| A video game engages two of our senses to the | | | | challenges. Games run in an alternative, fantasy |
| hilt, three if you count touch. But the two most | | | | world where rules of reality do not apply. The |
| important ways in which people interact with | | | | goal of game audio is to generate an aural |
| video games are - through sight and through | | | | universe where the gamer is completely |
| sound. | | | | immersed in the alternative world. It is the audio |
| The visuals form the core of the video game, as | | | | studio's job to ensure that the soundtrack |
| the computer screen is the medium through | | | | complements the mood of the game perfectly, |
| which most video games today are run. But as | | | | and in each and every situation. |
| the days go by, audio has increased enormously | | | | For example, |
| in importance. This means that audio studios, with | | | | - Is the hero winning or losing? |
| their engineers and producers, have as big a role | | | | - Is he/she on the good side or bad? |
| in game design as the graphic designers. | | | | - Are the players in peril? |
| There are many gamers who find it extremely | | | | - Has a superpower or blessing been activated? |
| difficult to play with the sound off. The key to | | | | - What is the game's genre - role playing games, |
| understanding this phenomenon lies in the fact | | | | real time strategy, first person shooter, massive |
| that ears can't be closed. An audio cue will reach | | | | multiplayer online, racing, platformers, team |
| the ears no matter what, and does not need to | | | | sports(eg football, basketball etc)? |
| be actively "listened to" - unlike visuals, which | | | | - Does the game operate on a large or a small |
| must be actively "seen". | | | | scale - does it involve several nations like the |
| Certain games, of course, become identifiable by | | | | iconic Age of Empires, or is it between two |
| their signature audio. Max Payne 2 became | | | | individuals like a wrestling game? |
| famous for the "Late Goodbye" track, which is | | | | Every possible situation needs to be taken into |
| also one of the highlights of band Poets of the Fall. | | | | account while designing the audio of a game. The |
| The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is a fantasy game | | | | audio studio needs to work hard to ensure that |
| that is as famous for its epic soundtrack as its | | | | the sound will be complementary to the game |
| stunning visuals. The famous Vice City, too, has | | | | rather than an intrusion. Sounds to simulate or |
| audio and a soundtrack that makes for an | | | | recreate imaginary or real situations need to be |
| incredibly realistic viewing experience. | | | | integrated into just the right places. As if this |
| My personal hunch is that soon, voice commands | | | | were not enough, the tracks need to sound just |
| will become extremely common in gameplay - | | | | right on even the tiniest of computer speakers - |
| whether on gaming platforms such as the | | | | a task which requires first-rate mixing and |
| PlayStation, Wii and XBox 360 or on computers. | | | | balancing skills. |
| Tom Clancy's "Endwar" is one such game that | | | | Small wonder, then, that major game and movie |
| already supports this, and many more are in the | | | | studios such as Dreamworks Studios use the |
| pipeline. | | | | services of first-rate audio studios such as |
| Creating the audio for games, though, has its own | | | | Advent Media to create their game audio. |