FourWaysofHearingVideoGameMusicoffersanovelaccountofthewaysinwhichvideogamesinviteustohearandlistentotheirmusic.Bytakingaphenomenologicalapproachtocharacterizemusicinvideogames,authorMichielKampaskswhatitiswehearinthemusicwhenweplayagame.Drawingonpastphenomenologicalapproachestomusicaswellasstudiesofmusiclisteninginavarietyofdisciplinessuchasaestheticsandecologicalpsychology,Kampexplainsfourmainwaysofhearingthesamepieceofmusic--throughbackground,aesthetic,ludic,andsemiotichearing.Asabackground,musicisnotattendedtoatall,butcanstillbedescribedintermsofmoods,affordances,orequipment.Aesthetichearingisareflectiveattitudethatinviteshermeneuticinterpretation;ludichearingontheotherhandinvites“playingalong“tothemusic,eitherthroughembodiedmovement,orinresponsetothemusic’scinematicortheatricalconnotations.Finally,insemiotichearing,Kamparguesthatwehearmusicastransparentsymbolsorsignalsthatprovideinformationaboutthestateofagame.Thebookinvestigatesthesefourcategoriesthroughdetailedcasestudiesofvideogamesfromavarietyoferasandgenresaccompaniedbygameplayrecordingsandimagesonacompanionwebsite.
