How Sound Design Shapes The Games We Love To Play

The importance of sound design in games

When we play our favorite computer games and casino games, the soundtracks are central to our enjoyment of the title. Here, The Hype Magazine explains all.

In 2020, games are immersive experiences. After all, continuous technological improvements mean that gaming experiences are improving all the time. As gamers currently battle about whether the PS5 or the XBOX X is better, one thing is clear: we now have a multitude of options when it comes to gaming experiences and both console providers are continually pushing the other to be better.

However, when many of us think about our favorite games, we often instantly think of the graphics and the gameplay options. But, although these are both vitally important to our enjoyment, there’s one element of gameplay that is often overlooked: the soundtracks. Here’s how sound design impacts our enjoyment of some of our favorite titles.

Games that Bring our Favorite Music to Life

It’s often easy for video and casino games, for example, to draw our attention by including our favorite tracks as part of the gameplay. After all, sports titles such as Madden NFL often include chart-topping hits from world-famous artists such as Snoop Dogg. Similarly, sticking with EA Sports, their popular FIFA franchise is responsible for launching the careers of popular artists such as CHVRCHES and Kings of Leon.

However, using pre-existing music to bring our gaming experience to life isn’t a technique that’s exclusive to video games. After all, many of our favorite casino games also use this technique. When we look at the slots games available at JackpotCity online casino, for example, we can see that many of their 400 slot games include music that was already in existence to create an immersive experience. This method allows slot games such as Agent Jane Blonde Returns to evoke feelings we’ve experienced in our favorite spy thrillers, while titles based on popular TV shows such as Deal or No Deal can use music we’ve heard on the show to make us feel like a contestant.

Games with Iconic Original Soundtracks

However, some gaming franchises choose not to include music we’ve previously heard. In the process of this, some of our favorite titles have created original soundtracks that have become iconic.

For example, when the now-legendary Super Mario Bros series was first launched by Nintendo in the 1980s, not only were we unaware of Mario and Luigi, but we were also completely unfamiliar with the game’s soundtrack, which was composed by Koji Kondo. However, fast-forward 35 years and the title music is now iconic. In fact, it was voted as one of the world’s most famous soundtracks by Wired magazine.

It’s a similar story when we consider the DOOM soundtrack, too. Mick Gordon’s masterpiece hadn’t been heard by anyone when the DOOM franchise launched in 1993, but now it holds a special place in our hearts. In fact, it has even been released on vinyl and a Spotify playlist dedicated to the soundtrack has garnered thousands of followers.

In summary, although the graphics and the gameplay options of our favorite games are all central to our enjoyment of them, we should always stop to appreciate the sound designs of the games we play, too. In fact, the sounds in our favorite games are integral to our enjoyment of them, even if we only enjoy them on a sub-conscious level. So, next time you’re wandering around the kitchen and you find that you’re humming a tune you can’t quite place, we bet there’s a decent chance it has come from one of your favorite games.

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About the Author

Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.