Press A to Play: The Power of Video Game Music
Fortnite. Photo by Yariv Ezrahi.
Let’s say, you are wandering around peacefully in a video game. The music is gentle and repetitive as you explore the area. Then – an enemy approaches, and the music changes. Suddenly, it is more intense and discordant, and reaches a climactic finish as you defeat the threat. A little tune plays to congratulate you on your victory, before the peaceful music swallows you back up.
The music in video games is a powerful part of the experience of playing and can completely shape the feeling of a game. It warns us of approaching dangers, hints at what is around the next corner, and celebrates achievements. However, composing it presents numerous challenges. The interactive nature of video gaming means that all music and sounds change depending on the movements of the player. To accommodate this, the music tends to be on a loop until the player does something new; if the player does nothing, then the music cannot develop. But, as you defeat an enemy, enter a new area, get a new achievement, and explore the game’s world, the music will change and evolve. In story-based games, areas and characters may have their own themes. Composers often use Wagnerian leitmotif techniques to develop these, so that the themes themselves come to reflect developments in the game. Plenty of examples of this can be found in music of The Legend of Zelda franchise. Additionally, some games let the player choose which music they want at certain points, such as Fortnite Lobby music – all this together means that you are basically in control of the music when you play! Writing music that is interesting, that captures the spirit and developments within a game, and also works in a loop, is a challenging feat.
The technology of gaming consoles themselves has provided another challenge. Older consoles, like the 1985 Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) where Super Mario Bros first appeared, were very limited in terms of sound: the NES had a five-channel system, where each channel produced a different type of sound. Only three of these channels could sound together at the same time, which forced composers to be creative within these restrictions. For example, the iconic Super Mario Bros theme is highly syncopated; by having the melody off the beat, it avoids too many parts sounding at once. Mario has kept this theme even as the technology of video game composing improved – the syncopation makes the theme even more iconic and memorable!
Despite being so popular, video game music has only recently begun to be taken seriously. Similarly to film music – which is now regularly heard on classical radio stations or even in concerts – video game music started outside of the classical mainstream and is slowly making its way in, both through academic study and orchestral performances. There are many reasons why this has taken so long: for one, video games are most often a way to relax and are associated with young people – perhaps this has made it difficult for concert programmers to understand the power and complexity of much of the music. Additionally, pieces that loop can be difficult to perform in a concert unless arranged into something bigger. While there is still a long way to go before it is taken as seriously as classical (or even film) music, it is common to see piano arrangements online, or orchestral arrangements of pieces in dedicated video game music concerts. So, the next time you are unwinding with a video game, see if you can notice how the music changes as you progress – and consider the challenging process the composer went through to make this possible!