In many JRPG and platformer video games, dynamics in their soundtracks seem to be completely taken out of the equation. Why is that so?
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Games can tailor the volume of the sound track to the events within the game. Look at the most recent Doom game and you can see that the metal music is synchronized to the player and will change due to their activity. In the games you reference they may desire to increase or decrease the volume based on the scene but not know where in the soundtrack it will be at the time.
Good question. It’s something that’s not really applied to video games – not out of necessity or optimization but the fact that limited hardware in the past didnt allow for it. Wasting precious code bytes on messing around with volume and tone and pitch meant less game mechanics could be added.
As for now, it’s probably nostalgia combined with the fact that video game soundtracks don’t need to be flashy or unforgettable – there is an enormous product, and music is one small part of it. Much smaller part than it would be to a Movie, atleast.
I don’t find the idea of “they’re not there to draw attention” appealing – plenty of games I know have done exactly that. It’s just that these games are styled like the old ones but run like ass compared – they use more resources than they’re supposed to. There is always going to be a limited amount of talent present when creating a game, and now that hardware limitations don’t need to be played around with we can see more and more creative people who don’t have much of an idea how to optimize resource usage creating stellar video games.
Even some indie games, like my favorite “Darkwood” have tended towards fulfilling the desire set in your question.
Soundtracks in game are generally there to enhance the experience and not necessarily draw attention. Having any given track be somewhat “consistent” helps like that, although it’s far from mandatory, especially if the composer is confident. Another option is to have the soundtrack change dynamically, such as, for instance, changing volume and instrumentation based on the amount of action going on (as is done in NieR: Automata, for example) or by making sure certain parts of the track are synced with certain events (as is done in the Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance boss fights). In this case, it’s easier for the soundtrack not be “consistent” while still not taking away from the action, since it is exactly where and how it needs to be in any given moment.
I recall reading that video game music is best for productivity, as it’s designed to keep the listener engaged without being distracting. That may have something to do with it.
Depends on how important music is to the games. Most JRPGs aren’t going to have dynamic sounds because it doesn’t add anything to the game. Meanwhile in shooters like Division 2, music changes a lot based on the environment around the player, which increases the immersiveness (if that’s a word?) of a game.
Same compression and mastering for the whole soundscape of a game in order to make it just blend in and not draw attention, like others have said.
The only music which uses dynamics are classical music and orchestral movie soundtracks. The thing is dynamics only really sounds good when you have a live orchestra, or as a compromise, a huge cinema sound-system. It also makes sense to put in a movie because you can perfectly match it with the visuals. This is not possible in a game to the same extent where the player dictates the visuals.
Historically most speakers made for home use have terrible dynamic quality, so keeping volume consistent made sense. Dynamics have disappeared and is not seen in *any* music genre today.
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