(a brief) History of video games
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Sound for games: Personal timeline
Run the gauntlet
-Zx spectrum 1989-
Run the gauntlet
-Zx spectrum 1989-
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Michael Jackson's Moonwalker
- Sega megadrive 1990 -
Revenge of shenobi
- Sega megadrive 1989 -
- Sega megadrive 1989 -
Final fantasy 7
- Playstation one 1997 -
- Playstation one 1997 -
Goldeneye
- N64 1997 -
- N64 1997 -
Perfect Dark
- N64 2000 -
- N64 2000 -
- X-box 360 -
Task 1
- Individually looking at your list of games from the previous week, pick 2 and apply the categories to those games. Establish what is happening at those moments in game and what sounds you are hearing.
Perfect dark N64
-Creating Atmosphere -
Within perfect dark the atmospheric soundtrack acts as the base sound throughout the game. It is very filmic and almost a homage to the secret agent films such as James Bond or Mission Impossible. It uses a lot of staccato phrasing which gives a feeling of urgency and danger as well as synth pads and choral sounds to emphasize the importance of your role in the game, that what you are doing is epic. To keep it interesting different motifs circle over one theme, drum patterns loop in and out allowing for tension to be built up in waves.
-Assigning meaning to an event -
Perfect dark uses many different sounds that allow the player to know that an event is occurring such as the sound that is heard when a gun is picked up and the reloading of the gun. Firing and aiming also have sound as well as dialogue from other characters. Similar to the rings in sonic the sound enhances the gratification of gaining something. These sounds are abrupt and high in the overall mix of sound. It is important that these sounds are correct and pleasing to the ear. In addition the tempo of the soundtrack speeds up at certain points to indicate the end of a level and a boss fight. This alerts the player and builds excitement. Much of the rhythm is designed to get the heart racing.
-Appeal to a certain market -
Perfect dark has extremely similar sounds as its predecessor GoldenEye so I feel the company were aiming in a similar direction especially with its use of the same gloomy secret agent sounds that give the game the a sense of mystery and unknown. The general audience for these games are similar to action/thriller film fans and sound such as guns being loaded and electronic tech sounds appeal to this audience. This is probably something which has come out of films often futuristic themes based on technology and science fiction.
-Providing rhythm for gameplay -
Perfect darks rhythm as a game relies on building suspense and much like many other games of its time the sound would stay the same until a chase or a boss fight occurs. The rhythm maintains constant at around 90bpm and can double time to 180bpm when more tension is needed such as a boss fight. The different elements build a collage of sound, this is important due to the stealth nature of the game the player is not supposed to blast through the levels but rather to be more stealthy and allow for events to happen. The music allows this by building drum patterns and dropping down to synth string and choral sounds to try and get the player to slow down and remain cautious.
-Cueing gameplay events -
Perfect dark was designed as a stealth game so it relies on the character being as quiet as possible which allows the background music to build the mood and suspense in addition hearing voices before seeing people is often a cue to an event, either a confrontation such as guards or a character you are supposed to help. This can direct the player in certain directions which is useful as much of the game is open world snadbox levels.
-Linked to a broader set of concepts -
Many of these sounds will be familiar to action adventure/thriller films. These films are often centered around a male driven hero, large political narrative concerned with international events. Secret agents, rouge groups, large scale plots. These games allow the player to become the hero and the sounds support the genre of film to which the games associate themselves.
-Creating Atmosphere -
Within perfect dark the atmospheric soundtrack acts as the base sound throughout the game. It is very filmic and almost a homage to the secret agent films such as James Bond or Mission Impossible. It uses a lot of staccato phrasing which gives a feeling of urgency and danger as well as synth pads and choral sounds to emphasize the importance of your role in the game, that what you are doing is epic. To keep it interesting different motifs circle over one theme, drum patterns loop in and out allowing for tension to be built up in waves.
-Assigning meaning to an event -
Perfect dark uses many different sounds that allow the player to know that an event is occurring such as the sound that is heard when a gun is picked up and the reloading of the gun. Firing and aiming also have sound as well as dialogue from other characters. Similar to the rings in sonic the sound enhances the gratification of gaining something. These sounds are abrupt and high in the overall mix of sound. It is important that these sounds are correct and pleasing to the ear. In addition the tempo of the soundtrack speeds up at certain points to indicate the end of a level and a boss fight. This alerts the player and builds excitement. Much of the rhythm is designed to get the heart racing.
