The Game Audio Explosion - A Guide to Great Game Sound Part II: Music, FMVs and Audio Planning

V. MUSIC, game review, PRODUCTION

A. THE UNDERSCORE - INTERACTIVE, game review, VS. FILM MUSIC

Until recently, you simply could not compare game music to film, game review, music. Every
aspect involved in their production, from budgets to performance, made it an
impractical comparison. Today, these two media have a working relationship.
Games are created to support movies and movies are made, game review, from successful, game review,
game franchises. Film composers are now writing for games, and some game
composers have made the transition to film.



Hollywood orchestras and
orchestrators are now commonly used for game music scores. Why make this
comparison?, game review, Because even though the considerations, game review, involved in their creation
are different, their effect and function are relatively the same.

B. STORY-DRIVEN/ROLEPLAYING GAMES

As the name suggests, the scores, game review, to story-driven games must primarily tell a
story. To tell a story musically is a sublime art. A composer, game review, must be, game review, well
versed in the work of his predecessors in order to understand what constitutes
successful story telling using the language, game review, of music.



Fortunately, centuries of
music have been written for this purpose, allowing today's composer a
foundation for developing this art. We now associate certain sonorities and
rhythms with specific actions, emotions or locations, game review, . Compositions like
Rossini's 'William Tell', Wagner's 'Tristan' and Holst's 'Planets' have laid the
groundwork for these non-verbal associations. Film and television composers
have since, game review, expanded on these motifs to help express the elements within a
story.



A portion of story telling is to define the environment, both time and place, game review, .
Musically, we draw influence from folk traditions for such a purpose. Through
ethnomusicology we can effectively represent locations and time periods by
incorporating traditional instruments, modes and progressions, game review, into the score, game review, .
For instance, a tabla, tambour or sitar is appropriate for describing an Indian
location. If such instruments are not available,, game review, the music may be orchestrated
in such a way as to mimic, game review, these traditional sounds.



A modern orchestra is
greatly enhanced by the addition of folk elements for the purpose of describing
a specific time and place.

Characters within a story are supported through the development of melodic
themes and motifs associated with each character. Orchestrating, game review, the motifs
throughout various instruments will provide a sense of character development
as the game progresses. In addition, varying the harmonic support of these
themes will reflect the character's physical, mental and emotional states.



Game music for the story and role genre must highlight the dramatic events in
the story as well as drive the game-play. NIS and FMVs are the primary tools
for, game review, advancing, game review, the storyline and scoring to these videos is generally a
straightforward process. You must consider, however, that game-play is also a
dramatic event that contributes to the overall development of the story. Herein
lies the careful balancing act of supporting the story as well as the action,
without the music sounding repetitious.



Cross fading alternate versions, game review, and
transitions, or layering individual tracks that are programmatically, game review, muted and
un-muted, will secure the musical effectiveness over long periods. The
programming methods of manipulating music within a game are beyond the
intent of this article. Further reading from game development resources such
as 'gamasutra.com' will provide a closer look at some of the programming
methods used in game music playback.

B. ACTION/ARCADE AND SPORTS GAMES

The most basic function of game music is best exhibited in 'arcade' style
games in which the overall gaming experience is enhanced by the addition of
adrenaline-surging music.



The music helps to drive the action, thereby
heightening the intensity of the experience. For this reason, it's very common
for these games to license tracks from well-known, marketable artists with a, game review,
track record of producing music that translates to the listener. The interactive
potential of this music, has thus far been very low. However, as many artists
are also avid gamers, they are beginning to show interest in lending their talent
toward interactive soundtrack design, if, game review, not producing tracks in their entirety.



Generally speaking, the interactivity of the music in arcade-style games rarely
moves beyond loops and stings. In many cases, this is all that is required.
However,, game review, as the complexity of arcade-style games grow, so must the level of
musical interactivity. The music for these games should support any changes in
game-play. Power-ups,, game review, signature moves and multiple damage are all examples
commonly reserved for the sound design to immerse the player in the action,
but are appropriately expressed through music as well.



A deep understanding
of the game-play will reveal to the composer, new areas to interactively
enhance, game review, an otherwise monotonous arcade soundtrack.

VI. FULL MOTION VIDEO (FMV)

Since, game review, the FMV is a controlled environment, it is tempting, game review, for the sound
designer to elaborate on the sound effects. While in some cases, it may be
appropriate to heighten the dramatic impact of the story; great care should be
maintained to be consistent with the in-game sound design.



An incredible-
, game review, sounding FMV is surely a joy to behold, however, if the in-game sounds do not
hold up to the FMVs, the playing experience will be diminished. The purpose of
the FMV is to dramatically move the storyline, and to provide a break in the
action. Since Most FMVs occur after completing a level, there is an inherent
sense of reward when viewing the FMV. The sound design should pay, game review, respect
to this as long as it doesn't stray too far from the in-game sound.



