Today we discussed sound and how effective its use is in games.
The Audio Environment
Music can be made to compliment a game very effectively, as the depth of field and many other aspects can create a “3D World”, helping to present an illusion that the player is sitting in the in the middle of the action. Listening with your eyes closed helps create the illusion of this “3D World”.
A few simple techniques are used to achieve this:
- Volume – Close or Distant
- Panning – To the left or right of the player
- Frequencies – The low and high sounds are used to separate instruments
Using these techniques you can create the illusion of a whole orchestra:
The Psychology of Music
These techniques also help the ambiance of the environment and the atmosphere. This helps set moods and emotions.
Sound as Information
- Speech
- Iconic – For example, the Mario theme tune
- Symbolic – An action, person or place etc.
- Metaphoric – Implies a thought into the audience
Film and Game Parallels
There are a large majority of similarities between music in the film and game industries. They can all be categorized into the following:
- The Human Voice
- Story Teller
- Character
- Dialogue
- Sound Effects
- Synchronous Sounds – sound that matches the actions on the screen
- Asynchronous Sounds – background sounds which are added into the scene to create ambience
- Music
- The emphasis of the scene
Uses of Sound in Games
Sound can be implemented to enhance what we both see and want the audience to feel. Music and sound is used in the following:
- FMV (Full Motion Video)
- Intro Scenes
- Closing Sequences
- Credit Sequence
- Plot Advancement
- Action Scenes
Interactive adaptive audio is used to further enhance how effective sound is in games. For everything the player does, a sound can usually be applied to enhance the environment further. The could anything from pressing a button or opening a door, to changing a weapon of picking up an item.