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Thompson (1995) argues that when we enter
virtual spaces or communities we leave orality
behind: he sees no space for sound within vir-
tual worlds or online communities. It has been
prevalent in social and media theory to ignore
the experience of sound in a space, whether that
sound is produced by human activity or by other
natural sources. It is my argument that sound
plays a part in the social construction of space,
whether real or virtual, either by its presence or
absence. Equally, I will argue that sound which
is produced by objects through reverberation and
other acoustic qualities can affect how we navigate
or place meaning in a space.
I will also explore the process of control which
is dominating research into the Soundscape, this
is primarily due to an increasing awareness of the
side effects or apparent dangers of loud sounds
on people.
The need to monitor and control sound in the
environment has become a predominant research
focus within soundscape studies. Sounds within
urban centers are increasingly seen as a by-product
of industry and technology: this has led to the
creation of noise policies within a number of
countries. Sound is increasingly seen as a measure
of sound pressure levels rather than being seen
as a social structure (Blesser & Salter, 2009, pp.
1, 2). This is significant for sound designers who
wish to gather data on the meaning of sound within
society. If a sound designer considers sound only
in relation to volume, noise, or other objective
criteria they might ignore the meaning sound be-
yond its output level. In looking at the social and
perceptual aspects of sound we are constructing
what Feld (2004) would call an
acoustemology
of
the sound world. He increasingly acknowledges
that soundscape studies, which react to human
interventions to the natural soundscape, ignore
cultural systems which develop as a result of be-
ing immersed and surrounded by sound.
The game space, or any virtual space which
asks a person to become immersed in it, needs to
be founded upon an understanding of the sociologi-
cal impact of sound on the individual and society.
A game designer must also take into account the
more abstract representation of sound that is expe-
rienced in art, cinema, and other mediated spaces.
There is already a history of the experience of
sound through mediatisation (Bull, 2000; Cabrera
Paz & Schwartz, 2009; Cohen, 2005; Drobnick,
2004): the difference between these theories and
the theory of game sound design is the concept
of immersion, interactivity, and simulated reality.
What describes a soundscape, who defines the
description and what models are used to categorise
levels of sound and their meaning? There are no
set methods for the study of acoustic ecology or
the soundscape from a sociological perspective.
I propose an interdisciplinary method which will
draw on social theory, media theory, and sound
design. In order to explore the soundscape we
must incorporate different methods and theories
to analyze the social impact of the soundscape,
real or virtual on the individual and the group.
tHE EXPLOrAtION OF
tHE sOUNDscAPE
Some of the earliest documented exploration of
the modern soundscape arose from within the
arts and modern music composition. Those who
practised the art of listening explored the changes
in our early soundscape, technology was seen to
change our soundscape, but this was not seen as
a negative event (Luigi Russolo's 1913). Luigi
Russolo's 1913 manifesto,
The Art of Noise
, pos-
ited that sound had reached a limit of invention,
technological sounds allowed for an “enjoyment in
the combination of the noises of trams, backfiring
motors, carriages, and bawling crowds”. He argued
that in listening and using these sounds as types
of music we would create an awareness of the
rapidly changing soundscape. In an ever changing
technological climate, we would increasingly be
exposed to new types of sounds at a faster rate
than at any time preceding mechanisation. The
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