The FMV
should act as a seamless transition into and out of the game play. In my
opinion, it is best to use in-game sounds within the FMV wherever in-game
movements or actions are present.

The second consideration for FMV sound is the mix of all the sound elements.
All dialog, sound effects and music should, game review, be mixed at comparable levels to
the in-game mix, unless there is a dramatic motivation for stressing one over
the other.

VII. SOUND REVIEWS

The Beta date is just around the corner.



Your sound team, game review, has worked, game review, countless
hours, and is nearing the finish line. You might think it's time to examine the
sound for any necessary revisions. Well by this time it's probably too late. As
mentioned earlier, the sound team is generally the last in line to begin creating
their content. Add to this, the fact that all previously missed deadlines
becomes their burden to make-up. Your sound team will likely be delivering
content right up to the last minute.



You will need to have in place a regular
and effective, game review, reviewing mechanism to stay on top of the direction of the game
sound.

Using the, game review, same group of reviewers used for the demo phase (part 1 of article),
create a questionnaire that rates the general aspects of the sound. Rating each
individual sound would be time-consuming, so use categories of sounds and
include room for comments or explanations, game review, . By assembling the various
questionnaires, you will be able to develop a consensus opinion, game review, that will reveal
spots that need further attention.



If this is performed in a timely and periodic
fashion, your sound team will be best able to manage the revisions, as they are
needed.

VIII. GOT YOUR SOUND BUDGET? …USE IT!

A. YOUR SIMPLE CHECKLIST
Today's games are competing with each other on every level. Sound is no
exception. You must secure the best resources possible for your sound team.
This will require that you use your budget wisely, and use all of it.

Prior to beginning the sound effects production, ask yourself the following
questions.



1. Is your sound team complete? (i.e. sound designer(s), supervising/Lead
sound designer, composer, audio director and audio programmer)

2. Is each member of the sound team assigned a specific task uncompromised
by additional or overlapping roles?

3. Is your sound team assigned only to, game review, your project?

4. Does your sound team have enough time to complete your project?

, game review, 5. Does your sound team have the adequate resources necessary for your
specific game? These include sonically treated work spaces, equipment,
software and, game review, sound effects libraries that are compatible with the needs of your game.



6. Does your sound team have a demonstrated track record of producing
sound within the style and genre of your project?

If you answered "yes" to all of these questions, your sound design team is
properly equipped, prepared and ready for production. Answering "no" to any
of these questions will tell you where you will need to focus portions of your
budget.

B. OUTSOURCING

If the sound team is incomplete or in any way compromised, you should
consider outsourcing an appropriate amount of the workload to game audio
specialists.



Look for companies and people that have a strong resume of
interactive sound production, and have successfully produced sound for "high
profile" titles. If your game has special stylistic needs, then consider companies
that have a track record of producing sound for similar titles.

C. FOLEY

The overall 'theme' of your game will help dictate where you may need
additional resources. A historically based game will, game review, require authenticity;
therefore consider obtaining fresh recordings of historically accurate weapons
and vehicles.



If your game focuses on destruction, a sizeable Foley session, game review, may
be appropriate to produce original content unencumbered by overused sound
effects libraries. A small but well organized recording session can give your
game a lot of fresh spark without breaking the budget.

IX. MARKETING YOUR SOUND

Game marketing has typically focused on the creator, developer or the voice
actors within the game. In many cases, sound can be used as a marketing tool
as well. For "The Incredible Hulk - Ultimate destruction" we hired some of
Hollywood's, game review, finest sound recordists to coordinate a Foley session that would
produce the raw destruction, game review, sounds we needed to create the sound effects
necessary for this game, game review, .



Our session took place at an auto-dismantling yard in
a southern California desert. A giant forklift and bulldozer were used to drop,
drag and tear apart cars, vans and trailers. Multiple video cameras captured the
session for future use on the "Behind-the-scenes" reel. The added benefit was
the marketability achieved by everyone's dedication to producing the most
destructive sounding game to date. Your ability to market your game's sound
will also help raise any additional finances needed to bring your sound up to
the next level.



Steve Kutay is the co-founder of Radius360, an award-winning audio post
production company, specializing in sound for film and games, located in Los
Angeles, California. You may contact Steve at steve.kutay@radius360.com

A Battlefield 2 Player's Review of Battlefield 2142

A Battlefield 2 players review of Battlefield 2142

I was lucky enough to secure a invitational beta test from EA very, game review, early on in the Battlefield 2142's development. Some might say "unlucky enough" but, game review, I remained, game review, confident throughout the beta testing phase, game review, that the games complications would be ironed out in due course. EA/Dice have indeed had a rough ride from the, game review, Battlefield 2 community throughout due to Battlefield 2's chequered history, so scepticism regarding Battlefield 2142 was rife with a fair proportion of the community stating "Its simply a mod of Battlefield 2".



