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23 | 2025
La portée musicale du jeu vidéo : culture, patrimoine, technique et esthétique

The Musical Range of Video Games: Culture, Heritage, Technique and Aesthetics
Edited by Dominic Arsenault

Music is an important part of many video games, and the articles in this issue examine it from several angles. The incorporation of music in the context of a video game leads to particular aesthetic features: the form is fluid due to track modularity, looping and dynamic transitions. It can also be used for narrative or thematic purposes, playing a role in characterization or worldbuilding. From a historical perspective, audio technologies have shaped musical writing, particularly for sound chips and chiptune music in video games commonly called “retro” nowadays. The unstable technological substrate of video games causes specific difficulties to access and preserve video game music for heritage purposes. While video game music is widely circulated and listened to for nostalgic pleasure, it also plays an identity-building or healing role for many online communities. Finally, video game technology platforms can also be used for musical performances, thus articulating the dual agenda of the field of ludomusicology: the study of music in games, and the study of play in music.

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