Introduction
This feasibility study will evaluate how viable my collaboration project is. My collaboration is an audio redevelopment project for a video game that was developed by a close friend of mine, Nico Clack, in 2023. The project will involve working with Nico to produce new music and new sound design to update the game’s sonic identity to better reflect the narrative and aesthetic of the game. As a music producer, my role will combine composition, and sound design. Conducting a feasibility study will provide a structure of the project’s aims, resources, timeframe, risks, and constraints, and will help my assessors to understand if the collaboration is achievable and viable. This study will also incorporate feedback from my Week 8/9 presentation. Peer and tutor insights will help me to develop and reflect on my project. The following sections will outline the project’s rationale, practical requirements, contingency planning, and evaluation framework.
Artistic Rationale
In the game which is currently available to play on itch.io, the current music for the game is a copyright free song taken from YouTube. It’s quite dark, quite moody, and doesn’t fit the aesthetic of the game at all. The sound design is also quite minimal, consisting of some noises recorded into Nico’s phone. Revising and enhancing the music and sound design for this game is an opportunity to completely reshape the emotional tone and elevate the player’s immersive experience. I will provide 3 short extracts of music from various games and soundtracks that I intend to take inspiration from in terms of production, sonic soundscape, instrumentation, and song writing. 1st is Shrine – Breath of the Wild, 2nd is Death – Minecraft, 3rd is Violation of Order – Lycorice Recoil. See Appendix A.
Cultural, Commercial, and Social Relevance
Ambient soundscapes are very prominent in modern game soundtracks and game design. This suggests a cultural shift towards more atmospheric interactive experiences. Research shows that ambient music enhances immersion when playing a video game. It reduces cognitive load and promotes a state of “environmental presence.” This allows players to focus on exploration, narrative cues, and spatial awareness (Collins, 2013). This is important in the context of Gravity’s Great Betrayal, as whilst it is a relaxing game, there is a task to complete, and I don’t want the character to feel distracted by the music accompanying it. Also, consumers associate ambient music in video games with calmness, narrative cues, and spatial awareness. This has commercial relevance, as indie titles featuring minimal, ambient audio perform strongly on digital platforms due to audiences wanting to seek out meditative and relaxing environments. (Rogers, 2020).
See Appendix B for sources.
Project Description
Gravity’s Great Betrayal is a 3d platformer that focuses on gravity. It’s set in a maze, the main character is the sole protector of his planet and has landed there by mistake after being knocked out of orbit. Your mission is to retrieve the missing parts of the spaceship so he can continue saving his planet. My role in this project is to compose and produce a soundtrack, and design sound effects for the game.
My objectives for this project will be to improve immersion, strengthen thematic consistency, and deliver a soundtrack that fits the narrative and aesthetic of the game without overwhelming the player.
I plan to produce a song for the main level of this game as well as the main menu. Exact durations might be refined based on workload management, as I am contributing music to a separate short-film project, this will be accounted for in my time planning and contingency strategies.
For this project, I will utilise Logic Pro X as well as it’s plugins, Retro Synth, Alchemy, ES2. I also plan on implementing classical guitar into this project, in which I will either use my Rode K2, or source microphones from the conservatoire.
See Appendix C for game clip.
Practical Requirements
The practical requirements of this project will involve technical resources, creative tools and collaboration processes. My DAW of choice is Logic Pro X. I will use built-in synthesisers such as Alchemy, ES2 and Retro Synth. These tools will assist with creating ambient textures, atmospheric layers, and sound effects that fit the aesthetic of the game. Additional equipment will include my Rode K2, and other more expensive and higher quality microphones I can source from the conservatoire. I will use this to record my classical guitar, in a sound proof recording studio with effective microphone positions to ensure a clean and professional capture (Stevens and Raybould, 2016), Appendix B.
Collaboration with the developer, Nico, will require consistent communication and file sharing to show him my progress. This will be managed through discord and instagram for general discussion, and google drive or we-transfer for transferring files. Organisation of project folders is very essential for avoiding confusion when finalising the project.
Practical constraints include the availability of different rooms for recording sessions, technical issues (issues with logic, CPU limitations, skill limitations), and ensuring that the files are compatible with the game engine’s required formats.
