Like a lot of things, technology had its early stages, and this was especially prevalent in terms of video game music. Everything has to start somewhere, and video game music started with computer chips. A specific chip would transform electrical impulses from computer code into analog sound waves. In addition to music, sound effects were also created using this method. This process is usually referred as “chiptune”.
This method worked well for early arcade games, but there were many issues with it. The music was usually monophonic (i.e., having a single, unaccompanied melodic line), repeated continuously, or only used sparingly (such as between stages or at the start of a new game). The classic game Space Invaders was one of the first games to feature a continuous background soundtrack. While the music consisted of four repeating bass notes, it worked as an interaction with the player, increasing pace as the enemies descended onto the player.
The problem with using music in a video game was that at some point the code would have to be transcribed by a programmer, whether or not the programmer had musical experience. At this point, only about two notes could be played simultaneously. However, this would change in a few short years.
A huge change occurred when the Yamaha Corporation created sound generator sound chips that allowed for multiple notes to be played, sometimes eight or more. In 1981, the game Frogger started using at least eleven DIFFERENT gameplay tracks, which included level-starting and game-over themes based on the actions of the player.
The most notable upgrade in sound ability came from the release of the Japanese Famicom in 1983, later released in 1985 as the NES in the United States. Earlier, in 1982, the home computer Commodore 64 was another important console. The music that was developed for these platforms was developed by people with more musical experience, and this music is still popular today. Games such as Kid Icarus, The Legend of Zelda, Mario, Final Fantasy, EarthBound, among others, still have popular music from the early stages of video game music technology. This music became so well known that by the late 1980s, it was being sold on cassette tape soundtracks in Japan. By 1988, American companies such as Sierra, Cinemaware, and Interplay were giving more serious attention to video game soundtracks.
This was only the beginning of video game music, and it would continue to evolve later on, which shall be discussed further next week. Have a great day!
-Elisabeth
What an interesting blog! I am an avid video game player (or at least in high school I was). One of the things I pay attention to most in the games I play is the music. Some people pass it off and do not realize how important it is to the overall feel of the game. Others probably do not even notice it by itself because it is so seamlessly integrated into the interactive piece of art. Some of my favorite soundtracks among more modern games would have to be Uncharted (2 especially), Mass Effect (3 especially), and The Last of Us. I look forward to checking back later on in the semester and seeing what kinds of different game music you will be discussing.