Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
ChapTeR 8
sound
Sounds for games serve
a myriad of roles. Along with creating the sig-
nature for a project, music helps to create mood, build tension, introduce
mirth, and telegraph conflict. Ambient sounds help construct immersion,
and clever audio effects for interfaces communicate a sense of panache,
futuristic technology, dark themes, or wacky comedy. The addition of sound,
an unseen component in such a visual medium, helps players use their
imagination.
Well-designed audio can deeply enhance the gameplay experience, whereas a
poor design can damage it. For games that have a long play time, where play-
ers may be immersed for 10-20 hours or more, one of the challenges for the
audio designers is coming up with enough interesting variation in the sounds
to avoid boring repetitions while also keeping file sizes in check.
The art form of designing audio has increased in sophistication as games
have improved and developed over the years. Just as movies have used this
medium to draw in the audience and help them enjoy a deeper experience, so
have games and their designers taken advantage of this rich component to
breathe more life into their adventures.
Organization and planning
Music
Ambient sound
Sound effects
Speech
Sound-based computer games
Organization and planning
Video games typically have hundreds or thousands of digital files generated
during their production. Half the battle is keeping track of all that work as it's
planned for, produced, and then catalogued for the production. As with any