Indeed Battlefield, game review, 2142, game review, does, game review, share the same engine as Battlefield 2 although changes and optimisations have been made for, game review, improved performance and in game effects which I will elaborate on later in this review. Although Battlefield 2142 is a stand alone game and not a mod of Battlefield 2, comparisons will and are inevitably made as both games share the same engine (albeit optimised for Battlefield 2142 in various aspects) although the reader of this article must bear in mind this is NOT Battlefield 2 and most certainly doesn't play like Battlefield 2.



Gimme game modes!
Excluding the blatantly obvious differences between Battlefield 2 and Battlefield 2142, game review, such as the futuristic setting, Battlefield 2142 offers the same Conquest mode familiar with the, game review, Battlefield 2 community in which players must secure as many flags as possible, or control more than half the flags on the map to slowly deplete the enemy's tickets, game review, to secure a win. Along with Conquest is now a mode called Titan. Titans are considered the motherships of each team and if your team is successful in destroying the enemy's Titan, you are granted the win.



Destroying the Titans themselves consists of capping ground based silos. Each time a silo, game review, is capped a missile is launched at the enemy's Titan., game review, That same silo will launch missiles intermittently to deplete the enemy Titan's shield, unless the silo is re-captured by the enemy. Once the enemy Titan's shield is disabled from the continual barrage of missiles, the teams have a choice of to continue, game review, capping silo's until the Titan is completely destroyed or go for an early kill by boarding the Titan.



Players can board the enemy Titan by pod or other means such as flying transport. Once you are within the Titan, your, game review, task is to reach the reactor room. Before you can successfully reach the reactor room you must disable FOUR consoles that lower internal force fields one by one, thus allowing you access to the next console respectively. Once all consoles are destroyed the Reactor Room door blows and allows entry to destroy the Reactor. Destroying the reactor can be achieved by weapon fire or explosives to secure a win.



Titan shenanigans

Due to familiarisation with Battlefield 2142's environments and weapons, Titan mode was hectic during beta with, game review, people seemingly wondering around the map, although as time went by you now see concerted efforts by both teams to destroy each others Titans. The mixture of open map combat to close quarter corridor fire fights makes for a varied game play experience that also opens up the realm of tactics considerably such as, do you go for an early kill by boarding the Titan or continue with missile attacks via capturing silos let alone what squads and classes that are best for the job at hand.



When located within the enemy Titan you invariably find yourself facing a well dug in defence as a large percentage of the Titan is composed of corridors and chokepoints making for some fierce firefights with many casualties on both sides accordingly.

Overall, Titan mode is refreshingly new and implemented into the Battlefield universe very well, while maintaining that crucial balance issue that is required of any FPS game.

Graphics and the Battlefield 2142 engine

Battlefield, game review, 2142 shares the same engine as Battlefield 2 although it has been optimised for better frame rates and eye candy with some other code changes to accommodate the vehicles such as the Battle Walker.



As a seasoned veteran of Battlefield 2, I can see a marked increase in performance with Battlefield 2142 in relation to Battlefield 2. Due to PC specifications and the variables involved, this might not be the case for everybody, although I can confidentially predict if you run Battlefield 2 I would say this would perform just as well, if not better on your current rig. You certainly notice the eye candy graphics in action when within the games, game review, environment, most notably the temporary vehicle force fields and massive explosions.



Buildings and landscape are, game review, complex in construction, game review, although sensible in design offering you good cover in many situations. The landscape itself does indeed look like a battlefield with craters and half destroyed buildings on fire adding to the expected battlefield atmosphere. The overall "tone" of the game is implemented very well with weaponry and mechanics suitably detailed and coloured for the games futuristic setting while providing a large selection of maps offering a varied battlefield experience and environmental setting.



Sound

As the year is 2142, you certainly notice the difference in tone with weapon use. The sound effects are considerably more "meatier" than Battlefield 2 in every aspect. Explosions are the most impressive with a pleasing bassy, game review, rumble coupled with the lighting effects added from the, game review, game engine itself makes for pleasurable frags. Indeed, explosions of all types are one of the most impressive aspects of the game purely because of the sound coupled with graphics. The clever use of background radio use adds to the futuristic theme of the game while not interfering with the job at hand.



Each sound seems to fit the situation perfectly from, game review, pod launches from APC's to reloading your weapons. They seem to have, game review, spent a lot of time in the sound effects department in the construction of this, game review, game and, game review, its certainly noticeable by the quality. The musical score for the game itself lends well to Star Wars in its orchestral mix and is much more pleasing, game review, to listen to when connecting to servers or navigating the games options.



Many FPS games have failed to deliver within the realms of creating that all important atmosphere to suit the setting. A good example would be firing the primary weapon on a tank, game review, only to hear a wimpy "boom!". Battlefield 2142 delivers in every respect regarding sound by providing, game review, that all important "BOOOOOM!".

Weapon handling!

This seems to also be a controversial issue within the Battlefield community. I have always felt Battlefield 2 was influenced by the wrong people within the, game review, patching process and a little to much was nerved to accommodate those people who are either just to lazy to learn specific skills or are simply to stupid to play Solitaire let alone Battlefield 2, game review, .



