A Combined Model for the Structuring of Computer Game Audio - Game Sound Technology and Player Interaction: Concepts and Developments - page 103

tainment, 2002) and Legend of Zelda (Nintendo,
1987), to show how the combined model, as an
analytical toolset, may be applied. Since this model
is also suitable for the production of game audio,
we then provide an example of how to actually
use it as a production toolset. The final section
is a summary of this chapter and our concluding
thoughts.

The IEZA-framework consists of 4 categories:

1. Interface: Sounds related to the game's
interface. Interface sounds are non-diegetic
and belong to the game as a system.
2. Effect: Sounds directly or indirectly triggered
by the player's actions. The sounds of effects
are diegetic and the result of activity within
the game environment.
3. Zone: Sounds related to the game environ-
ment. Zone sounds are diegetic and belong
to the setting.
4. Affect: Sounds outside the game environ-
ment, mainly intended to set the mood. The
sounds of affects are non-diegetic and often
used to create anticipation.

the IEZA-Framework

Although we show that sound is closely related
to immersion, most literature on game audio does
not deal with fundamental questions, such as
those related to what game audio really is, what it
consists of and what makes it function in games.

It is striking that in this emerging field, theory
on game audio is still rather scarce. While
most literature focuses on the production and
implementation of game audio, like recording
techniques and programming of sound engines,
surprisingly little has been written in the field of
ludology about the structure and composition of
game audio. (Huiberts and van Tol, 2008, p. 1)

The 4 categories are divided into 2 axes in a
cross pattern: diegetic versus non-diegetic in the
vertical axis and activity versus setting in the hori-
zontal axis. The terms diegetic and non-diegetic
are also very often used in film theory (Bordwell
& Thompson, 1994; Bordwell & Thompson, 2001;
Chion, 1994; Wilhelmsson, 2001) and diversify
the environment inside the movie/game, that is,
the diegesis, versus the system that carries this
world inside the movie/game, that is, the non-
diegetic (Cunningham, Grout, & Picking, 2011;
Jørgensen, 2011). The IEZA-framework makes a
clear distinction between the sounds that belong
inside the game environment, the Zone and the
Effect sounds, and the sounds that belong to the
system as such, the Affect and Interface sounds.
The horizontal axis places the sounds on a scale of
setting versus activity. The Zone and Affect sounds
belong to the setting of the game and the Effect
and Interface to the activities during gameplay.
This is a good starting point for understanding
how computer game audio may be categorized in
accordance with its functionality within the sonic
environment of a specific game. We agree with
Huiberts and van Tol (2008) that this structure
enables the IEZA-framework to go deeper than
other similar frameworks. We have used the IEZA-

Huiberts and van Tol were looking for a func-
tional and coherent framework to use for the study
of game audio and examined different categoriza-
tion methods, from games and films respectively.
However, they found that none provided any
sensible information about the organization and
functionality of the audio. This is a problem since
the functionality of sound is essential to computer
games. While this model, in its original form, does
not specifically discuss the semantics of sounds in
a detailed way, our combined model emphasizes
this important issue. 3
Huiberts and van Tol propose that a more coher-
ent way to categorize the audio in a game should
also include the function, role and properties of
the different sounds. They therefore developed the
IEZA-framework (Figure 1) for the categorization
and planning of audio in computer games.