Video game genres and their music

Date
2010-03
Authors
Crathorne, Pieter Jacobus
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis’s main focus is the connection video game genres have to the music used within them. The thesis starts by going back to the origins of music and its connection to movement. This leads to a better understanding of why visual presentations through the ages have always been accompanied by sound. Next, different types of sound are studied, as well as how they are implemented in various media today. This leads a discussion of genre, and care is taken to differentiate between genres in video games and in music. This is then applied to the sphere of video game music, which is then observed from the perspective of the video game genre. Analyses of music excerpts from a specific video game are also included in this section. The reverse is then applied by approaching the issue of video game music from the perspective of the music genre. It is concluded that one needs to approach the matter of video game music genre from a new perspective, relying on the source of the music and the means of music integration, rather than on existing music norms.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis se hoofdoel is om die konneksie tussen videospeletjies, en die musiek wat daarin gebruik word, te ondersoek. Die tesis begin deur terug te gaan na die wortels van vroeë musiek, en hoe dit deur die jare ‘n noue verbintenis gehad het met beweging. Hierdie konneksie maak dit duidelik hoekom visuele produksies gewoonlik deur klank ondersteun word. Volgende word verskillende verskynsels van klank bestudeer, asook die maniere waarop klank vandag in verskeie media geïmplementeer word. Dit lei tot die kwessie van genre. Daar word onderskei tussen die genres van musiek en die genres van videospeletjies. Volgende word die area van videospeletjie-musiek bestudeer, uit die perspektief van die videospeletjie-genre. In hierdie seksie kan analises van musiekuittreksels uit ‘n videospeletjie gevind word. Die teenoorgestelde word dan toegepas, deur die kwessie van videospeletjie-musiek uit die oogpunt van die musiek-genre te bestudeer. Aan die einde word dit waargeneem dat videospeletjie-musiek nie deur die norme van musiek-genre bestudeer kan word nie, maar dat nuwe perspektiewe ingeneem moet word, naamlik die oorsprong van die videospeletjie-musiek, asook die manier waarop dit in die speletjie geïntegreer word.
Description
Thesis (MMus (Music)) --University of Stellenbosch, 2010.
Keywords
Video games, Gaming, Theses -- Music
Citation