Understanding Game Scoring: The Evolution of Compositional Practice for and through Gaming (Perspectives on Music Production)

161 Pages·2021·8.711 MB·English

by  Mack Enns

UNDERSTANDING GAME SCORING
Understanding Game Scoring explores the unique collaboration between gameplay and com-
position that defines musical scoring for video games.
Using an array of case studies reaching back into the canon of classic video games, this
book illuminates the musical flexibility, user interactivity and sound programming that
make game scoring so different from traditional modes of composition. Mack Enns explores
the collaboration between game scorers and players to produce the final score for a game,
through case studies of the Nintendo Entertainment System sound hardware configuration,
and game scores, including the canonic scores for Super Mario Bros. (1985) and The Legend
of Zelda (1986).
This book is recommended reading for students and researchers interested in the compo-
sition and production of video game scores, as well as those interested in ludo-musicology.
Mack Enns is a Research Assistant Professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, specializing
in music design and programming for video games and interactive media, music technology
and popular music studies.
Perspectives on Music Production
Series Editors:
Russ Hepworth-Sawyer, York St John University, UK.
Jay Hodgson, Western University, Ontario, Canada.
Mark Marrington, York St John University, UK.
This series collects detailed and experientially informed considerations of record production
from a multitude of perspectives, by authors working in a wide array of academic, creative
and professional contexts. We solicit the perspectives of scholars of every disciplinary stripe,
alongside recordists and recording musicians themselves, to provide a fully comprehensive
analytic point-of-view on each component stage of music production. Each volume in the
series thus focuses directly on a distinct stage of music production, from pre-production
through recording (audio engineering), mixing, mastering, to marketing and promotions.
Gender in Music Production
Edited by Russ Hepworth-Sawyer, Jay Hodgson, Liesl King and Mark Marrington
Mastering in Music
Edited by Russ Hepworth-Sawyer and Jay Hodgson
Innovation in Music
Future Opportunities
Edited by Russ Hepworth-Sawyer, Justin Paterson and Rob Toulson
Recording the Classical Guitar
Mark Marrington
The Creative Electronic Music Producer
Thomas Brett
3-D Audio
Edited by Justin Paterson and Hyunkook Lee
Understanding Game Scoring
The Evolution of Compositional Practice for and through Gaming
Mack Enns
For more information about this series, please visit: www.routledge.com/Perspectives-on-
Music-Production/book-series/POMP
UNDERSTANDING GAME
SCORING
The Evolution of Compositional
Practice for and through Gaming
Mack Enns
First published 2022
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2022 Mack Enns
The right of Mack Enns to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him
in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in
any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter
invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered
trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to
infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Enns, Mackenzie, author.
Title: Understanding game scoring: the evolution of compositional
practice for and through gaming / Mackenzie Enns.
Description: [1.] | Abingdon, Oxon; New York: Routledge, 2021. |
Series: Perspectives on music production | Includes bibliographical
references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2021029237 (print) | LCCN 2021029238 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Video game music—Instruction and study. | Video game
music—Production and direction. | Composition (Music)—Collaboration.
Classification: LCC MT64.V53 E65 2021 (print) | LCC MT64.V53 (ebook) |
DDC 781.5/4—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021029237
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021029238
ISBN: 978-0-367-49283-0 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-367-49281-6 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-04546-5 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003045465
Typeset in Bembo
by codeMantra
CONTENTS
List of figures viii
List of tables x
Preface xi
1 An introduction to game scoring 1
Disasterpeace and FEZ: a case study of game scoring 4
Music system overview: sequence context menu 6
Music system overview: scripts browser 7
Music system overview: main composition sequencer 9
Game scoring as a unique mode of musical composition 11
Methodology and outline 11
2 Game scoring’s interactive multimedia context 20
Spatial emulation, the gaming “diegesis,” and game scoring 20
Interactivity: a new element 22
Audial responsibility in the interactive multimedia text: a case study of the score
for The Legend of Zelda (1987) 23
Case study conclusions: John Cage and game scoring as aleatoric composition 26
Game scoring taxonomy: Title Music 27
Game scoring taxonomy: Source Music 34
