Guidelines for Sound Design in Computer Games - Game Sound Technology and Player Interaction: Concepts and Developments - page 370

fact, to observe this guideline, the actual activa-
tion, at the level of the interface, can still resort
to a typical key press instead of true sound input.
In our non-digital lives we often resort to
sound to make things happen: We open our way
into the crowd by saying “excuse me, excuse
me” rather then pushing or shooting; we yell to
the annoying neighbor's dog to counter its attack
(sometimes it gets worse but we still do it); we
cough to make someone notice us; we use the car
horn to stop another driver hitting us; we walk
more or less loudly according to our intention to
make ourselves noticed, even if unconsciously;
and so on. Sound plays a huge part as input in the
communicational model, not only as dialog, in a
strict sense, but also in more indirect ways. So, we
have the means to get inspired about what could
be different in computer games. In fact, when put
this way, it seems that it is not about how to let
sound in, but rather how to stop forcing it out of
the game: How to escape from the bias of visual
predominance and derived solutions, and how to
allow for more balanced approaches.
One aspect that we believe ought to deserve
careful attention is the construction of a sense of
coherence. In truth, when we claim the need to
consider sound consequences, we are already ad-
dressing the issue of coherence between the value
of what is seen and what is-or should be-heard.
But let us confine, for now, our reasoning to what is
heard: The inclusion of aspects in the game that are
sound-driven may turn out to be improper if they
reveal an incomprehensibly unequal treatment
regarding other aspects that are evident candidates
for the same behavior. This is not about realism:
the coherence is relative to the gameworld, not
necessarily to the real world. Instead, it is related
to the holistic perspective that is dominant in the
notion of the soundscape.
Of course, incoherence can become accepted
based on the willing suspension of disbelief . The
player can indeed adapt to the game's reality
where, for instance, a very noisy event does not
trigger any kind of reaction from enemies but the

slightest imprudence regarding noise in the scope
of some other specific event can unleash the devil.
Even so, and excluding the merit of well-designed
alternate realities, such adaptation demands at least
a first effort from the player. That effort has little
to do with playing: it is exterior to the gaming
experience itself. The player-the game user-gets
confronted with the implausible and has to solve
it consciously before eventually coming to ac-
cept it. In turn, that compromises flow and game
immersion. If indeed the required suspension of
disbelief comes at a cost with no intended value,
just as the player is able to overlook the limitations
of a compromised game design, efforts ought to
be made to minimize the effect.
Some examples of the ideas expressed in this
guideline can, in fact, be found in a few existing
computer games. In the Thief game series- for
example, Thief: Deadly Shadows (Ion Storm Inc,
2004)-and Metal Gear Solid 4 (Kojima Produc-
tions, 2008), both stealth games, some items can
be thrown in order to make noise and consequently
divert enemies' attention to them. In the latter,
it is even possible to knock on nearby objects
with similar purpose. In both games and others,
such as The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Bethesda
Game Studios, 2006) the sound of the character's
footsteps can broadcast his position.
Other hypothetical examples would be: yell-
ing to frighten or as part of the strategy to defeat
beasts, whistling to call our dog or horse, clapping
hands to scare birds and so on.

Guideline 4: Allow Meaningful sonic
control for Intended Actions

This works as an inversion of the cause-effect
relationship in events with a natural or associated
sonic expression. As in Guideline 3, this guideline
relates sound and acting, however, this time instead
of performing some event X and expecting that
other events Y are triggered or shaped by its sonic
expression, we are suggesting a way to trigger
an event Z by performing its own sonic expres-