I know this is a controversial comment but I have been part of this community and, game review, have read many posts within this subject with have never felt the weapons to be inaccurate. I can say I have indeed emptied an entire clip into someone only for them to turn around and kill me, although this experience is few and far between and is also present in Battlefield 2. Bullet spread overall seems more concentrated towards the center of your crosshair than Battlefield 2's and just s Battlefield 2, burst fire or single shot mode often alleviates all issues of accuracy.



Because weapon accuracy is, game review, seemingly better in Battlefield 2142 I usually experience much less enemy proning unless at distances.

Gameplay feel:

My first impression was the immediacy of mouse movement in comparison to Battlefield 2. Mouse movement seems much more responsive and accurate which is certainly an aspect that I personally thought Battlefield 2 lacked, possibly because I'm an old school Enemy Territory player. It has previously been mentioned that Battlefield 2 didn't allow the option to disable mouse acceleration so maybe this has, game review, been disabled as default? Please do NOT presume that Battlefield 2142 is similar to Battlefield 2 regarding gameplay speed.



After the initial familiarisation with weapons and its Titan game mode, you will immediately realise Battlefield 2142 is considerably faster and fierce in gameplay than Battlefield 2, and, game review, you generally find yourself in combat situations much more frequently than Battlefield 2. Although gameplay itself is faster, the soldier movement, game, game review, review, does seem pretty accurate to that of Battlefield 2 although ever so slightly faster, game review, in your average run speed although run length is shorter but fixable via an unlock.



As expected from a seasoned Battlefield 2 player, vehicle handling initially felt unfamiliar, primarily with the hover tank, but as with any game it is soon mastered,, game review, game review, and perfected to devastating effect. Flying is very much easier than Battlefield 2, although balance has been maintained with suitable ground support weapons to counteract the airborne menace and certainly doesn't present the same problems experienced in Battlefield 2.

Badges and Toys!

Battlefield 2142 has a stat system of its own, game, game review, review, with a large and varied selection of, game review, unlocks per, game review, soldier.



It has been argued a small number of unlocks should come as standard on certain soldiers, game review, such as the defibrillator kit on Assault class and universal sprint speed length throughout all classes as opposed to an unlock, which I tend to agree with, but other than that the selections are well chosen and provide for extensive variation in gameplay from the A12 Enforcer Sentry Gun to the IT-33 Optical Camouflage for Recon class soldiers. Unlocks feature heavily, game review, in Battlefield 2142 and must be chosen carefully to avoid all those "doh!" situations in which you say "I could have used that!".



Upgrades also consist of smaller items such as sniper scope stability upgrades, ammo clip upgrades and of course the controversial stamina recovery charge as well as providing, game review, further battlefield team communication methods such as reconnaissance drones. Overall your not stuck for choice although players are advised to choose their unlocks carefully to accommodate their play style and requirements. Badges, game review, are awarded as Battlefield 2 although now there is extra incentive to use the knife in combat as you are awarded the enemy's dog tags for each kill as bragging, game review, rights, a very good addition to the game and is most amusing when the enemy is your, game review, friend on coms.



Game options

There is everything you would expect within Battlefield 2142's options as you would see in Battlefield 2's, although there are a few changes for the better. Most notably is the addition of a buddy,, game review, game review, system within the join server screen. This option allows you to add your "buddys" and then you can ascertain exactly which server your friends are playing on without obtaining, game review, that annoying IP address or server name (ALL on-line games should have this simple option btw).



Round experience:

The initial onslaught is magnificent as both teams scramble to cap the silos. In one sense you dont want to be the first person on scene as you usually find pods of personnel dropping left right and center to your position itching to take you down although this is why its beneficial to work in squads to prepare for such situations. Indeed the pod drops could be right next to you, game review, or if carefully navigated (difficult) on top of you killing you instantly. Sometimes you find yourself in a face off with a tank.



I tend to throw EMP grenades (unlockable) while a Recon class soldier moves in with an RDX Demopak (C4 equivalent) although again this is if your team is working AS a team. Once you have capped the silo you find a few vehicles spawning which tend to be different depending on which silo you've capped. Once you have secured the area you have a choice on how to move to the next silo. You find a buggy will spawn on all captured silos, these offer, game review, a very fast means of transport around the map although weak in armour.



Alternatively you can launch yourself from, game review, an APC pod and navigate directly to the next silo or possibly land yourself at a clever vantage point to cause disruption and offer covering fire while, game review, the rest of your team move in. After a while you find the enemy Titan's shield is depleted, from this situation you can reach the Titan by air transport, game review, or pod. I usually navigate an APC which my team can spawn and use a pod to land on the deck of the enemy Titan.



