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Sound Design Articles
In this information packed article, author Louis-Xavier Buffoni goes into great detail about the art
of creating interactive game music and the implementation strategies involved. Wwise is used as
an example.
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What is the process for creating dynamic music tracks in a game environment? How do you
go about writing and organizing a dynamic music experience for your game? Read on for the
answers...
There are many things you can do to improve your audio design skills. We have compiled a list
of the most popular ones here. One of them will really surprise you...
In this next installment of the exclusive series entitled "Anonymous Confessions of a Game Sound
Designer" our guest writer puts forth a call to action to a couple of the biggest game audio
organizations around today - the Game Audio Network Guild (GANG) and the Interactive Audio
Special Interest Group (IASIG).
In this article we dive deep into the often experienced yet most misunderstood aspect of sound
design... writer's block. We've got tips and ideas for those times when you're banging your head
against the wall during crunch and that deadline is forever looming.
In this second installment of an exclusive series to gamesounddesign.com entitled "Anonymous
Confessions of a Game Sound Designer" our guest writer pens an open letter to the makers of
FMOD; iteration is the key to successful sound design... and successful software.
In this first installment of an exclusive series to gamesounddesign.com entitled "Anonymous
Confessions of a Game Sound Designer" we introduce you to our guest writer. This first article
discusses the hows and whys of collaboration in the game industry.
"Using silence or near-silence can often elicit a more emotional response from the player. Because
we are constantly bombarded with sensory information in the average first or third person
shooter, silence can result in an incredibly powerful moment of clarity for the player. There is no
music or other extraneous noise to tell the player how to feel about the given situation."
"In this article I'll let you in on over 10 years of experience in the studio. I've recorded probably
close to 700 unique actors as well as had my fair share in directing sessions and casting auditions.
Even if you are not the one that will be directing the talent for your studio's next project the
guidelines below will definitely help you to get a leg up on the often hidden world of voice direction."
"Many video game publishers require their titles to be localized for a host of major markets.
Localization is a very big deal to publishers and the bottom line considering that sometimes up to
50% of a AAA title's sales can be outside of North America."
"It is for this very reason that designing and implementing sound for a video game should not be
based upon events that 'happen next' but rather, 'events that may happen next'. This is why the
great majority of games have their sounds broken down into chunks that are easily played back at
the exact moment they are needed; at run time."
"We all use equalization, foley, reverb, and field recordings. But these things are not enough, even
when properly executed, to form great sound design...we need more than just techniques and technical
prowess. We need an idea."
"We knew that we had moments of extremely high action to moments of nerve-wracking anticipation.
The way we approached this was to write 'sets' of musical pieces. There were straight ahead action
oriented combat pieces featuring fast drumming and orchestral instruments; moderately paced pieces
featuring various percussion instruments that told the player not to let his/her guard down just yet;
ambient pieces featuring synth pads and sound design elements that helped to heighten the creepiness
of Hayden's explorations. All of these varieties had to come together to reflect the current
atmosphere."
"We as game designers can learn a lot from film. Quite often we are asked to design sounds based
around very specific characters. This task often carries a lot of importance, and if done right will help
to immerse the player in the world we are trying to create."
"Many students and even audio professionals not directly involved in video game sound design often
ask me 'how do I get into creating sound design for video games?' This question is definitely a tough
one for many people to answer. One thought that a colleague once impressed upon me was: "your
education and tenacity is what gets your foot in the door, it's your talent that keeps it there." This
saying is one that has stuck with me throughout the years and I'll delve into the exact meaning in
this article."
Backing up your session and audio data is critical. We outline seven easy steps that you can put
into use right now that will save you time, headaches, and money in the future.