This document discusses different types of music and sound used in video games. It describes dynamic audio that responds to gameplay, such as the music speeding up as time runs out. It also discusses diegetic sounds that occur within the character's space, such as ambient noises, and non-diegetic background music. Additionally, it mentions kinetic interaction where players use controllers to generate diegetic sounds, such as playing an instrument. Finally, it notes different genres tend to use certain music styles, like atmospheric music in horror games to create tension.

1. Music inVideo Games

2. Dynamic Audio: Sound which reacts to
changes in the gameplay environment and/or
in response to a user.
• Adaptive Audio respond to an event that the
player triggers eg.When doing a challenge
with a time constraint, as the time runs out the
tempo gets faster.
• Donkey Kong Game Boy
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1SUcCgw
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• Interactive Audio: Respond to the player
directly for example sound effects related to a
character jumping. Pressing the button again
will play the sound again to match the action.
• Mario jumping sound
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVYH6XP
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3. Diegetic sounds: sounds that occur in the character’s
space similar to Diegetic music used in film
• Non-dynamic diegetic audio: the sound event
occurs in the character’s space, but with which
the character has no direct participation.
• For instance, in Portal when Chell (your
character) comes across the radio that plays
the main theme in a more upbeat way.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mD3v1B_a
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• Adaptive diegetic audio. In Legend of
Zelda: Ocarina ofTime, at dawn we hear a
rooster crow, and in the “day” sequences of
Hyrule Field, we hear pleasant bird sounds.
When the game’s timer changes to night-time,
we hear a wolf howl, crickets chirp, and various
crows cawing.These sounds are diegetic and
adaptive.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfrhek3O8
ew&index=32&list=PLDDC74011619A10AE

4. Diegetic sounds: sounds that occur in the character’s
space similar to Diegetic music used in film
• Interactive diegetic sounds occur in the character’s space, with which the player’s
character can directly interact.
• In Zelda opening a chest and receiving an item play two sounds.
• Opening treasure box:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdOOGs33hOg&index=7&list=PLDDC74011619
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• Receiving item:
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wP2zuMc6jOs&index=8&list=PLDDC74011619
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5. Non-diegetic sound: background music and
sound effects
• Interactive non-diegetic sounds are sound
events occurring in reaction to gameplay. For
example in Skyrim when a dragon approaches
signifying the beginning of a battle sequence.
• Day time ambient music
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dO9W0Ha
UJ4&list=PL356BBB63A413A215&index=7
• Dragon fight
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_gcNzSb0
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• Non-dynamic linear sounds: Usually the
introductory movies or cut-scenes in games.
Players have no control over these sounds.
• Call of Duty: ModernWarfare 3 Opening
Cutscene
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQz66naGJ
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• Note this contains dialogue, non-diegetic and
sound effects.

6. Kinetic gestural interaction in which the player
bodily participates with the sound on screen.
• This can be exampled in Zelda: Ocarina ofTime
by playing the ocarina during gameplay
whereby the character pushes a series of
buttons to produce diegetic sound.
• Here Link is taught to play Zelda’s Lullaby on
his ocarina using buttons on the Nintendo 64
controller.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVL6VVw4
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• This can also be directly exampled in games
such as Rock Band and Guitar Hero where
players have instrument shaped controllers to
respond to instructions on screen.

7. Genres define the music composed
• Action role-playing game
• Skyrim
• NightTime Music
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu8hU
AeWg2Q
• DayTime Music
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZkezS
UA4zk&list=PL356BBB63A413A215&index
=8
• First Person Shooter
• Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDmZ
o4vEsBo
• Survival Horror Game
• Amnesia:The Dark Descent
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWgs
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• Atmospheric music to create tension and
incite fear

8. • Resources
• http://gamessound.com/learning.htm