James Hannigan - Written Publications

Written Publications

In 2004, Hannigan wrote "Changing Our Tune", a seminal cover article for the UK's Develop magazine, outlining some of the differences between scoring for games and conventional linear media forms such as film and television. Drawing on his experience as a composer and arranger in different industries Hannigan argued that, due to players being both audience to and participants in games it is increasingly difficult categorising music and sound as either diegetic or non-diegetic as understood by the conventions of the film viewing experience. The player, often a character existing inside the gameworld, is able to hear music and sound normally only reserved for a passive audience, completely inaudible to characters in the story world of a film, for example, and this raises philosophical questions as to the essential function of such content in games. Hannigan argues that, ultimately, for sound and music to best support and enhance the games playing experience, the games industry should cease to rely on the film model in forming the soundtrack of games and attempt to bring sound and music closer together in function. In an interview for the BBC's Front Row radio programme, to highlight one of the philosophical conundrums of scoring music for games, Hannigan cited the hypothetical example of James Bond's theme being utilised in a James Bond game, suggesting that if the player is being expected to assume the role of James Bond, should it follow that the James Bond theme ought to be audible to James Bond himself? Hannigan appears to concede that the use of such a theme can be effective but calls upon the games industry to recognise the gamer's dual role of audience and participant in games.

In an interview with the Independent newspaper James Hannigan is quoted as having said he believes music production for games has become as sophisticated as music for film