Guitar Heroes - by SNDR

In the design research investigation Listen! the multi-disciplinary collaboration between game design and audio design students is researched. The research focuses on gathering more insight in the creative design process of game audio and presents general recommendations and pitfalls for the development of game audio.

Some of the research outcomes were presented at DiGRA 2011 and the submitted paper can now be downloaded below. This is a Utrecht School of the Arts Creative Design Practices Research Program project.

• Download from the DiGRA library
• Download Listen! – Improving the Cooperation between Game Designers and Audio Designers
• Alternative link: http://bit.ly/gameaudio

Screenshot of Biophilia

If you’re into adaptive/interactive music, you should definitely check out the Biophilia app by Björk. This ‘full-length app-album’ is an interesting application in which studio-produced music, music apps and visual art meet.

Today is the official release of the alpha version with all the music tracks that can be bought from the free main (mother) app. The beta was published earlier this year.
[Björk website]
[iTunes link]

IEZA framework can be used to conceptualise the communication by means of game audio

The URL is:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEZA_Framework

Remember Colin Firth’s appearance in “The Kings Speech” (2010)? In this movie the king has severe problems with public speeches and I was really impressed hearing Colin Firth stammering in such a monotone manner. Some time ago I found an actual recording of King George VI opening an exhibition in Scotland and you can clearly see the reference to this original footage (please click the video if it doesn’t play). The speech starts after 2 minutes.

1. Het bijzondere verhaal achter de prachtige menu-muziek van Killzone 3 [T]
2. Mooie gamesmuziek: mag dat? [T]
3. Lost in translation: begrijpen developers en componisten elkaar wel? [T]
4. Interactieve gamesmuziek: de adaptieve oplossing [T]
5. Vier initiatieven en events over gamesmuziek [T]
6. Beluister 5 unieke, muzikale pitches [T]

What it’s about:

1. The remarkable story behind the beautiful menu music in Killzone 3. Composer Joris de Man about the music in Killzone 3. [T]
2. Beautiful game music: is that allowed? Discussion about whether game music should be ‘beautiful’. [T]
3. Lost in translation: do developers and composers understand each other? [T]
4. Interactive game music: the adaptive solution. Using adaptive music in games. [T]
5. Four initiatives and events about game music in the Netherlands. [T]
6. Listen 5 unique musical pitches. Compare five tracks of the pitch for one game. [T]

The game studio FluffyLogic invites you to create some original music for their new social game Ur Zoo.

The lucky winner’s music will feature in the game and their name will appear in the game credits!

See: http://www.fluffylogic.net/2011/07/ur-zoo-social-game-music-competition/

Pointer to a symposium in the Netherlands:

VIDEOGAME MUSIC: PLAY, FANS, SPACE

13 September 2011
Utrecht University, NL
Music is vital to videogaming. A game soundtrack draws players into the game space’s atmosphere with heroic melodies, exotic drums or spooky white noise; it enables them to identify characters and situations through leitmotifs; it warns them for imminent danger and helps them navigate through fights with 3D sound clues. Videogame music is also very popular outside the direct gaming context. Game soundtracks are commercially successful and are performed by full orchestras at game music concerts. Fannish engagement with videogame music has led to worldwide communities creating game music remixes, mash-ups and parodies.

With internationally renowned speakers from the fields of game studies and game music research, game designers and students, this one-day symposium at Utrecht University seeks to outline an agenda for videogame music research. The symposium investigates music’s contribution to three important domains of videogaming: Play, Fans, and Space. In addition, a game music workshop will enable researchers, students, designers and gamers to join forces in the development and study of videogame music.

Keynote speakers
Karen Collins (Waterloo University, Canada).
http://www.gamessound.com/
Mads Haahr (Dept Computer Science at Trinity College Dublin, Haunted Planet Studios)
http://www.hauntedplanet.c​om/
Joost Raessens (Utrecht University, Center for the Study of Digital Games and Play (GAP))
http://www.gamesandplay.or​g/

Where and when
13 September 2011, 9:30-17:00
Sweelinckzaal, Drift 21, Utrecht, Netherlands
Admittance free

Edit – a day report written by Maria Koomen can be found here:
http://newmediastudies.nl/magazine/videogame-music-symposium-play-fans-space-overview

28 July the music of Iron Grip, the game by Tim van Geel, componist and designer ISOTX.
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/tim-van-geel/10/5b0/890
15:30, Dutch Game Garden, Neude 5, Utrecht

Sign up: martine [AT] dutchgamegarden.nl

Click to hear Richard Dreyfuss.