My masters degree survey regarding Video Game Music

[The One Named Tonks]

Hello all

I'm a long time reader of the escapist but do not visit the forums often due to time constraints - I'm sorry .

I am coming to the end of my masters and need help with a survey which makes up a part of my research. The survey should take no longer than 15 minutes, the link is provided below. It will only be available for 3-4 weeks as I need to get analysing the data soon and I hope to get around 80-100 responses.

The survey is part of my Music Psychology masters, and is for one of my dissertations - yes, you read that correctly, I am doing more than one dissertation and research project. The survey covers sound design and music in videogames, my research is about immersive experiences and I hope to aid some developers in the future with said research.

Survey Link - SURVEY IS NOW CLOSED - THANK YOU ALL

If any of you wish to follow the survey up and be involved with an interview as part of the research, just follow the instructions in the survey. I will be in the comment section below as much as possible to answer any questions. If you have any recommendations or improvements regarding the survey, its layout or questions please state them. I've only done a pilot with 5 respondents, so there could still be problems.

THANK YOU. I will be in the comments below to answer any questions.

 

[Borty The Bort]

I know this isn't what you want to hear, but following recent trends of spambots registering 1-Post accounts, I cannot trust this link. I sincerely apologise.

 

[Drake666]

I've just followed the link and completed the test; it's safe.

OP: Good look with your Master's.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

http://niero.dev.destructoid.com/--447885.phtml#post

 

[Vendor-Lazarus]

I tried but the questions are as always way too vague.

How do graphics influence your experience of the game?
I don't really care about graphics as such. I play everything from ASCII to beyond Uncanny Valley.
The aesthetics, the uniqueness & individuality and function & form are more important than simply "better graphics".
Sum that up to a number between 1 to 5.

Concerning game (or even movie) music, I don't really notice music by itself all that much.
Unless it is remarkable and outstanding, like "propaganda" in Beyond Good & Evil, or horrible and mismatched.
You could even say that good music heightens the game experience without being noticed.
How to go about accomplishing that is beyond me I'm afraid.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

Finished. That was a nice short little survey. Some questions I felt weren't all that relevant but oh well.

Last question was the worst though... >_> I have to pick one game soundtrack!!??? There's so very many with Unreal Tournament '99, Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim, Minecraft, Halo: CE, Fable, Riven, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Banjo Kazooie, Banjo-Tooie, Super Mario 64, and The Talos Principle...

ALL of them needing at least a mention.

 

[The One Named Tonks]

Sorry for the late replies, I've been at work.

@Borty The Bort - I looked in on the forum for the first time in probably a year and was quite shocked at that. What's going on?

@Drake666 - Thank you for taking the time to do it.

@Silentpony - ssssssshhhhhhhhhh no one is meant to know I use more than one site!

@Vendor-Lazarus - Thank you for taking the time to do it and for the feedback. Questions on surveys for research are generally meant to be vague as it's usually for exploratory research and just to find some patterns in replies. We can then use these to devise better questions for interviews and further research. Also I knew just using the catch all phrase "graphics" would be cumbersome, but I had to throw in some general questions to compare with and for those who are not part of the gamer scene and use terms such as "graphics" willynilly. A big thanks for the feedback!

@Arnoxthe1 - Some questions won't be overly relevant for this research, but it helps to contrast with other research and see if the answers and patterns compare well to those for validity. I have to admit.......that last question was just for me. So I can sit on my throne of video game cases and laugh at all the answers that are inferior to my personal opinion......... Well sort of, it's so in the follow up interviews I can ask participants why they chose that specific game and we can talk more about it etc.

 

[Nuuu]

Decided to take it, just because I really like video game music. Would genuinely consider creating music for games as a future possibility.

I liked the questions, the whole thing felt pretty easy to take. I agree that the 1-5 question was a bit odd though.

 

[The One Named Tonks]

@Nuuu - Thank you for taking the time to do it.

I know :/ from the feedback I've got here, elsewhere and from the pilot - those questions seem the oddest and oddly worded. I kind of wanted that, due to research papers, texts and journals (in regards to video games) using words like "immersion", "engagement", "experience" etc. in very conflicting ways. So part of my final dissertation will look at this and hope to clear this up with the use of a framework model similar to that proposed in a text "Ludomusicology" - which is exceptionally good and about video game music if you're interested.

 

[Vendor-Lazarus]

@Vendor-Lazarus - Thank you for taking the time to do it and for the feedback. Questions on surveys for research are generally meant to be vague as it's usually for exploratory research and just to find some patterns in replies. We can then use these to devise better questions for interviews and further research. Also I knew just using the catch all phrase "graphics" would be cumbersome, but I had to throw in some general questions to compare with and for those who are not part of the gamer scene and use terms such as "graphics" willynilly. A big thanks for the feedback!

