Viewing Thread:
"If Music be the Food of Gaming..."

For those of you who have studied Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night' then you will understand that the title of my post is a play on the words "If Music be the Food of Love then play on", but for those of you who were unaware then you needn't not worry as all will be revealed.

Music is a form of entertainment that dates back to as early as Bheatoven could pick up a music book and blast out a symphony, yet as time has advanced more and more Software/Hardware fixes have been released to create an experience which helps to bring the world of Video Games/Movies/CD's and other entertainment area to life in a way that our ears could never imagine. Dolby 5.1 and Dolby DTS bring sound into a 3 Dimensional atmosphere which puts the viewer into the heat of the action. There seems to be no limits to what the music industry can do with a set of Speakers and a Sub-Woofer (so to speak), yet it all seems far away from the average person's wallet and the average persons' will to want.

After Mono and Stereo sound were released people finally got a clear and precise set of sounds coming from the Television or Radio speakers, but now there is so much more to choose from. Over the past year Dolby Digital 5.1 systems have become more and more affordable to the average movie buff and Video Game fan and you can even pick up a full system for under £150 with just the click of 1 link (Tony and Schroeder slip the money under the door).

For those of you who are lucky enough to experience the delights of Home Cinema sound will know exactly what I am talking about, but for those of you who haven't get out and treat yourself (remember you only live once). The first film to contain full Home Cinema sound was Jurassic Park back in the early Nineties and the roar of a 'T-REX' travelling around 500 Watt Speakers was enough to give anyone the chills. As the film industry gradually introduced Dolby Digital sounds into their movies we then saw the release of DVD's. Unlike a VHS, DVD's support 5.1 and DTS play-back which puts the viewer into the centre of the action and into the heat of the game or film.

The newly released 'Training Day' displayed some of the most impressive 5.1 work that I have yet to experience on a DVD. Bullets dropped behind me, birds flew between speakers, I was Denzel Washington! After experiencing the delights of 'Training Day' in full surround sound I began to wonder what it would be like for games to sound this good. Microsoft's high flying Xbox is the first Games console to include a Dolby Digital 5.1/DTS ship which enables systems to run off the console to bring both the world of home movies and games into a fully interactive 3 Dimensional environment.

For those of you who own an Xbox will probably also own the award winning 'Halo' which is one of the most impressive video games of all time. Halo was the first game to be programmed to utilise the capabilities of a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound System. The main voices of the game come from the central speaker which should lie under your Television set and all the deep low sounds come from the Sub-Woofer (which can also act as an Air Conditioner ;)). To feel as though you are battling away on a different planet and hearing objects and people all around you is something that really has to be experienced to believe.

Dolby Digital mainly caters for the sound effects found in gaming, yet what about the music? The most impressive display of music I have yet to experience in both film and gaming is in Konami's master piece... 'Metal Gear Solid 2'! For the game Konami looked for the expertise of 'Harry Gregson' who composed the music for 'Gladiator' and other top Hollywood productions. Never before have I embraced such tension to be created by music in a video-game, everything from the opening bridge assault to the end of the tanker mission had my spine tingling with shivers. 'Metal Gear Solid 2' set the standard of what we should expect from a video-game in terms of music and so far developers have tried to emulate the success of the 'Playstation 2' title onto their next generation games.

After Bill Gates decided to include an 8GB Hard-Drive for the Xbox console everyone was left wondering what it would be used. After weeks of guessing Bill Gates and the 'Microsoft TM' revealed that for the first time ever you would be able to upload songs to the Xbox Hard-Drive and then play them back through a host of different titles. As some developers didn't want other sounds replacing the ones they had planned the stakes for in-game sound tracks became a lot higher. 'Jet Set Radio Future' contained tracks mixed by professional DJs to create a funky and stylish gaming environment, 'Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding' included 15 albums worth of music to play back through the game as well as utilising the Xbox play back feature and 'Grand Theft Auto 3' took the great radio stations from the first two in the series and made them even better, music was truly becoming "The Food of Gaming..."!

As Christmas arises once more and the New Year beckons what will be the new musical gadget of 2003? 6.1, 5.1, DTS... what ever next will companies come up with to drag the public into the heart of their productions? The future of sounds looks very bright for the gaming industry and I am glad to be a part of both Dolby Digital and Microsoft for the next 2 years of video-gaming and movies. Forget Mono, drop stereo and go out and become a part of feeding your brain with sounds that will make your ears dance all night long (figuratively speaking), if "Music be the Food of Gaming then Play on, Give me excess of it"!


Thankyou for Reading

Garbe123

I agree Beards, with a 5.1 system on Halo the radar no longer becomes a must as you can hear things around you.

Sound effects are necessary. I've lost far too many FPS games because didn't hear the person coming up behind me.

Yes, but these things are an optional extra. I don't feel I lose any of the experience of the likes of Tomb Raider when I put the TV on mute and listen to the radio whilst I play.

Plus, surround sound is pretty expensive, and in my book unnecessary. I care more about if the crowd is animated and you can hear the ball bounce than the background music, but it's just personal opinion, like I said before.

Honestly, can I share ANY of my views on this darned sight without being accosted?

;-)

Cheers Savatt and Tequila Sunset :) I agree, music is a core ingredient to create the perfect atmosphere and 5.1 brings it to life in a way that stereo and Mono just don't do. Thanks for the replies though!

El Blokey stop being such a closed minded fool and face up to the facts:

Sound effects don't create the atmosphere for the game, music does. One of the best examples of this is in Tomb Raider (good example because many have played it) when you encounter an area featuring a lot of enemies the music changes to a fast, powerful piece of music. This makes your adrenaline race and make the fight between you and your attacking foes more frantic and hi-octane because of the feeling the music gives you.
Calm music is often used when you reach large and beautiful areas of a game and for example in Shenmue the game features music authentic music to the area, music that you know comes from far-eastern regions.

Dolby Digital 5.1 sound is most definately a asset that people with a console that has compatibility should capatilise on. The immmersion that you experiance when playing a game with the rich sound and music that a game like Halo does it increases the games feeling of being there magnified seeming even closer. I'd rather hear the engines in PGR roar around me from all sides than buy a few half-decent games. Any self-respecting gamer WOULD get one and SHOULD buy one, it is an essential purchase.


Good post by the way Garbe :)

Good post mate. ;-) Well written.

Thanks and that fair enough :-)

Not at all. I thought it was a well written post. Just that I don't think having the sound of one set of footsteps behind you and another in front is all that important.

Cheers Gamezfreak! Its worth it even if you miss out on 2-3 games to raise the cash.

Intresting post.

I would really like to gain a nice 5.1 kit for my Xbox, I'll just have to try and raise cash....