Adaptive Musical Scores as a Functional Device in Games

In response to 'The Year I Gained Courage to Ignore Video Game Music'

The above article, in a nutshell, discusses one mans personal opinion that suggests music in a video game can be seen as superfluous. The writer of the article talks about how his feelings towards game music changed in 2010, where he opted to multitask during his gaming sessions and alternatively listen to a podcast or his own music on his iPod, instead of the non-diegetic music featured in the game. Red Dead Redemption acts as the basis for discussion and it was the game that triggered realisation. He talked about how RDR's score, not that it is a bad one, can be viewed as 'an optional garnish' to the aesthetic beauty of the game. The writer does however demonstrate his appreciation of how the musical soundtrack enhances a particular moment in the game. The below clip is the moment in which the player first steps foot/hooves on Mexican soil.

The song is 'Far Away' By 'Jose Gonzalez', it is only heard the once in the entire game, and in my opinion is an effective and refreshing approach to utilising modern game soundtracks. The thought that a player may turn the music off in the game, or listen to audio from an alternative source provokes a slight cause for concern amongst game developers. The intended emotions and narrative direction can become lost without the music present to evoke them.


Music as a Functional Device

This idea that music in games is superfluous, can be looked at in an opposing light, in some cases the audio is a functional device to help guide the player through the game. Take the game L.A. Noire as an example, where its music acts as a device in the crime cases to guide the player towards succession of a case. Within the first mission in the game, the HUD displays comments about how the player should use sound to their advantage (around 6 minutes in).

As shown above, the game gives indicators to listen to the audio and all these was devised using FMOD. The chimes are used to indicate an area of interest for the player, so often when they step past a clue in the case, the chimes are triggered. The music also fades when the player has located all of the clues, which demonstrates its functional use in-game to support the narrative. Without the sound, the player would lose a sense of direction within the game and its intentions would appear to be disjunct and unclear.

Games that are based in an open world environment, such as LA Noire, can use music or sound to guide the player through the narrative and supply them with audible information that allows them navigate through the game successfully. The Assassins Creed series is a another prime example in which adaptive music also serves a functional purpose within the game. In a stealth game, where the NPC's state is not always clear, music can act to inform. When the player is roaming the environment freely, they are able to do whatever they like, for example at any time they may choose to attack an NPC. The music or absence thereof can be used to inform the player if they have been spotted by an enemy guard or other game events. Playing the game with the absence of music could easily be done, but the quality of gameplay would significantly decrease as the player isn't receiving the intended information planted by the creators of the game. Also worth mentioning is the multiplayer mode in AC3, the player relies on sound in order to locate their target and pursuer, whispers indicate your pursuer is nearby and heartbeats indicate that your target is close. Although these are more sound effects, they share the same purpose.

To wrap up, if the music in a game acts to aid the gameplay in an informative way, then it is a necessary garnish to include whilst playing. I can however see it from another point of view, I
if it doesn't serve as functionality and its repetitive in its nature, then it could ultimately lead to distraction and a negative disposition to the game. One possible solution to this problem could be the inclusion of a generative music system, so that the music heard is never the same twice.