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is largely tied to the dramatic embellishments
provided by the commentary of the sportscasters.
However, it is not only our enjoyment but also the
ways that we interpret what we are seeing that is
influenced by commentary. In one study, it was
found that commentary affected the perception of
aggression of the players in an ice hockey match.
(Comisky, Bryant, & Zillmann, 1977). Not only
this, but the more aggressive commentary was also
perceived as more enjoyable. Other similar studies
have reached similar conclusions in commentary
in a tennis match, (Bryant, Brown, Comisky, &
Zillmann, 1982), a soccer game (Beentjes, Van
Oordt, & Van Der Voort, 2002) and a basketball
game (Sullivan, 1992). This influence of com-
mentary on perception is likely to play an equally
important role in slot machines as well as com-
puter games, although this remains another area
of game sound largely unexplored. Sports games
in particular make use of commentary although
it is also very common to find commentary in
games that imitates television game shows. It is
possible, therefore, that the addition of a narrative
of events in some games may impact the player's
perception of their gameplay, as well as their
enjoyment of the game, although the technique
is clearly under-utilized.
Another trait discussed above that is highly
popular in slot machines but less common in
computer games is the use of familiarity and
branding tied to the machines. Not only do the
games themselves have distinctive sounds, but
each company has its own overarching style and
aesthetic that can be quickly learned upon spending
time on the casino floor. The coin sounds from an
IGT slot machine, for instance, sound different
from those generated by a Bally machine. While
this acoustic branding is particularly relevant in an
environment where machines are competing for
attention, the relevance of creating a distinctive
sound and branding franchise games or episodic
games remains in other environments also. Some
computer games have, of course, employed this
technique—the
Super Mario Bros
series, for
instance, has maintained a distinctive aesthetic
through countless incarnations, platforms, and
technological improvements. However, there are
many games that still do not attempt to capital-
ize on this ability to entice experienced players
to a new version of the game with the creation a
distinct, recognizable sound.
6
rEsPONsEs tO EGM sOUND
The response of players to slot machine sounds
is diverse, representing the different needs and
desires of the players. For many, music and sound
signify success, as one study has found: “I like
it when it's going long [the music], because you
know you're winning plenty of money. When
they're short, I don't like them…” (Livingstone
et al., 2008, p. 103). Other players—those which
by their comments appear to be more regular
gamblers—dislike the sounds, the study found:
“sounds are too loud and attract attention. If
someone lets the feature music go on and on
they are not serious—the problem gamblers hate
hearing it go on and on—and it draws attention
to you” (Livingstone et al., 2008, p. 103). A few
other participants also reported pressing “col-
lect” straight after a win specifically to stop the
music from playing. While some players found
the sounds of others winning exciting, others felt
that it gave them the impression that “everyone
is winning but you” (Livingstone et al., 2008, p.
103). One study regarding sound's presence (as
on or off) showed that players strongly preferred
sound to be on (Delfabbro, Fazlon, & Ingram,
2005). Response to sound, therefore, can vary
from player to player, but some typical responses
can be summarized.
Studies of the physiological response to
sound (typically industrial noise, but also in-
cluding music, speech, and other sounds) have
found that sounds can contribute to increases
in blood pressure and, most importantly, impair
performance on a vigilance task (Smith & Morris
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