Video Game Design and Development: A Bit-by-Bit History of Video Game Music: Video Game Sound and Music
Posted 5 years 10 months ago by Abertay University
Chart the history of video game music, bit by bit
From early arcade games to modern open-world adventures, video game soundtracks have made an indelible mark on our culture.
On this course, you’ll get an introduction to video game music and the platforms that define it (including Atari and NES), focusing on the evolution of the classic 8-bit sound.
Featuring exclusive interviews with top video game composers and musicians, you’ll get hands-on with recorded examples, downloadable demos, and sample code.
You’ll draw on technology, musicology, and cultural studies to chart the development of the best video game music – from Pong to the complex arrangements of today’s first-person shooters.
This course is designed for anyone interested in game design and development. This includes those considering studying it at university and entering the games industry or becoming a video game music composer.
It will also appeal to anyone interested in electronic or gaming music, movie soundtracks, screen media, and video games.
Some experience of music notation and music theory would be helpful, but no prior knowledge is required or assumed.
No specific software or hardware is required for this course.
This course is designed for anyone interested in game design and development. This includes those considering studying it at university and entering the games industry or becoming a video game music composer.
It will also appeal to anyone interested in electronic or gaming music, movie soundtracks, screen media, and video games.
Some experience of music notation and music theory would be helpful, but no prior knowledge is required or assumed.
- Describe key moments in the development of video game soundtracks from the first generation of microcomputers and consoles to the present day
- Explain how the technical constraints of early video game consoles and home computers shaped the qualities of the music that was written for them
- Evaluate different approaches to writing and implementing interactive music for video games
- Discuss the main ideas of the course and share your insights with other participants