“There is nothing wrong with your computer monitor. Do not
attempt to adjust the picture. I am controlling today’s blog post...”
This week
on Tunehoney a random guest blogger, Hunter Scott, has appeared to discuss the
introduction of voice over acting to the elements of chiptunes in video games.
Chiptunes, or 8-bit music were first introduced early in the
golden age of arcade video games. The first arcade video game to introduce a
continuous track was Tomohiro Nishikado's 1978 release Space Invaders. 8-bit
music in arcade games gave the player a much more exciting experience and aided
in their understanding of the direction of game play. Space Invaders
utilized the music to portray speed and difficulty of each section during such
game play. We can remember pong, with it’s beeps and boops, which sooner or
later created complacency and boredom. Yes, without music there was a lack in
excitement and adventure given to the gamer.
It was not until 1980 that we were able to add a new and
needed element to gameplay; the addition of voices in games. Atari’s Bezerk,
though was not exactly voice acting, it revolutionized the idea of adding
voices in games in the form of voice synthesis. Voice synthesis is the
artificial production of human speech. A computer system used for this purpose
is called a speech synthesizer, and can be implemented in software or hardware
products. We see this today in our text to speech technology within our
computer software and smart phones. This was a start in reinventing the idea of
giving the audience a more connected experience.
With a demand for an evolution in games, Final Fantasy X set
a new standard with the usage of real voice over artists for its characters.
This gave relief to gamers’ eye strain from reading text in previous versions
to follow the plot. David Hayter later set the bar for his voice work as Solid
Snake in Metal Gear Solid. His husky voice became iconic through out the
gaming world and aided in paving the way for more voice over artists to be a
part of the industry of video games.
Today we rarely experience video games without voice over
acting. This element connects the audience to a point that they are able to
self identify with a characters personality and goals. And to think this all
started with a couple beeps and boops.
“I now return control of Tunehoney back to Aidan, but keep
listening and stay tuned in.”
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