Helios on 27 March 2009
| Killergran said: There are a couple of reasons why music does not take such a huge part in discussions around videogames. First off, technologically sound is already 100% realistic. Not like graphics and control, which continues to not mimic life very well. So there is really no arms race to produce the best sound, because it's already lifelike. There was such a race once, but game no longer stands out on sound quality. This means that the only distinction one can make in music these days is artistic. |
I disagree. There are still some technical hurdles left. Sampled instruments are still not perfect, and the race towards "interactive music" has only begun
OP: It is a well established fact that music is very important in setting the mood of a scene, and game designers certainly know as much. Visual elements take precedence, of course - as Killergran said, sight is our primary sense - but sound is still essential to our experience of the game. That's why sound (not music, really - it's mostly just ambience anyway) is so important in horror games, as they often rob us of sight and force us to rely on our other senses in an attempt to make us uncomfortable.
