Early video games were arcade machines the size of refrigerators that offered clunky, pixelated video, linear play and 8-bit sound typically limited to beeps and boops.
The evolution to 16-bit gaming ushered in home consoles. The video was blocky but better and offered quests and actions. The music improved, but the technology was still a significant limitation.
Finally, the fifth-generation gaming consoles and handhelds offered a quantum leap forward. Sony, Nintendo and PlayStation put players in control of 3D graphics, full motion, 360-degree video in millions of colors and CD-quality audio, some even providing Dolby surround sound capability.
“Music could turn games into unforgettable experiences – and transport gamers to somewhere else entirely, immersing them fully into the world,” says Audio Network. “Music in games, much like music in films, acts as a guide to the player.”
Students in the online Master of Music (M.M.) in Music Technology – Game Audio Technology Emphasis program from Southern Utah University gain firsthand knowledge of audio composition software and strategies for video games.
What Are the Unique Challenges of Video Game Audio Composition?
To engage viewers, a well-produced soundtrack for television and movies matches the mood and pace of the audio to the visual — somber in thoughtful scenes or edgy for tense ones. In fact, with subtitles turned on and sound turned off, viewers can easily see how missing music can make a show or film less interesting or impactful.
Similarly, the score for a video game engages players in the action. But the challenge goes beyond simply provoking an emotional response.
Video game composers must synch the audio to respond to actions that the players control. Like movie and TV scores, gameplay audio moves the story forward through melody, harmony and rhythm. However, video game audio immerses players in the experience by reacting in real time to their inputs.
To solve the challenge, developers use middleware to create and embed high-quality audio — sound effects, music and voiceovers — in games. This software simplifies the seamless integration of the three video game components: audio, video and the player.
Game developers license compositions and recordings from across the spectrum and rely on their audio teams to sample, adapt and customize content for different gamer audiences, which has a surprising secondary effect.
“Exploring video game music … made me realize that if I like something as niche as music made about video games, it wouldn’t hurt to try other genres,” the editor of The Oberlin Review writes.
How Do Musicians Gain Expertise in Top-rated Middleware?
Wwise ranks among the most popular specialized audio middleware engines because of its intuitive interface used to design and produce high-quality sound, flexible customization capabilities, time-saving efficiency and integration across the handheld and console gaming environment.
Working musicians with ambitions to excel in game audio development gain hands-on experience with the widely used Wwise through the M.M. Music Technology – Game Audio Technology Emphasis program curriculum offered online by Southern Utah University.
In addition to the Game Audio Implementation course, in which students explore Wwise and other game engines, the program provides professional feedback from industry-relevant, award-winning faculty, group experience with other musicians and compilation of a high-impact portfolio.
Graduates receive creative and technical experience they can apply in music departments at corporate and independent game studios as musicians, composers and editors.
Given the ongoing technological advances and the insatiable market appetite for new and novel games, experts estimated the 2020 global investment in the video game sector to be $167.5 billion, predicted to more than double to $291.2 billion by 2027.
“Game design careers often offer salaries that exceed the average income and provide opportunities for salary growth based on experience and dedication,” according to MarketSplash.
Learn more about Southern Utah University’s online Master of Music in Music Technology – Game Audio Technology Emphasis program.
