Feature: 'Hollywood Sound: Part One'

Today's main Gamasutra feature is the first of a three-part feature by Rob Bridgett, sound director at Radical Entertainment in Vancouver, Canada. The series presents an overview of music, takes a look at the opening of the interactive world to Hollywood composers and the record industry, and how that content is becoming integrated into video games. The following excerpt takes a look at the Hollywood production model: "The structure in question will require an initial design, but this does not mean that the design will remain intact for the length of the project's life. In fact, due to the metamorphosising of the game and its inherent gameplay systems, the structure used for music should be fully expected to fundamentally change two or three times during the project's lifetime. Fundamental gameplay systems will be designed, tested, scrapped, re-designed, scrapped again, re-designed again and finally re-implemented and re-tuned. During the course of these changes the music is expected to be there and functioning. It may not be evident how the final music should really be structured at all until the final tuning stage of the game. As has been discussed in many game audio articles, having the composer come on board right at the last minute is not an acceptable solution - although it would be the correct time in terms of getting final implementation locked down. So, why bring in a composer early onto a project if the system isn't designed, if it's all going to change and if it does feel like it's just going to be a nightmare of re-doing the same work over and over again?" You can now read the full Gamasutra feature on the subject (no registration required, please feel free to link to the article from external websites).