I conducted a brief interview with Ben Connor, known elsewhere as Fyresale, in regards to some of his thoughts on independent games and how music is involved with them. Ben Connor mainly works with music, and is attempting to release his first album some time in December, 2013.
In Regards to Independent Games and Music
Andrew J. Wells: Salutations! I am Andrew J. Wells, and I've
been writing about various aspects of game design. Could you tell us your name
and what you do?
Ben Connor: Evening, Andrew! My name is Ben Connor, and I
train my skills in sound engineering and music composition for various small
projects, as well as practice both fields as a hobby.
Andrew J. Wells: Perfect! I've always cared for music
myself, just haven't had much in the way of talent. Now, we've worked a little
bit together in regards to independent game design, what are your thoughts on
the field as a whole?
Ben Connor: In all honesty, I see the entirety of
independent development as an excellent opportunity to show what small
organizations and groups can really accomplish, given the lack of support that
larger AAA development companies usually have backing them up. I've seen plenty
of indie titles that have worked out marvelously, due to the ability of
creative minds weaving together ideas and different talents to come up with
something great. It's honestly pretty admirable in my eyes.
Andrew J. Wells: That's an opinion I tend to back as well;
what even small groups or even individuals can accomplish is amazing, given the
main video game industry's habit of slower innovation. You do specialize in
music though, so are there any independent games that you feel really use music
and/or mechanics effectively?
Ben Connor: One of my favorite examples of that is Darren
Korb's work on the soundtrack for Bastion. The rustic, blues-ish feel of the
music created for that game helped blend the visual style and story
fantastically, in a way that I find rare to see and hear. I'm happy to give
props to the people who know how to make their music hone in so well to the
overall tone and design of their projects.
Andrew J. Wells: Music is certainly quite important to
design, I feel that it is sometimes overlooked with regrettable results. I
think you may have (but correct me if I'm wrong) played Sequence, which is a
very good example of innovation in the rhythm game genre. What is your thoughts
on a game that places mechanics and music at its forefront?
Ben Connor: Yep, I have played through Sequence a few times.
It'll forever be one of my favorite music-based games, mostly because of how
Iridium Studios designed it to revolve around an RPG-esque mechanic alongside
its wonderful rhythm aspects. Sequence is an excellent example that rhythm
gaming still has breath, since it did what nobody else tried to do by branching
out and breaking new grounds, and the developers pulled it off really well in
the long run.
Andrew J. Wells: It is a very good example of the sort of
innovation you can't see elsewhere in the field. This is more of a
music-oriented question, but if you have played some of
Space Funeral, how would you say that the music choices made by the game's
creator affects the experience?
Ben Connor: I haven't played all that much of Space Funeral,
in all honesty. Even though it's been a bit of time since I tried it, I do
recall the tone of the music implemented in the game. Like the rest of the game
(from what I can tell so far, anyway), I'd say that the music conveys the
overall tone of slight confusion and psychedelia fairly well. I'll have to get
back into it and continue playing before I'm able to come up with a better
impression.
Andrew J. Wells: Fair enough, though just your initial
impression is a much appreciated response. That's all I need to ask, at the moment.
Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts with me.
Ben Connor: Absolutely, I'm happy to do so. Thank you for
the interview.
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