Eyes and Ears - Learn to Play: Designing Tutorials for Video Games - page 93

to audio. Occasionally, sounds are used to cue attention; we will talk
about this more in the following section. Auditory cueing takes the
form of 3D sound telling us from which direction we are taking fire, or
loud noises pointing our attention a certain way. In World of Warcraft ,
for example, a quick jingling noise lets you know when a pop-up, tuto-
rial or otherwise, has appeared on the screen. This is an effective way
to offload some of the visual load associated with World of Warcraft 's
already heavy visual interface. Other times, sound is used in a cine-
matic way. Background music (BGM) frames the action, while sound
effects punctuate our experience. This is the case in games such as
Heavy Rain or the UNCHARTED series. In still other cases, music is
used in a retro game design sense; BGM pours out of the game seem-
ingly irrespective of onscreen action. This is reminiscent of games like
Super Mario Bros. or The Legend of Zelda where the music would pipe
out regardless of what was happening on screen, depending only on
the level or area. Games like this are Te r ra r i a ™ or Rogue Legacy . Some
games have no BGM to speak of, like Kerbal Space Program , although
at the time of writing, it is still in beta so, who knows!
Finally, one meaningful use of sound in game design is to punctu-
ate action or change the mood of the title. Games like Flower , Journey ,
and Minecraft make excellent use of various types of music to induce
moods in the player. Games like Hotline Miami ™ punctuate their
frenetic murder sprees with sudden silence, letting you take a moment
to retroactively analyze what you have done, as you silently step out
over throngs of splattered bodies in unsettling quiet. Unfortunately,
sound is rarely used to enhance education in games—to teach the
players how to play—with some exceptions that I have mentioned
earlier in the topic.
Why Does This Matter?
We have already talked a bit about the Attentional Control Theory,
the Dual Coding Theory, and the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia
Learning in Chapter 3. In this chapter, I would like to highlight a key
element in all three: audio and video are handled differently by our
minds. Learning theories differ, but the one I believe that best applies
to game design is Richard Mayer's cognitive theory, particularly its
various principles.