-Appeal to a certain market -
Perfect dark has extremely similar sounds as its predecessor GoldenEye so I feel the company were aiming in a similar direction especially with its use of the same gloomy secret agent sounds that give the game the a sense of mystery and unknown. The general audience for these games are similar to action/thriller film fans and sound such as guns being loaded and electronic tech sounds appeal to this audience. This is probably something which has come out of films often futuristic themes based on technology and science fiction.
-Providing rhythm for gameplay -
Perfect darks rhythm as a game relies on building suspense and much like many other games of its time the sound would stay the same until a chase or a boss fight occurs. The rhythm maintains constant at around 90bpm and can double time to 180bpm when more tension is needed such as a boss fight. The different elements build a collage of sound, this is important due to the stealth nature of the game the player is not supposed to blast through the levels but rather to be more stealthy and allow for events to happen. The music allows this by building drum patterns and dropping down to synth string and choral sounds to try and get the player to slow down and remain cautious.
-Cueing gameplay events -
Perfect dark was designed as a stealth game so it relies on the character being as quiet as possible which allows the background music to build the mood and suspense in addition hearing voices before seeing people is often a cue to an event, either a confrontation such as guards or a character you are supposed to help. This can direct the player in certain directions which is useful as much of the game is open world snadbox levels.
-Linked to a broader set of concepts -
Many of these sounds will be familiar to action adventure/thriller films. These films are often centered around a male driven hero, large political narrative concerned with international events. Secret agents, rouge groups, large scale plots. These games allow the player to become the hero and the sounds support the genre of film to which the games associate themselves.
Final fantasy 7 Ps1
-Creating Atmosphere -
Final fantasy games in general are fantastic at creating an atmosphere within their games using unforgettable and beautiful melodies to invoke emotions from its players. Much like blockbuster Hollywood films and the scores of John Williams the soundtracks are epic, invoking magic and the fantasy of films such as ET, Superman and Star Wars. The tone is very light and fun reminiscent of childhood in an escapist sense. It reminds me of the never ending story. The music signifies the journey undertaken by the player. It enforces the epic scale of the game and the heroic role of the player. It uses a full orchestral score created electronically through MIDI which kind of gives it its own style, more suited to the 8bit sounds of early concepts. The music is not subtle but grand in every way. The music seems to encapsulate a raw sense of adventure better than many films have manages to do. I could totally imagine this soundtrack being used in a big budget movie.
-Assigning meaning to an event -
The main events that take place during final fantasy are within the fight scenes when weapons are fired and a hits is taken also when the fight is won there is a victory sound that occurs. Using the orchestration the atmosphere is changed by building up and dropping down through the use of instrumentation. The music is able to control the mood of the scene. In addition each significant character has its own musical theme much like a wrestler to signify his entrance also much like a boss fight in most games.
-Appeal to a certain market -
Final fantasy is a franchise and over time has built up its own fan base, appealing to a very specific market; mainly action role playing game fans which have grown as a result of the series. The music appeals almost every listener and is secondary to the action but still very important. Orchestral soundtracks have been used in films for decades and as an audience we are well aware of the techniques that are used to alter the atmosphere.
-Providing rhythm for game-play -
Rather than the urgent staccato rhythms of Perfect Dark, Final Fantasy 7 uses much more flowing melodies and arrangements of music rather than a collage of sounds. The music is written to identify with certain characters, each of which has their own rhythm. Less concentration is used on tension but rather on a feeling or a sense of atmosphere. Being a RPG the player is not supposed to run through each level but to take time and interact with their surroundings. The music is able to provide atmosphere without generating a sense of urgency.
-Cueing gameplay events -
In a similar way to Perfect Dark sound is used to introduce new characters or alert the player to an event that is about to occur. Main characters will have their own theme within the score which will inform you of their presence.
-Providing rhythm for game-play -
Rather than the urgent staccato rhythms of Perfect Dark, Final Fantasy 7 uses much more flowing melodies and arrangements of music rather than a collage of sounds. The music is written to identify with certain characters, each of which has their own rhythm. Less concentration is used on tension but rather on a feeling or a sense of atmosphere. Being a RPG the player is not supposed to run through each level but to take time and interact with their surroundings. The music is able to provide atmosphere without generating a sense of urgency.
-Cueing gameplay events -
In a similar way to Perfect Dark sound is used to introduce new characters or alert the player to an event that is about to occur. Main characters will have their own theme within the score which will inform you of their presence.
