Mark Sweeney, cofounder of the Ludomusicology Research Group, looks back at ten years of conferences and other research activities. He considers how the events and the field have developed during this time and points to directions for future development.

The relationship between music, sound, space, and time plays a crucial role in attempts to define the concept of “immersion” in video games. Isabella van Elferen’s ALI (affect-literacy-interaction) model for video game musical immersion offers one of the most integrated approaches to reading connections between sonic cues and the “magic circle” of gameplay. There are challenges, however, in systematically applying this primarily event-focused model to particular aspects of the “open-world” genre. Most notable is the dampening of narrative and ludic restrictions afforded by more intricately layered textual elements, alongside open-ended in-game environments that allow for instances of more nonlinear, exploratory gameplay. This article addresses these challenges through synthesizing the ALI model with more spatially focused elements of Gordon Calleja’s player involvement model, exploring sonic immersion in greater depth via the notion of spatiotemporal involvement. This presents a theoretical framework that broadens analysis beyond a simple focus on the immediate narrative or ludic sequence. Ubisoft’s open-world action-adventure franchise Assassin’s Creed is a particularly useful case study for the application of this concept. This is primarily because of its characteristic focus on blending elements of the historical game and the open-world game through its use of real-world history and geography. Together, the series’s various diegetic and nondiegetic sonic elements invite variable degrees of participation in “historical experiences of virtual space.” The outcome of this research intends to put such intermingled expressions of space, place, and time at the forefront of a ludomusicological approach to immersion in the open-world genre.

Echolocation is a rare ability of some bats, dolphins, and humans with reduced sightedness or visual impairment. Often visualized as a type of auditory sight, echolocation has no true analog for sighted humans without the ability, resulting in a wide range of interpretations when game designers attempt to capture this subjective experience. Video games have depicted echolocation with varying degrees of fidelity and realism, from musical scales and maps to fully realized three-dimensional worlds. This variety may be attributed in part to the inaccessible experience of the echolocating subjects. Designers must rely on their own subjective experiences to create a mental image of this ability. Synthesizing aspects of acoustic and biological sciences, philosophy, and disability studies, this article examines depictions of echolocation in video games, demonstrating that games require players to incorporate their own experiences in order to bridge the “explanatory gap” between the subjective experiences of visually impaired characters and knowledge of the objective processes of echolocation that are accessible to sighted players. With examples from Ecco the Dolphin (1992) and Perception (2017), this article will show that designers support their echolocation mechanics with narrative and supplementary information rather than actualizing the experience with gameplay.

The mid-to-late 2010s saw a renewed interest in virtual reality technologies with the release of a wide selection of consumer VR headsets and glasses, and the increased power of smartphones to provide augmented reality experiences. While research on sound and music in these technologies has started to gather pace, practice and research continue to grapple with significant creative and practical questions. In addition, such discussions have tended to be limited within disciplinary or professional silos. The roundtable presented here was an effort to begin conversations across a variety of fields of research and practice. We shared perspectives and exchanged views informed by different disciplinary traditions and experiences. We also sought to identify key questions and issues regarding music and sound in VR/AR. Three main themes are presented here: 1) Spaces and musical performances, 2) Realities and realism, and 3) Movement, orientation, and disorientation.

Role-playing video games can highlight a sense of player identification with a pre-made player-character through the inclusion of the voice; this can include diegetic character dialogue, the non-diegetic sung voice, and voice-overs. Ensuring that the player can connect with their player-character on an individual level is key to forming a suspension of disbelief and immersion with a game. Final Fantasy XV emphasizes collaboration between the player, player-characters, and non-playable characters during combat, cutscenes, and exploration. This camaraderie effect actively engages the player with multiple characters through the constant use of the diegetic spoken voice to communicate between the player-character, Noctis, and the three other character identities, Prompto, Ignis, and Gladiolus. The game’s opening rendition of Ben E. King’s “Stand by Me,” performed by Florence + the Machine, provides the player with four narrative themes that are present throughout the game. These themes include a coming-of-age story, character relationships, and the development of a greater evil within the narrative. Unique in its position as a pre-composed song, “Stand by Me” plants the idea that the player will not be alone in their journey, as character allies will stand by Noctis, from the beginning of the game. Final Fantasy XV uses vocalizations in both the diegetic and non-diegetic audio space in order to reflect the characteristics of the playable characters. The vocal relationship between the player’s characters provides directional feedback and information for the player within combat, alongside foretelling the stories of certain characters.