person Shooters
1. A kind of game from the player’s point of view in which the player moves the character around to accomplish tasks, often wielding a gun. Common FPS games are Doom, Resident Evil, and Halo.
2. The music in these games mostly functions to:
a. Create an atmosphere
b. Provide clues that certain events are happening, like a danger theme
c. Motivate players
iii. Graphic Adventures
1. Games which focus on exploration of the environment and solving puzzles. Common GA types are the Kings’ Quest and Myst series.
2. The music in these games mostly functions to:
a. Create an ambience
b. Engage, but not distract player, as it will be looped often and be heard many times
iv. Platforms
1. Games which features many levels and follow a fairly set path as the character makes its way from beginning to end.
2. The music in these games mostly functions to:
a. Provide a level of excitement
b. Show differences between levels
c. Encourage players
v. Role-Playing Games
1. Complex games with rich storyline and well-developed characters. Focus is more on fighting monsters and conquering evil.
2. The music in these games functions a lot like film scores:
a. Give character and area themes
b. Allow for emotional identification
c. Give a cinematic backdrop
d. Provide transition between plot elements
e. Immerse player more deeply in storyline
b. Interactivity – Recent developments unique to game music
i. Interactive music is essentially music which changes somewhat to fit player’s actions.
ii. In First Person Shooters, this could be specific to player actions—with the music sounding different if the player was being aggressive than it would if they were being stealthy.
iii. Could also involve the blending of two themes as a character passes between two areas or approaches a large monster.
iv. Challenge for video game music composers is to create a soundtrack which involves the player, since they are not merely passive observers as with movies, but simultaneously active participants and observers who control the action of the story.
v. The 2002 game, Rez, took this a step further, by creating a techno-based soundtrack that actually responded to onscreen actions. The game was met with mixed reviews, but is surely indicative of the future of game soundtracks: basically giving the player control over what he or she hears and making the gaming experience fully immersive and interactive.
c. Different Opinions and Approaches to Video Game Music Composition
i. “If you really do the music right, they're not gonna notice it.” – Mike Pummell
ii. “It’s sort of like writing for a string quartet…imagine having only four instruments, and you're going to produce 30 minutes of music. And you’re supposed to keep it interesting. That's the challenge.” – Pummell
iii. “In my career as a composer in the game industry I have had to convincingly compose Classical, Rock, Techno, Dance and Rap music.” – Darryl Duncan
iv. “For the theme song for Mission Impossible for Nintendo 64, I was given 125k [of memory]. I've seen word processor files bigger than that. I had to do the entire game; all the music you hear within the game; to fit within 350k.” – Duncan
v. “
How did it turn out?