Task 2
- Look at one of your favourite films and apply the same categories to it.
The Blues Brothers
-Creating Atmosphere -
The music in this movie is just as important as any other aspect it keeps everything flowing it creates the perfect atmosphere especially the chase scenes with the police. The music uses well know soul and blues songs within the narrative often being played and sung by the main characters. There are also a large number of cameos from famous musical artists. The general atmosphere is one of soul and blues music, fun and soulful yet the film also has a comedic twist that is evident in the music.
Assigning meaning to an event -
The main events that occur in this movie are pretty cheesy sounding such as the crashes and bangs that occur especially the firing guns, these sounds are deliberately overdone to comic effect. Police sirens and gun sounds almost become a parody of action films. In addition the film uses song and dance in a musical way so that the music becomes the focus for the duration of the song. This is less important to the narrative but this is less important. The film is a celebration of the music and culture that surrounds it. The music is the most important aspect of the film. Orchestral music is used to spoof and reference other films.
-Appeal to a certain market -
The film is mainly comedic which can be heard in the range of sound effects. This is a light hearted-comedy that appeals to fan of soul and blues. This music and the artists themselves have become so popular that they are revered in popular culture, hence the success of the film and the subsequent success of its soundtrack.
-Providing rhythm for gameplay -
A lot of the soul and blues records used in the film have strong rhythms that when edited properly drive the action on screen. This drives the action and creates the fun happy atmosphere. Even the sad songs are upbeat and give off a good vibe and message. The films rhythm itself is fairly random a sequence of events strung together through a selection of musical cameos. As in a lot of comedies rhythm is less important apart from the car chase sections where suspense and action grow stronger through the use of rhythm.
-Cueing gameplay events -
Intros from famous songs in dialogue can cue musical events speech can reference lyrics from a song or lead into a song giving clues to those who are aware of the artist's work. Also the technique of using the first few bars of music from the next scene at the end of the previous scene to create expectation and reward.
-Creating Atmosphere -
The music in this movie is just as important as any other aspect it keeps everything flowing it creates the perfect atmosphere especially the chase scenes with the police. The music uses well know soul and blues songs within the narrative often being played and sung by the main characters. There are also a large number of cameos from famous musical artists. The general atmosphere is one of soul and blues music, fun and soulful yet the film also has a comedic twist that is evident in the music.
Assigning meaning to an event -
The main events that occur in this movie are pretty cheesy sounding such as the crashes and bangs that occur especially the firing guns, these sounds are deliberately overdone to comic effect. Police sirens and gun sounds almost become a parody of action films. In addition the film uses song and dance in a musical way so that the music becomes the focus for the duration of the song. This is less important to the narrative but this is less important. The film is a celebration of the music and culture that surrounds it. The music is the most important aspect of the film. Orchestral music is used to spoof and reference other films.
-Appeal to a certain market -
The film is mainly comedic which can be heard in the range of sound effects. This is a light hearted-comedy that appeals to fan of soul and blues. This music and the artists themselves have become so popular that they are revered in popular culture, hence the success of the film and the subsequent success of its soundtrack.
-Providing rhythm for gameplay -
A lot of the soul and blues records used in the film have strong rhythms that when edited properly drive the action on screen. This drives the action and creates the fun happy atmosphere. Even the sad songs are upbeat and give off a good vibe and message. The films rhythm itself is fairly random a sequence of events strung together through a selection of musical cameos. As in a lot of comedies rhythm is less important apart from the car chase sections where suspense and action grow stronger through the use of rhythm.
-Cueing gameplay events -
Intros from famous songs in dialogue can cue musical events speech can reference lyrics from a song or lead into a song giving clues to those who are aware of the artist's work. Also the technique of using the first few bars of music from the next scene at the end of the previous scene to create expectation and reward.
-Creating Atmosphere -
This may set the overall theme; sound is core to making a space a place.
-Assigning meaning to an event -
Couple kissing, happy sound of 'pick-ups'
-Appeal to a certain market -
DJ Hero vs Guitar Hero
-Providing rhythm for gameplay -
BIT.TRIP RUNNER
-Cueing gameplay events -
5.1 Surround sound noises coming from a certain direction, stealth games
-Linked to a broader set of concepts -
Sound and music may have a deeper contextual relevance to individuals
On Sunday, October 30, 1938 America sent into a state of panic. why?
