Music is a powerful tool. It has been harnessed by humans for millennia to boost our productivity, lift our moods, and socialise with others.
Back in the first half of the 20th century, the UK’s BBC broadcast a radio programme every weekday titled “Music While You Work”. It was played in factories up and down the British Isles, using only tracks with an upbeat tempo to help boost the productivity of the nation’s workers.
Your Friday night trip to a club is also a case of using music as a tool. Sure, you might be having fun throwing shapes on the dancefloor with your friends, but it’s the music doing a lot of the heavy lifting as, without it, you wouldn’t have anything to dance to.
Music is also heavily used in the gaming industry. Just like with movies and television shows, music is used to complement the action that players see on screen, helping to move stories along without having to be explicit about every single development in the plot.
Here are some of the most common ways that music is used by the gaming industry.
Setting the Mood
Spooky movies often use creepy music to create a sense of fear and suspense. Happy movies, on the other hand, typically feature upbeat tunes to convey joy and excitement. Music has the power to instantly set the mood for a scene.
In video games, it’s the same. A space shooter might have a fast-paced, electronic soundtrack while a fantasy game might have a more epic, orchestral score. In every case, the music is specifically selected by the developer to help set the scene it wants you to see, hear, and feel as you play.
Telling the Story
Humans have been telling stories for as long as we’ve existed. From campfire tales to blockbuster movies, stories have a way of connecting us and making us feel something.
Video games are a special kind of storytelling. They let us step into different worlds and become the heroes (or villains) of our own adventures. And music plays a huge role in making these worlds feel real.
Music can also help tell the story. It can build excitement during a chase scene or create a sense of mystery in a dark dungeon. For example, in a racing game, the music might get faster as you speed up and more intense when you’re about to crash.
Similarly, online casinos use music in their slot games to help tell the story. For example, Eye of Horus is one of several popular Ancient Egyptian-themed titles that you can find at leading casino sites. It is set inside one of the famous Pyramids. Its hieroglyphic symbols and sandy aesthetic help to create a sense that you are exploring some of Egypt’s magical historic landmarks.
This is supported by the game’s soundtrack. Whilst it doesn’t feature blockbuster artists’ titles like Grand Theft Auto, its music has been carefully and considerately crafted to build suspense and set the story off by making maximum use of the hardware inside modern Nintendo consoles.
Making You Feel
Music can also make you feel emotions. A sad song can make you cry, a happy song can make you smile, and a scary song can make you jump.
In video games, music can help you connect with the characters and feel their emotions. It can make you feel triumphant when you win or heartbroken when you lose.
The Grand Theft Auto franchise is a great example of this, though it is by no means an outlier in this regard as most titles do it, but GTA’s melodies are some of the most famous. Whenever you complete a mission in the game, an upbeat jingle plays to create a sense of celebration or achievement. But if you fail by being killed in the game, then a sharp tone is played, creating a very different set of emotions in you.
So, next time you’re playing a video game, pay attention to the music. It’s more than just background noise. It’s a powerful tool that helps bring the story to life.