Soaring Through the Sky
Topics and Tropes in Video Game Music
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4390763 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sean Atkinson (Texas Christian University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2019 |
| Volume | 25 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Publication date | 2019-07-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Music Theory Online (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1067-3040 • E-ISSN: 1067-3040 |
| Publisher | Society for Music Theory (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.30535/mto.25.2.1 |
| OpenAlex | W2973046853 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
| References cited | 8 |
In this article, I explore the analytical potential of musical topics and tropes in the study of video game music. Following Neumeyer (2015), Almén (2008), and Hatten (1994), I establish a methodology with which to approach musical topics in video game music. By way of a case study, I begin by defining the soaring topic through a historical and cultural examination of flying in cinema and video games. Flying, and more specifically soaring, has been a staple in film from the earliest days of cinema, and the music that accompanies it is also found in video games that prominently feature flying. I then engage the music of flying sequences in two specific video games,Final Fantasy IV(1991) andThe Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword(2011). The resulting analyses demonstrate that this approach helps to unpack the complex narratives found in video games
Art · Fantasy · Game mechanics · Legend · Literature · Movie theater · Multimedia · Musical · Narrative · SWORD · Turns, rounds and time-keeping systems in games · Video game · Video game culture · Video game design · Visual arts · World Wide Web · Cinema and Media Studies · Computer Science · Digital Games and Media · Folklore, Mythology, and Literature Studies
| Unique citing works | 5 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,25 |
| Citation span | 2022 - 2025 (4) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |