Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
both a use fee and licensing fee, depending. The trend is tending towards more freedom and openness in
learning the tool, and only in the case of a commercial release is the license fee charged.
Not all audio engines are built the same. For many years, audio middleware was clunky, dii cult both to
use and understand. Over the years it has become much more user friendly with a strong concentration
on ease of use and simplii ed workl ow.
Current Middleware Tools
Let's take a very brief look at the commercial middleware products out
there today. These are used mainly by small to mid-size independent
game developers.
FMOD Studio
FMOD Studio.
Firelight Technologies introduced FMOD in 2002 as a cross platform
audio runtime library for playing back sound for video games. Since
its inception, FMOD branched into a low-level audio engine with an
abstracted Event API, and a designer tool that set the standard for
middleware editing/coni guration reminiscent of DAWs. Firelight has
since continued its innovation, releasing a brand new audio engine in
2013 called FMOD Studio with signii cant improvements over the older
FMOD Ex engine, such as sample-accurate audio triggering, better i le
management, and a brand new advanced audio mixing system allowing
busses, sends and returns.
