Music in Indie video games: a composer's perspective on musical approaches and practices
Date
2016
Authors
Harbour, Tim
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
In this part-written, part-composed creative research project I consider the music of ‘indie’
video games, specifically exploring some of the myriad dynamic compositional approaches
in this particular category of game development. In my written work I analyse three indie
video games – Braid (2008), Fez (2012) and Journey (2012) – each of which use unique
methods to apply music dynamically. I use interviews with the games’ creators, as well as
close analysis and transcription of significant sections of each video game, in order to reveal
how music is used to provide the player with a more immersive, satisfying, and involving
gaming experience. I also consider the use of ambient music in indie video games, a
common feature of a large number of contemporary games, weighing up its merits and
limitations. Musical concepts and compositional approaches raised in my written work have
informed the portfolio of compositions submitted for this degree, and, similarly, my creative
work has informed my analytical research. My creative work explores, amongst other
aspects, indeterminate form, ambient music, and ways of ‘looping’ material in the creation
of unrepeatable structures. This thesis also considers music which functions narratively in
games – a function that might necessitate a greater degree of musical linearity — and how
this musical role might be incompatible with the demands of interactivity.
After briefly introducing the concepts dealt with across this thesis in Chapter 1, Chapters 2
to 4 take the form of case studies of the indie games mentioned above, with each chapter
tackling unique challenges that game composers face when writing music for non-linear
games, by which I mean games structured so that not all players will experience the content
in the same order due to player agency. More specifically, Chapter 2 deals with the game
Braid and its use of pre-composed, licensed music and how the game’s developer applies
this music dynamically to the game. Chapter 3 deals with Fez and its mainly adaptive musical
approach, its built-in software music engine, ‘Fezzer’, which allows for a composer to input
and manipulate musical loops in the game, and nostalgia in indie video game aesthetics.
Chapter 4 centres on the video game Journey and on how autonomous, ‘narrative’ music in
video games might be seen to exist in opposition to music’s ability to be truly dynamic.
Finally, Chapter 5 reflects on my own creative work for this thesis; how concepts from the
case studies have informed my creative work and vice versa.
Description
A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in
fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Music
Johannesburg, 2016
Keywords
Citation
Harbour, Tim (2016) Music in Indie video games: a composer's perspective on musical approaches and practices, University of the Witwatersrand, <http://hdl.handle.net/10539/22634>