The importance of good audio in an MMO
by Brendan Drain 
Jun 15th 2009 at 10:00AM
Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Age of Conan, EVE Online, EverQuest II, Culture, MMO industry, Academic, Education, Virtual worlds, Black Prophecy
In this article, I examine the importance of good audio in an MMO and explain the underlying psychology involved.
Psychology:
The psychological effect of music on people's mood has been documented for centuries. Music's tempo can be used to set the pace and feel of an event, putting a player on edge or setting them at ease. In his acclaimed book "Predictably Irrational", Dan Ariely describes research in human behaviour which is surprisingly relevant to game design. One such notion is the idea that our expectations will forcibly colour our perceptions. Encountering epic music during play will make a game feel much more epic than it really is. This is the same effect used in the film industry to evoke emotions from the viewers and draw them into the movie. Like most psychological effectors, using music to set the scene can lose effectiveness if overused. The most effective way for developers to manipulate the effect is to use their most persuasive musical compositions sparingly.
Everquest 2 did a particularly good job of this by using separate background and combat musical compositions. When combat begins, a piece of combat music is selected based on the strength of the enemy you're fighting. These musical pieces become more tense, epic and uplifting as they progress. Longer battles such as boss fights or solo close calls with higher level enemies last long enough to reach the more awe-inspiring segments of the composition. Consequently, these battles feel inherently more epic and tense than shorter ones where the player will naturally be in less danger. Each segment of the music also has a corresponding short end sequence which plays when the music terminates, producing flawlessly complete ad-hoc compositions. It's an elegant system which helps achieve something that a lot of MMOs strive for – turning grind into an adventure.
Finding appropriate music:
Further evidence that appropriate music can improve our perceptions of a game's quality can be found in a quite obvious but often overlooked place. Player-made videos of in-game action are almost always set to music of some kind. While not all players are skilled at choosing adequate music, their music choices can definitely be seen to alter our perceptions of what we're watching. Videos with appropriate soundtracks feel inherently higher quality and set out an appropriate feel that augments our viewing experience. This is particularly true in the case of sci-fi MMO EVE Online, where the choice of music in some player-made videos has transformed simple space battles and nice camera work into epic sci-fi stories.
Read on to part 2 where I contrast the music in EVE Online and Black Prophecy and examine the psychological significance of sound effects.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
John said on 10:11AM 6-15-2009
Audio yes. Music no. I turn off the music in every mmo.
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Scarecrowe said on 5:43PM 6-15-2009
Agreed. I'm right there with you.
Cithrax said on 10:35AM 6-15-2009
I hate the music of every MMO except Guild Wars. The music for Guild Wars is fitted to an area, always, and it just adds to the experience, overall.
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Arnie said on 10:36AM 6-15-2009
Guild Wars-->some really really good music and app for the themes they had going in the games. Also, they did a big upgrade in the middle of the game and put in even weapon sounds etc even though they did not have to.
Lets me know they care about it and pretty slick stuff.
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Aganazer said on 11:34AM 6-15-2009
Spellborn's music put me into a catatonic state where I could barely play the game I was so relaxed. On the other side of the coin, the heavy metal from Tabula Rasa left me feeling a little tense and edgy after playing it for too long.
Almost unrelated but why haven't any MMOG's gotten positional voice chat down yet? It seems like most newer MMOG's are integrating voice chat, but it always ends up working just like vent with no positional effects. The current voice chat systems really ruin immersion for me.
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torak said on 11:43AM 6-15-2009
Yay, MMO devs are finally catching up with the rest of the industry...
Up to this point
Audio in MMO's = an afterthought detail that usually ends up non-descript background noise. (with the exception of a handful of titles).
One of the most powerful mood setting influences there is relegated to a few never changing, looping, droning honks and dings.
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Dodsfall said on 11:46AM 6-15-2009
The music for Everquest 2 is really great. I believe a full orchestra was utilized.
