From TV shows to blockbuster movies, music has always had a starring role in entertainment. As gaming has become more advanced over the years, music has started having more of an impact on the games we play. Music serves a lot of purposes in video games, helping to make the gaming experience more immersive and something more than just stunning graphics on a screen. While the music in video games may go unnoticed by gamers, it’s not just background noise.
Instead, it is an important tool that shapes the atmosphere and directs emotional engagement in many gaming genres. You may have noticed that some of the best soundtracks pull you into the gaming world, helping you establish an emotional connection to the narrative and gameplay that wouldn’t be possible without it. Keep reading to learn more about how music impacts the
gaming experience.
Creating a Sense of Atmosphere
The way music is used to create a sense of atmosphere will have a lot to do with the game you’re playing. Music works differently in casual games to AAA titles, but in both gaming genres, it serves to connect players to the virtual world they’re in. Online casinos have faced the challenge of creating an authentic casino environment in a fully digital environment, and they have risen to the occasion with platforms designing virtual casinos that blur the lines between digital and physical establishments. While many focus on graphics when visiting these online platforms, background music also plays an important role in creating realism in these digital spaces.
For example, when a player sits down at the virtual roulette wheel in an online casino, the music accompanies them as the wheel spins. A soft melody may play at the beginning that becomes faster to build anticipation as the ball bounces around the pockets. There’s the clicking sound of the spinning wheel, combined with the distinct pings and clinks of the ball bouncing, that helps them forget they’re in a virtual casino instead of the real thing.
In fantasy games like Skyrim, the music helps underscore the grandeur of the world, while in sci-fi games, techno or electronic music is often used to match the futuristic setting. When developers get it right and make sure a game’s music matches its environment, the game is able to effectively transport players to the target destination, making them feel like they’re really
there.
Player Immersion and Focus
You may have seen studies here and there that talk about how music can help people focus on any number of tasks as well as improve their performance on different tasks. That’s one of the things that a good soundtrack excels at — getting players to focus on the gameplay and helping them to shut out distractions. When fast-paced music plays in a game, it can elevate adrenaline, making it easier for gamers to focus on intense game sequences. Music that plays at a slower clip can help players concentrate, and that’s one of the reasons you’ll often hear it when playing titles that require concentration, like puzzle or strategy games.
Adaptive and Dynamic Soundtracks
Gaming has come a long way thanks to technology, and one of the biggest innovations in gaming has been adaptive soundtracks. These soundtracks change based on your actions or the events unfolding in a game. You can see adaptive soundtracks at work in games like The Witcher 3 and Halo, where dynamic soundscapes shift with the gameplay, becoming more intense during a battle or calm during exploration. When a game’s soundtrack adapts based on what’s happening in the game, it creates a more responsive and personalized gaming experience.
Connection Between Gaming and Popular Music
As gaming has moved into the mainstream, its music has become an essential part of pop culture, with composers like Austin Wintory and Koji Kondo, who worked on titles like Journey and Super Mario Bros., having their work recognized outside of the gaming community. People have even lined up to attend live performances like Video Games Live, which showcases some of the world’s most popular gaming soundtracks.
