Hi devs, i want to pick your brains. I’ve noticed that people get a hard-on everytime someone says they made 1000 songs that you can use for free. Problem here, at least to me, is that devs don’t learn to work with the composers and the lack of interactive music on their games. Games should have music that lives and breathes along with the decisions player makes (Explore-→ Combat etc.).

Another thing is cohesion. If you take a bunch of random music, it doesn’t have a cohesion. Player has nothing to hold on to. Of course you can repeat the same song but then repetition fatigueness comes a problem. For films and games, at least those which’ve made properly, have themes that you may carry for years and it reminds you of the game. Kind of like marketing. Think of Zelda or Star Wars. You can remember the themes they have even if you haven’t played/watched them in years.

TL;DR What is the function of music in your games? Is it necessary evil to fill the empty sound field? Do you think memorable themes belong to the past or do you think it’s part of the immersion?

Thanks, Lauri

7 hours ago, laurikoivisto said:

What is the function of music in your games? Is it necessary evil to fill the empty sound field? Do you think memorable themes belong to the past or do you think it’s part of the immersion?

The function of music in the games I've worked on depends on the game, its genre, its audience. For a solo puzzle game, pleasant but low-key music can aid the thoughtful/playful mood for the player. For story games, then I fall back on cinematic music principles: themes for characters, locations, or situations. The games I've enjoyed the most in recent years have memorable themes. I've seen my university students' faces light up if a video game theme comes over the music playlist during labs - they have such fond memories of Zelda music, for instance. I fell in love with the music of Bastion, Cloud Chamber, and Until Dawn - so, in my opinion, music is most definitely part of the immersion.

8 hours ago, laurikoivisto said:

Hi devs, i want to pick your brains. I’ve noticed that people get a hard-on everytime someone says they made 1000 songs that you can use for free. Problem here, at least to me, is that devs don’t learn to work with the composers and the lack of interactive music on their games. Games should have music that lives and breathes along with the decisions player makes (Explore-→ Combat etc.).

Yup, the problem is a la carte music is never going to sound as cohesive or work as closely with your unique game as working directly with a composer. 

Music should at times be wall paper and then at other moments music should help take center stage and really help propel the action/narrative forward. Sometimes music should be linear - a cutscene or a certain part of a game where choices are more limited and sometimes the music should be highly interactive - reacting to everything a player is doing. 

Music, and audio, at its core is manipulation. You're helping immerse the player into a fake world and make them feel like it is real. 

Licensing music tracks for a simple game - let's say with just a title theme and one looping background track might be okay. But for just about everything else, you're so much better served hiring and working with a composer directly. If only for the fact that your game now has a unique OST that can be bundled and sold as a special item on things like Steam and the press and social media interaction your composer will shed on the OST and your game might help with sales. 

One other facet to consider is sometimes composers/audio professionals have creative design ideas that can help influence and propel your game into new areas and new heights. 

Thank you both for your comments! Great, now we have a dev and a composer.

1 hour ago, Tom Sloper said:

I've seen my university students' faces light up if a video game theme comes over the music playlist during labs - they have such fond memories of Zelda music, for instance.

As a dev, do you think of other benefits of custom music other than musical? Referring to what Nathan said about selling OST and composers side of marketing.

Do you Nathan have any stories how you've convinced client to hire you instead of licensing tracks?