Dungeons and Dragons, widely lauded as the force that catapulted the role-playing genre into existence circa 1974, is not the only game in town these days.
The surge in tabletop and role-playing games have trickled into the digital realm where the massively multiplayer online role-playing game, or MMORPG to the average gamer, virtualizes the model.
For Tarrytown resident Erika Lieberman and owner of downloadable soundscape company Sonic Legends, the shift to the modern prototype of the role-playing game left her observing the lack of music tailored specifically to the genre. Like a motion picture, the role playing game needs that sudden swell in score for the grander moments and likewise, the somber for more grave encounters.
“A friend of mine who is really into role-playing games asked me if I had any music that would go along with a particular game,” Lieberman said. “He was getting tired of using film scores. I composed something different and he said the gamers really enjoyed it. This made me think that people want this sort of thing and there is a real market for it.”
The New York University film and multimedia-educated composer attended numerous industry conventions, including Gen Con, what Lieberman called the “largest gaming convention in the country.”
There she consulted with gamers and publishers.
“They complain that music that”™s available now is too short and these battles can take hours,” she said of some gamers. “My soundscapes are at least eight to 10 minutes in length and are seamlessly loopable.”
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Soundscapes provide an emotive backdrop and ambience to games that may prove dull without.
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“I think gamers respond well to music,” she said. “They”™re used to going to movies where drama is enhanced and to provide a lush soundtrack to adventure gets them excited.”
Lieberman sought out composers who had experience in gaming, namely for situations where Lieberman may say something to the effect of, “I need an adventure scene for someone traveling through a tunnel who is about to encounter a troll.”
Sonic Legends just partnered with Crafty Games L.L.C., which was the creative team behind popular games Spycraft and Stargate SG-1.
Lieberman”™s company will compose original music in an orchestral style of epic fantasy adventures, but will include sound effects into mixes.
She charges per soundscape or $2.99 per digitally downloaded mp3 file.
Beginning a startup is not all fun and games for Lieberman.
She hopes to produce compilation CDs for retail and to grow a greater presence at gaming conventions.
“This is the first time I”™m doing any of this,” she said of designing the Sonic Legends website and gearing up for business. “I”™m a musician. It”™s really a learning-as-I-go experience.”
The website is sonic-legends.com.