When within the Titan,
you generally find a well dug in enemy who will stop at nothing to take you down. It's generally a good idea to move in slowly and use your iron sights regularly to spot movement or a prone solider waiting with a support class gun. Corridor fire fights are intense and many people die. One situation I experienced was a stand-off with the enemy located within the Reactor Room and my team outside throwing everything we could at them. I noticed a blurry outline of a solider exciting the Reactor room briefly and thought nothing of it until, game review, I was stabbed in the back by a Recon class soldier using active camouflage.



I assign a droid (as squad leader) who begins shooting into the Reactor room and a few grenades later we move in for the kill successfully taking down the last few remaining enemy soldiers, game review, . We begin shooting the reactor core and when critical we run for the exit to bail.

Overall:

I generally find intense battlefield experiences on Battlefield 2142 much more frequent than Battlefield 2 in the sense, game review, there's numerous transport options and your never far from the battle unless spawning, and even then you can spawn within the very Titan your defending.



Overall I think the game although, game review, not massively dissimilar to Battlefield 2 regarding game modes and the principles of unlocks and stats, offers a fresh gaming experience in speed and intensity that certainly warrants the space on your hard disk.

Article Resource: http://www.gamersnation.co.uk/index.php?name=Core&file=article&sid=918

The Game Audio Explosion - A Guide to Great Game Sound Part I: Pre-production and Sound Design

I. FAR BEYOND BLEEPS AND LOOPS

The new console era is, game review, upon us. It has been met by developers everywhere with
great anticipation, promise, …and yet, reluctance, game review, . Programmers have spent a
large portion of the past decade squeezing every last bit of potential from,, game review, game review, our
PS2s, Xbox's and Gamecubes.
Now, after tricking these machines into performing beyond their expectations,
the shackles of technology have been lifted yet again. But will the next
generation consoles guarantee better audio?

No.



We can certainly expect more audio due to an increase in available
memory, and the ability to add additional content within BD-ROM and dual
layer DVD-ROM formats. But what makes audio sound good doesn't
necessarily have anything to do with performance and delivery specs. Surely,
our ability to manipulate audio will improve, but it will mean nothing if the
content doesn't deliver. This article focuses on sound creation, and will enable
you to pave the way for effective and successful interactive game sound.



You have the ability to put the creative spark in motion regardless of which
game format you are developing, game review, . Knowing and preparing your sound team as
well as understanding the processes through which they work, will ultimately
help you to keep the audio on track, both artistically and financially.

II. THE AUDIO TEAM

A, game review, few years back, I was scoring a short animated film. One of the, game review, animators for
this film held a day job at a well-known entertainment company that had just
released a CG movie about dinosaurs.



I asked him what he did on that project,
to which he replied,, game review, "I did all the toenails."
I couldn't help but think of the army of people responsible for the teeth, eyes,
scales, and so on. None-the-less, I saw the movie and it was visually stunning.
Realistically, game budgets will not allow for such an extravagant audio team,
but it does illustrate a good principle; that your audio personnel have well-
defined, game review, roles with which to focus their efforts. Collectively, your audio will be
that much, game review, better for it.



Game budgets once mandated that production costs stay low, so it wasn't
unusual to find that one or two people produced all of a game's audio. Today,
the stakes are much higher, and so are the budgets. Consumer, game review, expectations
have grown, requiring a movie-like experience, game review, within the confines of their
homes. The interactive market has, game review, become a battlefield for franchise
superiority. Bland, over-used audio must not be the exposed link in the armor
of any publisher or developer.



Whether you are using an in-house audio department or outsourcing the, game review, audio
completely, it is important that individuals have well-defined roles that do not
cross over into the other aspects of sound production. If the Audio Director is
splitting time as the Sound Designer, and the Sound Designer is also the
Composer, you can be, game review, sure that none of these shared jobs will get the proper
attention they require. It is important to obtain a list of your entire audio team
that breaks down the responsibilities of each member.



Use your sound budget
to fortify any areas in sound production that need particular emphasis. We will
discuss more on budgets later, but for now let's start at, game review, the beginning.

III. COMMUNICATING THE VISION: PRE-PRODUCTION

A. EARLY BIRD CATCHES THE WORM

By their very nature, creative people are passionate, game review, about what they do. You
shouldn't have difficulty finding the enthusiasm amongst your sound team. Yet
this inherent motivation is not something to be left without guidance.



You will
be doing your budget as well as your team's morale, a disservice by letting
your sound team simply, game review, "have at it". When it comes time to add sound, the, game review,
sound designers have both an advantage and a disadvantage compared to the
other production team members.

The advantage is, that by the time the game is ready for audio creation,, game review, the
game has taken real shape and personality. This helps to guide the direction of
the sound effects design.



The disadvantage is, that since the sound design is
one of the last stages to be developed, previously fallen deadlines become the
responsibility of the sound design team to make up. By bringing your sound
designers up to speed early, you can avoid costly, game review, third and fourth revisions.

B. THE DOCUMENTS, PLEASE!
Giving the sound team the most recent build to play, only gives them a partial
picture of the artistic direction of the game. The sound team, like the art
department, must understand the metamorphosis of the game's characters and
landscapes.



