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Start Date
13-6-2025 9:30 AM
Description
This paper explores the interdisciplinary use of music and sound in theme park video games through the lens of theme park theory and ludomusicology, examining how audio elements shape player experience, immersion, and narrative in virtual theme park environments. Drawing upon the insights presented in the 2024 Orlando conference on theme park music and sound, this study investigates the translation of real-world theme park audio strategies into digital experiences. Real-world parks are renowned for their intricate soundscapes, which blend environmental sounds, atmospheric music, and ride-specific compositions to enhance immersion. In the digital realm, games such as Theme Park (1994), the RollerCoaster Tycoon series (1999-2016), and Planet Coaster 1 and 2 (2016-24) replicate these elements, creating interactive audio landscapes that mirror the physical attractions they represent.
This paper converges the worlds of theme park audio theory and ludomusicology across case-study based analyses. In Theme Park and RollerCoaster Tycoon, music functions not only to evoke a sense of nostalgia but also to guide player decisions, with looping tracks reinforcing the rhythm of game progression. Meanwhile, the more advanced Planet Coaster games leverage dynamic audio systems that respond to player actions and environmental changes, simulating the reactive soundscape of an actual theme park. By synthesising these theoretical frameworks with game examples, this paper demonstrates the importance of music and sound in creating virtual spaces that replicate the experiential design principles of theme parks, offering unique insights into their role within interactive media.
Recommended Citation
Lawson, Matt, "Playing the Parks – Music, Sound, and the Virtual Guest Experience in Theme Park Video Games" (2025). Theme Park Music and Sound. 1.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/tpms/2025/friday/1
Playing the Parks – Music, Sound, and the Virtual Guest Experience in Theme Park Video Games
This paper explores the interdisciplinary use of music and sound in theme park video games through the lens of theme park theory and ludomusicology, examining how audio elements shape player experience, immersion, and narrative in virtual theme park environments. Drawing upon the insights presented in the 2024 Orlando conference on theme park music and sound, this study investigates the translation of real-world theme park audio strategies into digital experiences. Real-world parks are renowned for their intricate soundscapes, which blend environmental sounds, atmospheric music, and ride-specific compositions to enhance immersion. In the digital realm, games such as Theme Park (1994), the RollerCoaster Tycoon series (1999-2016), and Planet Coaster 1 and 2 (2016-24) replicate these elements, creating interactive audio landscapes that mirror the physical attractions they represent.
This paper converges the worlds of theme park audio theory and ludomusicology across case-study based analyses. In Theme Park and RollerCoaster Tycoon, music functions not only to evoke a sense of nostalgia but also to guide player decisions, with looping tracks reinforcing the rhythm of game progression. Meanwhile, the more advanced Planet Coaster games leverage dynamic audio systems that respond to player actions and environmental changes, simulating the reactive soundscape of an actual theme park. By synthesising these theoretical frameworks with game examples, this paper demonstrates the importance of music and sound in creating virtual spaces that replicate the experiential design principles of theme parks, offering unique insights into their role within interactive media.