This dissertation explores how players’ interaction and engagement with video games affect their musical content.
The author builds principally upon previous research undertaken by Elizabeth Medina-Grey concerning video game music’s modular compositional process. He claims that the players of video games, though their vital role in the final realization of video game scores, act not merely as instruments in the composer’s vision but as co-composers in themselves.
The dissertation is in three parts. In the first part He will be explicating relevant scholars’ work, with some discussion and critique. The second part is devoted to an in-depth case study of the compositional process of the 2014 puzzle game Hexcells, to which He will apply theories and concepts explained in the first part. The final part is an extended discussion based on the findings in part two, ending with conclusions and implications.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Part One: Theory
3. Part Two: Hexcells
4. Part 3: Conclusions
5. Bibliography
Research Objectives and Themes
This dissertation examines the role of players in the creation of video game music, positing that players function as co-composers through their real-time interactions and decision-making processes within the game environment. By applying modular music theories to the puzzle game Hexcells, the study explores how non-musical choices, player error, and specific input methods directly shape the musical output, challenging traditional notions of authorship in interactive media.
- Analysis of modular composition in video game music.
- The role of the player as an "assembler" or "co-composer."
- Application of analytical play and stave notation to dynamic game scores.
- The impact of "non-musical choice" and "error" on musical generation.
- The relationship between generative scoring and the "composition-instrument" concept.
Excerpt from the Book
Hexcells’ input methods (left), and input results (right)
Each of these three results leads to the output of a piece of sound as aural feedback for the player, accompanying the visuals on screen. Successful inputs lead to the production of a single pitched tone. An error, on the other hand, produces a dull, percussive pulse, without a clear pitch. The results of this are the production of a stream of musical content, in the form of these pitched notes and unpitched pulses, that coordinate precisely with the player’s inputs. The specifics of this will be examined shortly. Applying the work of Elizabeth Medina-Grey discussed earlier and the three-step modular process she outlines, we can draw some interesting conclusions. The process outlined above effectively describes the musical assembly step of the process, as it demonstrates the player’s actions and the results of these in the game. When discussing the differences between the modular process in art music and that in video game music, Medina-Grey pointed out that the assembly step for video games can be far more complex, involving input variables beyond mere musical choice and human ‘randomness’. There are two important examples of this that are relevant here. The first of these is the idea of ‘non-musical choice’, where the player’s choices lead to intended in-game consequences but are not motivated by any kind of musical aims. The second is the phenomenon of error, where the actions of the player lead to unintended or unwanted consequences. A good example of this common to the medium of video games is an in-game player death, which will in the extreme majority of cases be an unintended outcome due to an error on the part of the player.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: This chapter introduces the core concept of player interaction in video games as a form of musical contribution, using hypothetical and real-world exhibition analogies to illustrate how engagement shapes individual auditory experiences.
Part One: Theory: This section establishes a theoretical framework by discussing modularity in music, citing scholars such as Tim Summers, Elizabeth Medina-Grey, and Axel Berndt to explain how "works in movement" and modular structures apply to dynamic video game scores.
Part Two: Hexcells: This chapter provides an in-depth case study of the game Hexcells, applying "analytical play" and musical transcription to demonstrate how the game's mechanics and player inputs generate a unique, responsive score.
Part 3: Conclusions: This concluding chapter synthesizes the findings to argue that players are active co-composers who hold agency in the generative process, suggesting that future developments in interactive media will further centralize the player's role in artistic production.
Bibliography: This section lists the secondary and primary sources utilized, including academic literature on ludomusicology and direct references to the games and software analyzed.
Keywords
Ludomusicology, Video Game Music, Modular Music, Co-composer, Generative Scoring, Hexcells, Analytical Play, Composition-Instrument, Interactive Media, Musical Agency, Non-musical Choice, Player Interaction, Stave Notation, Dynamic Music, Sound Design
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The dissertation explores how player interaction within video games influences musical content, arguing that players act as co-composers through their in-game actions.
What are the primary themes discussed in the work?
The main themes include modular composition, the role of agency in video game music, the intersection of game design and musical output, and the analytical methods used to study dynamic game scores.
What is the central research question?
The research asks to what extent a player, through their interaction and decision-making during a playthrough, can be considered a co-composer of the game's musical score.
Which methodology is employed in the study?
The author utilizes "analytical play," a methodology involving direct gameplay, screen recording, and the transcription of in-game audio into stave notation to examine musical mechanics.
What is covered in the main body of the dissertation?
The main body includes a theoretical review of modularity in music and a detailed case study of the minimalist puzzle game Hexcells, analyzing its audio systems and player-led musical outputs.
Which keywords characterize this study?
The study is characterized by terms such as ludomusicology, generative scoring, modular music, and player agency.
Why is the game Hexcells chosen for this case study?
Hexcells is selected because its clear, minimalist ruleset and specific interaction model make it an ideal "composition-instrument" to track how inputs directly correlate to specific musical sounds.
How does the author define the role of the player in music generation?
The author argues that players function as assemblers or co-composers because their choices, even when non-musical, trigger and shape the realization of the game's score.
What does the author conclude about the "work" in modular music?
The author suggests that the true identity of a modular musical work lies in its multiple versions or performances generated during play, rather than a fixed, pre-existing structure.
Does player error have an impact on the music in Hexcells?
Yes, player error in Hexcells triggers a specific "error module"—a percussive, unpitched pulse—which distinguishes incorrect gameplay from the harmonic rewards of successful moves.
- Quote paper
- Gilbert Price (Author), 2019, The Player-Composer. Interactive Video Games as a Medium for Collaborative Composition, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1000737
