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.
Of course, if we're talking about actual music, it should be crafted in such a way that it doesn't annoy the player after a while. Most games, in this day and age, can last for hours and you're not going to want to hear the same repetitive loop without a break. For this reason, it's important to create audio that doesn't drone on players. You may wonder how this can be done but there are a few examples of composers who have done this rather well.
Koji Kondo, in my view, stands as one of the most effective video game composers of all time. One of the reasons for this was his ability to create soundtracks that did not annoy the player. When he created a song, be it for "The Legend of Zelda" or another game entirely, he wanted to do so with the idea that players would not tune out. The fact that he would listen to his creations for an hour, to see if they started to grate on his nerves or not, showed just how vital music in game design truly is.
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.
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.
Of course, if we're talking about actual music, it should be crafted in such a way that it doesn't annoy the player after a while. Most games, in this day and age, can last for hours and you're not going to want to hear the same repetitive loop without a break. For this reason, it's important to create audio that doesn't drone on players. You may wonder how this can be done but there are a few examples of composers who have done this rather well.
Koji Kondo, in my view, stands as one of the most effective video game composers of all time. One of the reasons for this was his ability to create soundtracks that did not annoy the player. When he created a song, be it for "The Legend of Zelda" or another game entirely, he wanted to do so with the idea that players would not tune out. The fact that he would listen to his creations for an hour, to see if they started to grate on his nerves or not, showed just how vital music in game design truly is.
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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