Source Music case study: Kondo’s “Lost Woods” vs. Vreeland’s “Reflection” 38
Game scoring taxonomy: Results Music 40
Chapter conclusions 45
vi Contents
3 Game scoring and gaming technology 49
Case study — the Nintendo Entertainment System’s sound hardware configuration 50
Channel overview: pulse wave channels 51
Channel overview: triangle wave channel 53
Channel overview: noise channel 54
Channel overview: delta modulation channel 55
NES game scoring techniques 56
NES game scoring techniques: 2-channel echo 56
NES game scoring techniques: single-channel echo 57
NES game scoring techniques: arpeggio and psychoacoustic block chords 58
NES game scoring techniques: TWC kick drum sounds 59
NES game scoring techniques: melodic samples 59
Putting it all together: the APU mixer 62
Case study summary 62
Game scoring taxonomy: Logo Jingles 63
Game scoring taxonomy: Loading Music 65
Game scoring taxonomy: voice acting and vocals 67
Chapter conclusions 68
4 Game design and game scoring as software programming 75
Game scoring taxonomy: Introduction Music 75
Game scoring taxonomy: Demo Music 77
Game scoring taxonomy: Gameplay Music 78
Gameplay Music: Hub Music 80
Gameplay Music: Area Music 84
Area Music case study: game scoring as mimetic music technology in
Tetris (1984) and Guitar Hero (2005) 84
Gameplay Music: Area Music (cont.) 87
Gameplay Music: Time System Jingles 91
Gameplay Music: Battle Music 92
Gameplay Music: Rest Music 97
Gameplay Music: Dialogue Music 98
Dialogue Music case study: the Owl and Link’s Awakening 100
Gameplay Music: Challenge Music 102
Chapter conclusions 103
Contents vii
5 Game scoring: gameplay as performance of aleatoric composition 107
Before video games: the aleatoric tradition 107
A note on sound effects 110
Case study: Super Mario Bros. (“World 6-2”) 112
Game scores vs. game soundtracks: Super Mario Bros. on CD 118
Case study conclusions 120
Game scoring taxonomy: Menu Sound Effects 120
Mario menus: a case study of Menu Sound Effects in two Super Mario games 120
Menu Sound Effects, cont. 124
Game scoring taxonomy: Menu Music 125
Game scoring taxonomy: Status Music (Gameplay Music, cont.) 128
Game scoring taxonomy: Gameplay Sound Effects 130
Game scoring taxonomy: “Ambiences” or Ambient Sound Effects 134
Chapter conclusions 136
6 Game scoring: conclusion 138
Future directions 140
Significance 141
Implications 141
Conclusion 142
Index 145
FIGURES
1.1 Super Mario Bros. “Flagpole Fanfare” score 2
1.2 Super Mario Bros. “Death Sound” score 3
1.3 FEZ screenshot 5
1.4 FEZ screenshot ii 6
1.5 Fezzer sequence context menu 6
1.6 Fezzer scripts browser window 8
1.7 FEZ screenshot iii 8
1.8 Fezzer main composition sequencer window 10
2.1 FEZ screenshot iv 21
2.2 The Legend of Zelda screenshots i, ii 24
2.3 The Legend of Zelda “Game Over” score 24
2.4 The Legend of Zelda “Ending” score excerpt 25
2.5 Zelda no Densetsu: The Hyrule Fantasy screenshots i, ii; The Legend of Zelda
screenshots iii, iv 28
2.6 The Legend of Zelda “Flute” score 29
2.7 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time screenshots i–v 30
2.8 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild screenshot 32
2.9 Super Mario Odyssey screenshot 32
2.10 Final Fantasy screenshot 33
2.11 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City screenshot 37
2.12 Wave Race 64 screenshots i–iv 41
2.13 Metroid screenshots i–iv 42
2.14 Metroid “Ending” score excerpt 43
3.1 Pulse wave channel envelope shapes 52
3.2 Pulse wave channel duty cycles 52
3.3 Noise channel envelope shapes 55
3.4 Sonic Mania Plus screenshots i, ii 65
3.5 Street Fighter II screenshot 68
Figures ix
4.1 Super Mario RPG screenshots i–vi 76
4.2 Super Smash Bros. screenshots i–vi 78
4.3 Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island screenshot 81
4.4 Super Mario 64 screenshots i–iv 83
4.5 Tetris screenshot; Guitar Hero screenshot 85
4.6 FEZ screenshot v 88
4.7 Street Fighter II screenshot ii 93
4.8 Final Fantasy “Battle Theme” score excerpt 94
4.9 Final Fantasy screenshot ii 94
4.10 Gimmick! screenshots i, ii 97
4.11 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time screenshots vi–ix 100
4.12 The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening screenshots i–vi 101
5.1 Super Mario Bros. labelled screenshot map i 113
5.2 Super Mario Bros. labelled screenshot map ii 115
5.3 Super Mario Bros. labelled screenshot map iii 116
5.4 Super Mario Bros. labelled screenshot map iv 117
5.5 Super Mario Bros. 3 screenshots i–iv 121
5.6 Super Mario Odyssey screenshots ii–iv 122
5.7 The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past screenshot; The Legend of Zelda:
Ocarina of Time screenshot x; The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
screenshot; The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap screenshot; The Legend
of Zelda: Twilight Princess screenshot; The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between
Worlds screenshot 126
5.8 Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island screenshots ii–v 130
5.9 The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker screenshot ii 132
5.10 Metal Gear Solid screenshot 133
5.11 Hyper Light Drifter screenshot 134