Task 1
Exercise a: Video Game Music and Effects
1: Game: Penumbra
Track: Close to Evil
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qNgJeJwzNk
Penumbra is a horror game that really relies on it's music and sound effects to create a creepy atmosphere. This track begins to play when an enemy is near, and it really works. It's a really intense track, and it gets your heart pounding because you know that any second something could come running towards you. As well as creeping out the player, it also helps them, because it's giving them a warning. The player will be a lot more careful when exploring and will be prepared for the worst.
2: Game: Mirrors Edge
Track: The Shard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZoHgTle2fw
Mirrors Edge is a free running game that involves a lot of action and intense moments. This track plays on the last level of the game, that involves lots of fighting and loud gunfire. I think the opening of this track fits really well, because it's like the calm before the storm, and as you go through the level the track changes between intense and calm as certain things happen.
3: Game: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Track: Endgame/Final Fight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sInUQYOhS9w
This track plays at the end of Modern Warfare 2 as a fight breaks out between the antagonist and one of the main characters. The music is very dramatic and fits with the scene, and it keeps repeating, making it seem like all is lost and the battle is going to keep going. That is until the sudden loud part towards the end, when your character manages to kill the antagonist.
4: Game: Animal Crossing
Track: The Whole Soundtrack
Animal Crossing uses relaxing music since it's a life simulation game. The music track changes every hour, so if you play the game a lot it's easy to tell what time of day it is just by listening to the music. The earlier times in the morning tend to have weirder sounding tracks, but as the day goes on the tracks become quite relaxing. There also different tracks in each shop, when you catch insects etc. The soundtrack does a good job of making the player feel relaxed, excited, and it gives the game and its characters lots of character.
5: Game: LIMBO
LIMBO is a very mysterious game, and so is the soundtrack which is why it fits so perfectly. The tracks use soft sounds, but manage to sound sinister as well as relaxing at times.
Exercise b: Key Words
Waveform: A waveform is the shape of a sound wave, often seen in recording software.
Wavelength: The wavelength is the distance from crest-to-crest between waves.
Amplitude: The amplitude is the height of a wave. The quieter the sound, the lower the wave. The louder the sound, the higher the wave.
Frequency: The frequency is the amount of waves. More waves = higher frequency.
Pitch: The pitch is how high or low sounding the sound is. If something is "high pitched" then it's more squeaky, if something is "lower pitched" then its sounds more bassy.
Hertz: The unit for frequency.
Foley: Foley is the making of artificial sounds. E.g. a slapping sound could be created by something clapping their hands, not actually slapping someone around the face.
Task 2
Sound as Information
In video games, sound can be used to tell the player something. This includes, music sound effects and speech.
1: The Super Mario Games & Other platformers.
In the Mario games, you have to collect coins to up your score. When a coin is collected, a sound effect is played. This means that even if you aren't paying attention to that certain part of the screen, you'll know that you've collected a coin because of the sound effect. The same thing is used in many other games such as Sonic The Hedgehog. Other playing actions also trigger sound effects, such as picking up a life, losing the game, killing and enemy etc.
2: The Stanley Parable
The Stanley Parable is a game that has a narrator constantly communicating with you and telling the story as you play. He always tells you how your character is feeling, where you should go, and he even shows his own emotions depending on what you do.
3: Amnesia: The Dark Descent (horror game)
In Amnesia, the music plays a huge part in controlling the players emotions. In the main areas of the game the music makes the player feel uneasy, and that anything could suddenly happen. When enemies are near, you can hear the grunting of moaning, and walking around, and the music becomes more tense the closer they get to you. If you're being chased the music becomes very loud, almost as if it's screaming "run!" at the player. There are also smaller sound effects used throughout the game, for example the sound of glass breaking, books falling off a shelf, and other things to improve the games ambience.
Task 3
Sources of Music and Sound Effects
1. Incompetech
Incompetech is a site created by a composer called Kevin MacLeod. All of the music is royalty free, and to use it all the have to do is credit Kevin in your work.
2. Freesound.org
Freesound is a site that contains user uploaded sound effects. All of the sounds are creative commons licensed.
3. Produce your own
Lots of game developers produce their own music, or have other people on the development team produce it. External bands and composers may also contribute.
Task 4
The Purpose of Video Game Music
1. Horror Games e.g. Amnesia and Outlast
Horror games heavily depend on the music and sound effects to immerse the player. Games like Amnesia use lots of ambient sounds such as wind whistling past, things smashing and creaking etc. The music in horror games usually changes depending on the situation. In a mysterious dark area, the music could sound mysterious and creepy, making the player scared as they think about the possibility of something jumping out at them. Horror games also sometimes use soothing music, but with a hint of creepiness added. This keeps the player on edge and makes them unsure as to whether they're safe or not. When something fast paced is happening such as a chase, the music may become loud and intense, and also increase in speed. The purpose of this is to get the players blood and adrenaline pumping.
2. Counter Strike: Global Offensive
Counter Strike does use some music to make the experience more intense. At the start of the match some slower music will play. I see it as preparation music and it's building up to the action that will take place during the match. There is also music that plays when the bomb is planted, and it starts off soft and gradually builds up to the explosion of the bomb. This music always gets my heart pumping, especially if I'm the last player left alive during that round. The overall purpose of CS:GO's music is to hype up the players and get them in the mood.
3. Dark Souls 2
For Dark Souls 2 I am mainly going to talk about the sound effects. Dark Souls 2 is a very challenging game that has a dark, gloomy and gothic style. For lots of areas I've found that the game is pretty quiet, but I think this works, because you have no idea about which enemy you're going to encounter next. It also adds a creepy feeling to the game when all you can hear is your echoing footsteps. When entering a battle the game becomes louder with lots of attack and enemy sounds, and when paired with the quietness of the game this works really well because it makes encounters more sudden, and the player has to think fast at the same time as being startled.
Task 5
Copyright and Legal Issues
When taking music or sound effects to use in your game, there are things that you need to consider. Firstly, you need to check if the music is copyrighted, and how you can get your hands on it. If it's copyrighted, you may not be able to use it. However, you could buy the rights to it, but it could be quite expensive. You could also get permission from the artist, and they might let you use the music as long as you give them credit.
Some music is royalty free, which means it can be used by anyone. However, you still need to credit the artist. If the track is licensed with creative commons you also need to mention that.
There are some organisations such as PRS that manage artists rights and who can access the music.
