Along with the works created by Brian Eno and Peter Chilvers’ project, Generative Music (Bloom, Trope and Air), Audiosurf and Osmos make interesting comments about synaesthetics in modern games. By way of extrapolation we can see them positioned across a sort of spectrum:

The game and thus gameplay is determined according to the music (music determines player’s actions): Audiosurf recognizes that music is as much a part of the game as the visual and mechanical side.

The music indicates aspects of the game and gameplay and vice-versa (music affects game and gameplay, game and gameplay affects music): Pacing in Osmos is suggested by pacing in the music. Conversely, visual elements alter the music. As Osmos creator Mat Jarvis says to Kim:

“I’ve always liked music visualisers like the Processing and Cymatics stuff, they’re quite compelling to watch how they react to the music, so it would be interesting to go the other way; by manipulating/ sculpting abstract shapes which then modify or even create sounds and music, especially using the new controllers like the Wii, [Microsoft’s] Project Natal and Sony’s Motion Controller instead of the mouse.” — Music, Physics, Space in Perfect Fusion: Interview, Creators of Game Osmos.

The player’s in-game actions determine the music (player’s actions determines music): In Generative Music’s software as well as in works like Electroplankton, what the player does determines the music. Whether or not these works constitute games will not be discussed here, but they are relevant as, no matter what, they inevitably fall under the same banner as traditional games.

Following this line of reasoning, we can deduce the following chart:

Simply put, this is a clear synaesthetic relationship being formed between long-standing components of games. I think it is quite wonderful how seamlessly music and gameplay are being integrated in this way. I know there are other games out there that attempt to form these environmental relationships, but the games chosen here demonstrate my point clearly. In sum, some questions:

• Could this relationship be the result of more musicians taking active roles in game development? Generative Music, for example, has Brian Eno at the helm. Eno is a highly influential musician particularly with regard to the types of aural experiences we’re seeing in games. Wiki ‘generative music‘ for a summary of this.
• What directions might these synaethetic relationships take games in the future?
• And what other relationships might be built in to games in similar ways?