For clarity's sake I want to reiterate that I TRIED but did not finish the survey.
Just because of the vaguely worded and obfuscating sentences, I did not get past the first few questions.

Due to the many many meanings and consequences such general questions give rise to, I can't progress without a clearer view of what is meant or intended.
I would not want my answers to display something that I don't mean or indeed even stand behind.

I can't see how confusing questions can give any meaningful pattern but maybe it's just my odd and nitpicky nature since others don't seem to have any problems.

Though, I am one of those people that over-think things.

 

[The One Named Tonks]

@Vendor-Lazarus - Thank you for the feedback. This is something I can definitely discuss in my write up and shall take on board for any future research design.

I wish to thank everyone here at The Escapist for getting involved in this, I am very close to my target number of replies. The answers have all been brilliant and enlightening (definitely diverse too). If anyone would like to see the dissertation when written up, do not hesitate to contact me on here and I will add you to the list to send a copy.

Once again, thank you.

 

[Baffle]

I did this a few days ago. FYI (for feedback only because it's nice to have something to write in the 'things I could have done differently' section of your dissertation) I found it very difficult to specify what game type I predominantly played. I play quite a few types, and not one over another (though some I never play) - I think being able to pick three types would've been better there.

 

[Headdrivehardscrew]

Unfortunately, pretty much all the questions that have to be rated 1-5 have to realistically be a median 3, as it is just too much context dependent, with various, wildly different game titles calling for their very own metrics and standards.

It's very much like rating and discussing pain and pain tolerance. You rely on numbers subjects feed you, well knowing that a lot of guesswork, assumptions and individual interpretation go into trying to fit emotions, preferences and personal taste in a scale of 1 to 5. No matter how good you can make it look in SPSS - it's mostly nonsense and you know it.

As Vendor_Lazarus already stated, sound and music generally take a firm backseat stroking the unconscious when subject player is absorbed in the actual game, only really standing out when it's bad or the action comes to a rest.

 

[The One Named Tonks]

Cheers everyone. I have had some spectacularly in-depth responses (and quite frankly, some hilarious - the person who just answered VR PORN and descriptions of, THANK YOU! You made me laugh and smile).

@Headdrivehardscrew - I too hate the whole 1-5 rating scale thing in surveys - but I had to include it to be able to extract some data etc. for stats (ticking boxes) and hopefully should allow me to make some good conclusions in line with my hypothesises in the write up.

@Baffle2 - I know, I know. you are correct though. I should have allowed more than one choice. My reasoning for not being, the additional amount of time for analysing etc. But, the limitation on this was so I could compare with a similar research study, just for age ranges and type of game mostly played. It's not even remotely connected to my main research questions on immersion, engagement etc. It's just for validity of the other studies I have used in my literature review and to merit a little bit of discussion.

I am well over my target number for responses (pretty much double), so the survey will be removed earlier than expected (WHICH IS GREAT, this means I can get started with data analysis sooner). Once again, thank you all. This site, and Destructoid have reminded me of why I love our gaming community (I never forgot, you just make me smile with generosity is all). You all come to each an others aid, even if it is just for some guys survey from far away.

 

[The One Named Tonks]

And to the human who had the really long open soliloquy on every thing that entered their head during this survey whilst inebriated. I love you. I would give you a hug if possible.

 

[maninahat]

Done! I think some of the questions were redundant by asking basically the same thing, but I answered them all.

 

[carolynfox54]

My last paycheck was $2500 for working 12 hours a week online. My sisters friend has been averaging 8k for months now and she works about 30 hours a week. I can't believe how easy it was once I tried it out. The potential with this is endless. This is what I do

=================================================================================


========= http://www.Prowage20.com

 

[Saecon]

Done. Hope I wasn't too late. There are certain video games whose soundtracks bring me right back to the game, and to the emotional investment I put into the characters and worlds, like the Persona Series. Other soundtracks, like that of Skyrim, immerse me in the game and amp me up.

Good luck in your masters, it sounds interesting.

 

[Saecon]

Done. Hope I wasn't too late. There are certain video games whose soundtracks bring me right back to the game, and to the emotional investment I put into the characters and worlds, like the Persona Series. Other soundtracks, like that of Skyrim, immerse me in the game and amp me up.

Good luck in your masters, it sounds interesting.

 

[Tsun Tzu]

Did it..and accidentally cut off my last response due to a coworker bumping my phone.

Woo.