

The makers of "Crysis 2" managed to snap up Hollywood composer Hans Zimmer. And just like major blockbuster movies, some videogames now also come with an OST, or original soundtrack, with the obligatory theme song or title track. It wasn't long before the genre came to the attention of famous film score composers. It's all down to the player's decisions and actions." "But with video games, you've got no idea what will happen next.

All you need to do is follow the film's atmosphere," he explained. As a composer, you know the journey from the first to the last frame. Video games also employ this technique - only at a much faster pace.

The jingles are played on the push of a button, but despite that, the music still sounds like it is one continuous piece. It's common to hear radio presenters speaking while music is playing in the background, and each segment is often divided by jingles. That's why Bobby Slavovo uses small filler pieces which can be fitted to the bare bones of the musical score, forming a sort of blanket background sound. If a player spends 10 minutes creeping through the computer-generated bushes, the music has to fit for the duration.

The music should draw the player in, Borislav Slavov says The composer doesn't know how quickly a player will complete a particular operation. Melody, harmonies, dynamic elements, key changes, volume and tempo can all be played with. Techniques for adding music to computer games vary. "In action games, for example, the music has to fit no matter if I pull out the biggest weapon and slay everyone or I strategically maneuver myself through the scenery."Ĭar racing games are much easier, he said, grinning, "They just move forward!" "The biggest challenge is producing music that fits 100 percent to every moment in the game," he said. It's the games with these sorts of dynamics which excite Borislav, who goes by Bobby, the most. He specializes in composing music for computer games and produced the music for the "Crysis" series - an end-of-the-world shooter game with impressive graphics and a large helping of blood and gore. Video game music has to adapt to continually changing scenery and atmospheresīorislav Slavov is a musician, computer scientist and video game fanatic.