To do this, compile a book or digital archive that chronologically, game review, depicts the
artwork, from the earliest sketches to the final in-game representations.
Arrange an in-depth meeting between the sound designers, composer and, game review, the
Art Director to discuss the game's development from an artistic standpoint, game review, .
This will help your audio team create the proper palette of sounds in much the
same way an artist creates a palette of colors.

For story-driven games, distributing copies of the script will be necessary to
illustrate the motivation and goal of the game.



While this is critical for
composers, the sound designers will benefit by the added sense of immersion
into the game.

Perhaps the best form of communicating the vision will come from the Game
Designer. The game designer works tirelessly in his pursuit to create "the best
game ever". He is never short of words when describing the intent of the game.
Though his work is creative, his methods are mostly technical. No one
understands the abilities of the characters in such detail as the game designer,
, game review, as the great number of technical documents he produces will attest.



These
documents are invaluable to the audio team. By thoroughly examining level
overviews and enemy specs, both sound designers and composers can create
complimentary aural depictions. Bosses that are slow but powerful, or enemies
that are stealthy will be revealed in great detail within these documents,
providing the backdrop from which the sound designers can create.

C. THE DEMOS - GETTING ON THE SAME PAGE

Once the above preproduction steps have been completed, it's time for the
sound design team and composer, game review, to begin creating demos from game capture.



Create three to four movies 60 to 90 seconds in length from different levels in
the game. Be sure to include the ambient portion prior, game review, to the action in order
to hear the game shift from low to high levels of activity, game review, . However, this may
not, game review, be possible for some arcade style games.

Once the sound design and music are complete, a mix of all the audio content
should be performed by the Sound Lead or Audio Director in either stereo,
surround or both, and exported with the movies for review.



It is important to have in place a team of reviewers that appropriately represent
those who have creative input. These might include, but are not limited to, the
Developing Producer, Publishing Producer, Executive Producer, Associate
Producer, Game Designer, Art Director, Audio Director and a franchise
representative if applicable. A robust review team will help generate an
accurate and collective review. If changes in the demonstration audio are
required and then subsequently agreed upon, your audio is ready for
production.



IV. SOUND DESIGN PRODUCTION

A. EMOTIONAL RESPONSE TO SOUND

From the, game review, beginning we have been programmed to respond to sound.
A mother's voice, a church bell, or police sirens conjure an emotional
response. Sounds help us to decipher the world around us. They warn us of
danger, call us to action and bring peace and tranquility to our lives. The more
expressive the sound is, the greater our emotional response to it. Sound
effects correctly placed in a game should evoke this response while defining, game review,
the environment, circumstance and personas on screen.



Due to the random
nature by which sounds are triggered in a game, they must effectively co-exist
without losing definition or character when multiple sounds occur in close
proximity to each other. Let us examine some general observations in game
sound design.

B. BEWARE OF SONIC SLUDGE!

There is a finite, game review, amount of sound, game review, data that the ear can properly interpret
before fatigue sets in. It is the role of the sound programmer or director to
prioritize which sounds are most important and at what times they are, game review,
important.



The sound designer on the, game review, other hand, must always create content
that will be effective, regardless of the circumstances that exist at the time, game review, a
sound is played. Good sound effects should work well alone and in
combination with many other sounds. This is a challenging task, but careful
forethought and planning, game review, will produce a rich, dynamic and satisfying
interactive soundscape.

The key to preventing sonic fatigue is to create sound effects that vary in
volume and frequency in relation to each other.



A single sound effect that is
loud and contains equal amounts of low, middle and high frequencies may be
effective when played alone, but if all the sound effects are loud and contain a
similar frequency spectrum, it becomes difficult to decipher one sound from
the next.

In most cases, the sound designer delivers the sounds at a reasonably loud
volume, to allow the, game review, audio director or programmer to appropriately mix those
sounds into the game, setting the playback volume for each sound.



However, it
is the job of the sound, game review, designer to emphasize, game review,, game review, different frequencies according
to the requirements of each sound. To do this, the designer must know which
sounds are likely to be played together at any given time, then selectively
decide which sounds will emphasize specific frequencies. Higher frequencies
provide detail. Upper middle frequencies, game review, provide presence, while lower
frequencies depict power or energy. Too much, game review, emphasis on high and upper-
middle frequencies will lead to fatigue, while too many sounds containing
lower or sub frequencies, will become muddy and detract from the overall
detail of the sound design.



The goal is to create individual sounds that do not
compete, but compliment. With this in mind, the sound designer must
appropriately focus on the frequencies that will best suit each sound effect.
This, game review, process essentially carves out any unnecessary sound space to allow
additional room for other sound effects to be heard. When volumes and
frequencies are selectively assigned, the sound effects will breathe and
compliment each other regardless, game review, of when they play.