Time Management
Time management for this project will be structured in monthly milestones. I outlined these milestones in my presentation, Appendix D. From November to December I will focus on research and early sound design tests. From January to February I plan to compose ambient themes and create core sound effects. From March to April my collaborator should have implemented audio into the game engine from which I will refine based on his feedback. And from April to May I will have completed the project.
Contingency Planning
Technical risks include DAW troubleshooting and issues with the game engine’s format compatibility. To reduce the risk of these issues, all project files will be backed up daily on an external hard drive, and an online cloud storage like Google Drive. If Logic Pro X becomes unusable or untrustworthy, I will switch to an alternative DAW like Ableton. My collaborator, Nico, will run regular tests to ensure the files are compatible with the game engine.
Collaboration issues are unlikely to be a problem, as the collaborator in question is a very close friend of mine. But in the unlikely event issues come around, I will make a communication schedule and maintain written notes of all decisions made. If feedback is delayed, I will continue working on synthesis, texture layers, and any other relevant practices. If the collaboration doesn’t go ahead, I will attempt to source another project by visiting more workshops and mixer events.
Creative disagreements and collaborator expectations may increase as the project develops. To mitigate this, I will show early sketches and reference tracks to ensure he is happy with my sonic and artistic direction.
Expertise and Skillset
My skillset as a music producer will provide a good foundation for getting this project up to a professional standard. I have developed practical experience in composition. Not much ambient music specifically, but rock and folk music with implemented soundscapes. This enables me to craft music that supports gameplay without overwhelming the player. I don’t have experience in sound design, that’s something I look forward to exploring. I will use plugins like AutoFilter to create gravity shifting sounds, RetroSynth to create jumping sounds, and ES2 for a landing sound.
I am also confident in mixing and mastering, I am competent when balancing frequencies, controlling dynamics, and ensuring clarity across different playback systems. This is important in game audio, music and sound effects need to be intelligible along side environmental sound cues.
Evaluation Framework
Evaluating the viability of this project involves peer review and feedback. I gathered feedback from my Week 8/9 presentation. My peers believe my project is viable.
Peers agreed that ambient music is best suited for this, though some encouraged me to specify the type of ambience, and if live instrumentation will be implemented. I will incorporate this into my development by doing listening sessions with the developer to help determine whether live instrumentation works within the context of the game and ensure it doesn’t distract players from the experience.
Feedback also showed areas of weakness, with some commenting on how I should expand my understanding of game composition and how to develop my sound design skills. To evaluate growth in these two areas, I will document how I experiment with sound design, and how I research the process of developing game music.
Comments also made references to other additional video game soundtracks to take inspirations from (e.g., Portal and Journey). I will both listen to the soundtracks and make attempts to actually play the games myself, documenting how the music impacted my experience in playing the games.
See Appendix E for feedback.
Conclusion
This feasibility study has shown that my collaboration with Nico Clack to create new audio for Gravity’s Great Betrayal is both achievable and valuable. By analysing the project’s rationale, practical requirements, risks, and evaluation, it’s clear that my project is supported by academic sources, manageable timelines, and effective communication. The feedback from my presentation also demonstrates that my project is viable, and that the chosen musical direction fits the games tone, narrative, and aesthetic. Challenges may arise, particularly in sound design and workload balancing, but they have been accounted for through contingency planning and structured project management. Overall this project is positioned well to be successful when completed, and serves to enhance the game’s immersive experience, and further my skillset.
Appendix
Appendix A
Shrine – Breath of The Wild
Death – Minecraft
Violation of Order – Lycorice Recoil
Appendix B
Collins, K. (2013). Playing with Sound: A Theory of Interacting with Sound and Music in Video Games. MIT Press.
Rogers, S. (2020). Audio Design in Indie Games: Immersion and Player Experience.
Stevens & Raybould (2016) — Game Audio Implementation: A Practical Guide Using the Unreal Engine
Appendix C
https://leedsconservatoire.cloud.panopto.eu/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=6bee1eda-d9ec-40f9-b0c5-b3b000b0ed19Appendix D
Appendix E
