How PS5 Games Can Use Sony’s Dynamic Music To Fix Combat Encounters

Sony’s PlayStation5 could use AI to create dynamic auditory combat encounters based upon player input. The company recently patented an all new music generating system designed exclusively to improve immersion within a gaming space. Audio cues and soundtracks could organically adapt to reflect how a player is feeling in a given moment in order to produce a more realistic experience.

Tech specs for the upcoming PS5 console were released during the “Road to PS5” live stream in which viewers got a preliminary look at the vast range of improvements Sony had in store for the system. Among this news, the DualSense controller stirred up a lot of excitement. This new controller features haptic feedback relays which are used to simulate touch by outputting vibrations and movements in order to replicate real-world experiences. The DualSense will also feature adaptive triggers which allow for developers to program different levels of resistance to simulate a variety of actions. It’s clear that Sony is working to create the most immersive gaming experience to date.

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Sony’s recent patenting of a new feature called “Dynamic Music Creation In Gaming” is another step towards achieving this goal. This technology utilized machine learning and emotional metadata to carefully craft an individual experience for each player. The musical score and sound effects can be tailored to reflect a specific scene in a game or be used as a means of triggering specific emotions in a player. For example, during a heavy action-packed sequence in Godfall, the AI could not only increase the tempo of the music, but it could also integrate additional sound effects to really drill the emotion into the player.

Given how integral music is in gameplay, it will be interesting to see the AI in practice. So often, a soundtrack is used to cue players into a specific event. Music swells as a player is coming up on a battle and falls shortly after a successful victory. However, more often than not there is a disconnect that occurs during such sequences. Either audio begins to play too soon and can cause confusion, or it takes far too long to cut off, leading to a disconnect between the player and the game space. Sony’s “Dynamic Music Creation“ intends to target these problems directly. By syncing the audio track perfectly with the events taking place on screen, the transitions between combat sequences will feel much more organic. This could also lead to more surprising encounters as the game will no longer be required to cue the player what they are coming upon.

Sony intends to include real-time analysis of player emotion to further personalize the PS5 gameplay experience. If a player is struggling in combat, the soundtrack could become much more tense, load, and stressful. Should the player suddenly start gaining the upper hand, the music could likely switch to something more victorious and hopeful. The company also plans to utilize player comments and reviews to tailor specific areas of a game where an emotional impact is lacking or could be improved. By time stamping this sequence, developers could adjust the score to better evoke a particular emotion.

The PS5 is on its way to completely re-imagine player experience from the ground up. With the patent mentioning the use of bio-metric systems to read players’ heart rate and respiration to control the swell or fall of music scores, video game combat and interactions are becoming more personal than ever. With the PlayStation 5 scheduled to release sometime in the 2020 holiday season, it will be exciting to see exactly how Sony’s “Dynamic Music Creation” AI can shape the future of gaming experience.

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Source: Tom’s Guide