Understanding Video Game Music

Tim Summers (Royal Holloway, University of London), James Hannigan

$155.95

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Cambridge University Press
08 September 2016

Electronic music; Music recording & reproduction; Digital music: consumer&user guides; Computer games: strategy guides

Understanding Video Game Music develops a musicology of video game music by providing methods and concepts for understanding music in this medium. From the practicalities of investigating the video game as a musical source to the critical perspectives on game music - using examples including Final Fantasy VII, Monkey Island 2, SSX Tricky and Silent Hill - these explorations not only illuminate aspects of game music, but also provide conceptual ideas valuable for future analysis. Music is not a redundant echo of other textual levels of the game, but central to the experience of interacting with video games. As the author likes to describe it, this book is about music for racing a rally car, music for evading zombies, music for dancing, music for solving puzzles, music for saving the Earth from aliens, music for managing a city, music for being a hero; in short, it is about music for playing.

By: Tim Summers (Royal Holloway University of London)
Foreword by: James Hannigan
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 253mm, Width: 180mm, Spine: 17mm
Weight: 680g
ISBN: 9781107116870
ISBN 10: 1107116872
Pages: 262
Publication Date: 08 September 2016
Audience: Professional and scholarly , College/higher education , Undergraduate , Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Foreword James Hannigan; Introduction; Part I. Analysing Video Game Music: 1. The video game as a source; 2. Methods of analysis; Part II. Critical Perspectives: 3. Texturing and the aesthetics of immersion; 4. Music and virtual game worlds; 5. Communication for play; 6. Hollywood film music and game music; 7. Musical play and video games; Epilogue; Appendix: how to hear a video game; Bibliography.

Tim Summers is Teaching Fellow in Music at Royal Holloway, University of London and has previously taught music at the University of Oxford and the University of Bristol. As Centenary Research Scholar at Bristol, he wrote one of the first Ph.D.s on video game music. He is a co-founder of the UK Ludomusicology Research Group on video game music, and has written articles for journals including the Journal of the Royal Musical Association, the Journal of Film Music and Music, Sound and the Moving Image. He has edited both a collection of essays on video game music, Ludomusicology: Approaches to Video Game Music, and a special issue of The Soundtrack on game audio.

Reviews for Understanding Video Game Music

'This outstanding book does much to establish an 'extended techniques' musicology, allying close analysis of music with crucial knowledge of gaming construction and procedures. Tim Summers' years of 'deep research' into the subject make this a book of extreme sophistication and erudition that will define the field for years to come.' K. J. Donnelly, University of Southampton 'Tim Summers' Understanding Video Game Music is among the most innovative musicological studies published in recent years. Combining musicology, game studies, and media theory, Summers provides an authoritative analytical framework for video game music. This book is timely, playful, and lucid. It will without doubt become a standard work in the field.' Isabella van Elferen, Kingston University '... it is an essential read for those who are vested in bringing ludomusicology into academia, and incredibly interesting for those who are simply interested in philosophical dialogues, personal anecdotes, or historical background regarding music and games.' Emily McMillan, VGMO (www.vgmonline.net) This outstanding book does much to establish an 'extended techniques' musicology, allying close analysis of music with crucial knowledge of gaming construction and procedures. Tim Summers' years of 'deep research' into the subject make this a book of extreme sophistication and erudition that will define the field for years to come. K. J. Donnelly, University of Southampton Tim Summers' Understanding Video Game Music is among the most innovative musicological studies published in recent years. Combining musicology, game studies, and media theory, Summers provides an authoritative analytical framework for video game music. This book is timely, playful, and lucid. It will without doubt become a standard work in the field. Isabella van Elferen, Kingston University '... it is an essential read for those who are vested in bringing ludomusicology into academia, and incredibly interesting for those who are simply interested in philosophical dialogues, personal anecdotes, or historical background regarding music and games.' Emily McMillan, VGMO (www.vgmonline.net)