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Hub said on 12:58PM 6-15-2009
Age of conan and LOTR music, both of which is genuinely nice to listen to, albeit in a film kind of way. Those pair have got to come out somewhere near the top of the good game music list.
Game music doesn't get much better than like the first time you hear that music when you arrive in eastern angamar. LOTR beats Conan by the greater volume of quality tunes and atmospheric sounds, apart from the Eregion area, which is strangely crap with vaguely brass band marching sounds and arrangements, kind of like final fantasy at it's worst (when all the amazing piano work stopped and it was 'panoramic view' time) Apart from that a big thumbs up to those two.
I can't believe anyone would think that the substandard early eighties synth sounds of EVE would be worth a name check though when there is so much better electronic stuff out there. Each to their own tastes though I suppose.
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Brendan Drain said on 2:02PM 6-15-2009
I've got to say, I really liked AoC's musical score and graphics. The game was impressive on many levels and I hope it improves enough to warrant giving it another go some day.
Regarding EVE's music, it's pretty disappointing and is really starting to show its age. I touched on this issue at the start of part 2 and pointed out that I think Black Prophecy is taking the best route possible with its choice of music. Orchestral music with choir backing is perfect for a space environment.
cuteunit said on 2:17PM 6-15-2009
The audio in Age of Conan is amazing. I'd say it's even better than Guild Wars, my previous favorite.
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onetrueping said on 6:05PM 6-15-2009
The sound in WoW is very well done. And not just from an aesthetic standpoint. There is a completely blind boy who can play WoW, simply by use of a 5.1 surround system. The sound setup is so complicated that it allows him to both accurately navigate and position himself in fights.
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Zuthas said on 7:04PM 6-15-2009
I know that World War 2 On-Line: Battleground Europe is considered an mmofps rather than rpg, but I feel it should get at least some mention if for no other reason than it represents the entire spectrum of the good the bad, the ugly, and the restrictive by necessity. What music it has is poor (would need top be Big Band music or Wagner to be most appropriate, does anyone listen to this any longer?) and the sound is so pivotal to the strategy that music during gameplay would diminish the experience. There is a limit on technology (like radar) so sound is a vital and fun part of the experience. I'm not trying to be mean but maybe one reason it is not mentioned is because its not Eve which tends to get way more attention than I feel it dissevers by Massively. Eve is a great game, but it's not the only one (hyperbole intentional).
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blipmusic said on 7:24AM 6-16-2009
I love me some music in my game. If it'd be the case I'd want to turn it off it means it's crap (in a personal opinion kind of way).
And give me a break: orchestral and choir for space? Yeah, we've never heard that before, have we? Try to break the norm and the people screams for the "old ways" to come back. Never disappoint in that area.
Orchestral music can be great but it seldom is because composing an orchestral soundtrack is the easiest, cheapest (not to mention most forgettable, but I digress) way to get a quick soundtrack fix.
There is a reason "the old masters' music" is used alot (besides royalty fees). It is good. It is rememberable; it accompanies you on your quest. Whereas many newer soundtracks is just "some strings, and percussion, and...stuff. yeah" which sounds just like the previous ones.
If it's well-made, like LOTRO's in some cases, sure. But I'm skeptical.
It all boils down to that I believe people do not in general care for what they listen to as long as it gets their blood pumping in the heat of the moment. This goes for both the producers and the end-user. While giving you some extra pulse might be one of the functions of a soundtrack (call it immersion or whatever) you don't exactly need *music* to make that happen. There are all sorts of tricks, audio and visual, to gain the same effect.
Sometimes (read: far too often) it seems the music is a "Oh, just make one of those orchestral things, they always work. You know, like in the movies." kind of things in the games business. Well, the orchestral soundtrack aren't exactly rememberable pieces either in most cases.
I want the music to be something I remember through out my game experience.
I just want some music in my game. Surprise me, like EVE did. Immerse me, like LOTRO did when wandering through the Hobbit villages while listening to the diegetic music surrounding me.
Do not bore me. Please.
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