C. PACING - BUILDING TOWARD CLIMACTIC MOMENTS

Now let's examine the sound design from the "Big Picture" perspective. Game
and level design documents will provide the structure of the game in terms of
moments of emphasis, game review, . Generally, these structures take the form of peaks and
valleys that convey changes in difficulty as the game progresses. Usually, the
peaks represent a boss fight, though not necessarily so. When examined as a
whole, the sound design should appropriately compliment these arching
structures, and, game review, allow, from a sound perspective, a sense of building toward
these peak moments.



If the sound designer has examined the enemies and
situations thoroughly, the overall sound design will naturally fall into place,
appropriately following the peaks and valleys within the game. However, if for
example, minions sound as powerful as bosses, some adjustment will be
necessary to bring down the emphasis of these weaker and less difficult
enemies, game review, . By not doing so will result in sound design that does not match the
arching pattern of the game. To put it simply, there can be "too much of a
good thing".



Let's now look at the specific areas of game sound design.

D. AMBIENCE - DEFINING ENVIROMENTS THROUGH SOUND

Initially, ambient sound should effectively portray the setting, location and, game review, time
frame of the game or its various levels. For instance,, game review, percussion and double
reed music, a multitude of bartering voices and distant clanking iron would
suggest a medieval marketplace. As the game progresses the role of the
ambient sound is to support the circumstances with which, game review, the player is
involved.



Does the sound within, game review, the environment evoke danger or safety?
Activity or inactivity? Conversely, ambience can be used to deceive the player
through suggesting a false circumstance, such as creating a sense of calm, game review,
before, game review, an ambush. Under all these conditions, good ambient sound should
portray a living environment.

The psychological impact of ambient sounds can add much to the onscreen
imagery, though not physically present in the scenery. For instance a distant,
sustained cry of an infant, game review, suggests vulnerability or, game review, insecurity.



A broken fence
rattling in the wind of an abandoned city, suggests to the player a previous
traumatic event. These are subtle examples used to arouse awareness in the
player. More obvious sounds should be used to cue the player of his direct
proximity to danger. Dark drones or muffled enemy vocalizations will prepare
the player for fierce, game review, combat ahead. Fear, anticipation and anxiety are easily
evoked by the careful placement of ambient sounds.

E. IMPACTS AND DESTRUCTION - BREATHING DEATH INTO THE NON-LIVING

Early on, comic books depicted the sound of the action scenes through the use
of words that sonically mimicked the action.



Over time, words like "thud" "pow"
and "zap" lost their effectiveness. Comic book writers had to jog their
imaginations to express sounds in more creative and exciting ways, such as
"Kathwaaap', "fwuuuhmp" and so on. Similarly, the sound effects in early
games experienced a renaissance as memory increased, game review, and streaming
technology allowed, game review, for more and varied sounds to be launched under the
animations. However, no increase in playback performance will ensure the
effectiveness of the sound effects, if the sounds are not expressive.



From a sound perspective,, game review, impacts and destruction, game review, must primarily convey
suffering and submission. These terms apply naturally to the vocal efforts
triggered under an opponent or avatar under attack, but are more abstract
when applied to inanimate objects. Since the human voice is the most
expressive instrument in existence, applying human-like characteristics to the
'non-living', will help give the sounds a more life-like and expressive quality.
Twisting, screeching metal, the deep thud and release of broken concrete and
wood that creaks, pops and splinters convey expressive responses to the
forces applied to, game, game review, review, them, in much the same way a grunt, moan and exhale
expresses human injury.



Additionally,, game review, impacts and destruction sounds should proportionately depict the
transference of energy, game review, between the weapon and the target. A metallic ping
with a ricochet is an effective response to a bullet on metal, in which the
transfer of energy between a low-mass object at high speed can be observed.
A missile explosion, on the other hand, is more powerful, game review, and slower, game review, to
develop, therefore requiring an equally proportionate response.



The sound of
larger impacts with destruction should develop through three basic phases:
Attack, Sustain and Release.

The Attack is the first and shortest event of the three. It is important to note
that the attack is not the sound of the weapon or projectile. In this case, a
missile, contains it's own dry explosion sound that is launched under the
animation of the missile explosion. Therefore the attack will be the impact
sound based on the material composition of the target. Since, game review, the attack and
the dry explosion of the missile will happen simultaneously, the attack should
have a short period of 'lead-in' or silence to allow the peak, or, game review, initial part of
the explosion of the missile to be heard uncompromised, game review,, game review, by the attack of the
material impact.



Next is the, game review, Sustain, which introduces the debris and material breakdown
created by the explosion. Over this phase, detail should be observed. The
sustain should sound less dense than the attack so that the specific, game review, details of
the destruction can adequately be heard.

The final phase is the Release, which is a response to the destruction, game review, that
should characterize a kind of 'submission'. This phase of the destruction
should contain lighter, game review, falling debris based on the materials destroyed,
movement of dust and earth and perhaps steam.



