Difference between revisions of "Contextual Music"

Revision as of 02:20, 19 August 2011

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Synopsis

Relationships

Contexts:
Narrative , Emotional Script .
May relate to:
Diegetic Music .
Makes use of:
Music .

Description

Music is frequently used to characterise specific contexts. These contexts may be regions in the scenario, levels, categories of circumstances, etc.

A particular type of contextual variations on Music that we are addressing separately is the change according to the current of involvement in the game's conflict. Those explorations are integrated in the explorations of Relaxation, Anticipation, Engagement and Decay.

Contextual Music may come from the game world itself (Diegetic Music) although that is not the most frequent case.

Examples

Flower: An exploration of Contextual Music in the Menus, to unfold the Emotional Script along the experience. In the beginning of the game the Menu presents an Acoustic Ecology (predominantly Ambiance) allusive to a emotionally negative environment. As the game progresses, it becomes more positive and eventually it becomes highly rewarding, which also supports very effectively the inherent Narrative.

Loco Roco: The contextuality of Music is impressive. It depends not only on the level but also on the selected type of Loco Roco (they are 6 and can be chosen in any level). Also, Music is adapted to the acoustics of the space (e.g., reverberation inside an ice cave). Even more interestingly, the more the Loco Roco the more the singing voices, which impacts considerably in the Emotional Script. The Variety provided by all this contextuality enlarges the experience.

Oblivion: Music depends on space and highly related to the kind of emotions those spaces have to offer. In this example the change in the Emotional Script is perceptible.

Ocarina of Time: Music is dependent on the map region.