When all three of these phases are exhibited, the destructions will sound more
expressive and compliment the, game review, weapons by adequately portraying their
explosive energy.

For "The Incredible Hulk - Ultimate Destruction" we maximized the detail and
movement of large, explosive forces by dynamically altering the stereo field
throughout the three phases of the destruction. The attack phase was almost
entirely monophonic, while a quickly widening stereo field was applied to the
sustain, finally resting on a wide and fixed stereo field for the release.



The
result was destruction, game review, that moved rapidly over a wide area, thereby adequately
portraying the Hulk's enormous power.

F. WEAPONS, game review, - KNOW THYSELF, KNOW THY ENEMY!

It is a lesser-known fact that a gunshot at close range, sounds less threatening
than from 40 or even 80 yards away. Since most people have never fired a gun,
their expectations for the sound of gunshots as depicted by the entertainment
media are very high. Therefore, even in games based on historical simulation,
some amount of sonic sweetening will be necessary.



In the case of a "period"
war game, multiple recordings of the specific weapon should be blended
together to create a satisfying gunshot. These might include mixing together
the various distances recorded for the gunshot, as well as the dry trigger and
shell, game review, discharge sounds for the specific firearm. Sounds created this way will be
sonically interesting while retaining, game review, the historical accuracy of the weapon.

For science-fiction or fantasy games, the imagination is the sound designer's
only limitation, game review, .



As mentioned previously, the design documents will shed light
on the abilities of the enemies and characters within the game. The weapons
detailed in this document should explain the amount of damage incurred by
each weapon. It is important that these sounds appropriately match the
damage potential, since the player will, to some extent, be judging the amount
of damage from each weapon by the sound it creates. For example, weapons
that contain a charge-up sound before firing, indicates to the player that a
great amount of force is forthcoming.



Likewise a weapon that produces a large
discharge noise would produce the same result.

From a stylistic perspective, weapons are an extension of the personalities of
each character, game review, and should compliment the character's physical attributes,
abilities and in some cases, their heritage or history. For instance, the sounds
of swords, knives and shuriken should be as stealthy as the master ninja who
wields them. The character of these sounds should compliment, game review, the, game review, physical
qualities exhibited by the ninja and reflect the mastery of the ninja tradition.



With this in mind you should expect the sounds to be light but fierce, focused
and evoke quickness of movement.

G. VEHICLES

Since vehicle sounds typically respond to controller movements, and not
animations, they can be difficult to perform in a plausible manner. Developers
for racing games are likely to have robust code for manipulating vehicle
sounds. Since we are focusing on sound production, and not programming,
let's examine the basic elements that make up vehicle sounds.

In most cases the sound designer will provide four separate engine sounds per
vehicle: an idle loop, acceleration, a steady thrust loop and a deceleration
(engine decompression or braking).



The idle will simply, game review, indicate, game review, that the
vehicle is engaged. The acceleration and deceleration sounds should be
designed to seamlessly crossfade into, and out of the steady thrust loop via
programming. This formula is effective, game review, for simple vehicles with a low threshold
of speed in which the vehicle will quickly reach maximum velocity, game review, until the
button or trigger is released.

If the visual perspectives of the vehicle can be changed, so too should the
sounds that accompany the vehicle.



This will ensure a greater sense of realism, game review, .
For instance, if inside and outside perspectives are available, subtle shifts in
the observed engine sounds should be present to support the change, game review, in
perspective. An inside perspective will result in a de-emphasis of the higher
frequencies that are present within, game review, the engine sounds, giving those sounds the
muffled quality one would expect when listening, game review, to the engine from inside, game review, .



One way to perform this, is for the sound designer to supply separate versions
of the engine sounds based on the perspective observed. If the sound designer
has access to recordings from the various perspectives, this will be easy to
supply. However if these sound perspectives are not available, or if the vehicle
is fictitious, separate mixes that include changes in equalization should be
performed in order to support the visual perspectives.

For added realism, intermittent sounds can be supplied to add feedback based
on the driving conditions or the state of the vehicle while operating.



For
instance, wheel-bas, game review, ed vehicles will contain surface noises used to indicate the
terrain (tarmac, gravel etc.). Metallic rattling and scraping is used, game review, to indicate
the state of a vehicle that is damaged. The addition of these and other
intermittent sounds add a heightened sense of realism and immersion when
operating the vehicle.

H. MENUS - LESS IS MORE

As games have become more sophisticated, so too have the menus. Player's
can customize a variety of options as well as view or purchase an array of
unlock-able content.



This, of course requires more navigation. In most cases,
sounds will accompany the navigation to provide greater sensory feedback. No
matter how enjoyable these sounds may be, their repetition will soon become
an, game review, annoyance. It is always safe to create short and subtle sonic events that are
felt rather than heard.

Steve Kutay is the co-founder of Radius360, an award-winning audio post
production company, specializing in sound for film and games, located in Los
Angeles, California.



You may contact Steve at steve.kutay@radius360.com.