On Sunday, October 30, 1938, millions of radio listeners were shocked when radio news alerts announced the arrival of Martians. They panicked when they learned of the Martians' ferocious and seemingly unstoppable attack on Earth. Many ran out of their homes screaming while others packed up their cars and fled.
Though what the radio listeners heard was a portion of Orson Welles' adaptation of the well-known book, War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells, many of the listeners believed what they heard on the radio was real.
What is a Foley sound?
Foley is the reproduction of everyday sound effects which are added in post production to enhance the quality of audio for films, television, video, video games and radio.
jean baudrillard
hyper reality
Experiment with games that only have sound....
Blindside - This game I could not unfortunately play but it was made using the kickstarter program You play as Case, an assistant professor who wakes up blind, to find his city destroyed and mysterious creatures devouring people. Will you and your girlfriend be able dto find your way without sight? How will you escape? Run for your life, navigate the darkness, and uncover the mystery of the apocalypse--all in the dark!Blindside
From what I can gather from the video it seems like a great path to be taken for these types of games it allows the player to be fully immersed in the games environment whilst just using sound very similar to a virtual reality setting.
3D snake - move the snake around in a 30 x 30 grid world with your arrow keys. Your objective is to collect as many fruits as possible but avoid collisions with the walls. The walls are represented by a wind sound and the fruit is represented by a beeping sound, the closer you get to the fruit and the walls the beeping/wind sound gets louder.
This game was very difficult at first but the more I played it the more I got used to it. I had to play it with my eyes closed because when I was looking at the screen it took the concentration away from the sounds I was hearing, if I was to change anything it would be the sounds that are used as the waves under beeps were very quiet until you get right next to the wall I would have chosen a more of a solid sound for instance also I would take advantage of the 30x30 board by making the beeps sound 3 boxes before you reach the wall.
Ref: http://audiogames.net/
Dialogue
When I play video games nowadays most of the time I play with the sound turned off I dislike repetitive dialogue and it really puts me off games especially in a lot of rpg's the Npc's constantly repeat the same piece of dialogue every time you pass them this happens frequently in games such as The elderscrolls V: Skyrim and The Whitcher II It seems the most effort goes into when an Event takes place, It also occurs in many other game genres the worst offender being in sports commentary especially football games.
This is from a website that I found whilst looking for an audio design document it describes perfectly how I feel about audio in video games.
"When customers put down their money for a game, of course they expect the best gameplay, AI, and graphics. Why, then, does the
audio component always seem to be less on par with the rest of the product, as if it were an afterthought? Consumers are becoming
increasingly aware of the potential for audio in games, and in the near future (if not already), excellence in this area cannot continue
to be put aside due to the production demands of other in-game components.
It's possible that when it has been put aside, the audio design -- the design and implementation of music, sound effects, and dialogue -- may have been too
casually put together, or oversimplified. It may have been presented, say, as a list of files on a spreadsheet; where only some of those files, along with their implementation, were
most likely coded in for testing. The rest is left incomplete until the closing stages of the development cycle, possibly as nothing more complex than triggering a sound-for-an-object
on the screen.
If graphics are so closely linked to game design, why shouldn't the audio be as well? Granted, in terms of the other project components, the complexities of audio design (and its
time line) may be smaller, but audio considerations in general should have just as equal importance. "Equal importance" shouldn't necessarily have to mean "expensive," however.
Some careful thought and attention to audio design early in the development cycle will pay off many times over later on."
Ref: http://www.dreamquakestudios.com/ADD.html
- Adobe Audition -
Edit a piece of sound in adobe audition to get used to the software
Keep files size to a minimum
Cut sounds when they hit the bar to stop cracking
This is my first time using any audio software we were given a piece of sound to mess around with this is what I came up with.
Keep files size to a minimum
Cut sounds when they hit the bar to stop cracking
This is my first time using any audio software we were given a piece of sound to mess around with this is what I came up with.
-Storyboard-
200 word scene from the story and create a timeline of sounds that take place.
The scene I am using begins with Danny outside in very little clothing wondering aimlessly. a Thunderous entrance with hard rain with some very low ominous sounding music With this scene I am hoping to get a lost feeling across to my audience a female nurse enters the scene she asks 'Danny' some questions about what he is doing outside in the rain. The nurse takes him back to a small hospital where she works the next scene consists of a beeping of a heart monitor a conversation begins between the female doctor and her co-worker she begins to explain that the boy she has found has no identification and won't speak a word. The male doctor attempts to communicate with the boy the scene ends with the doctor telling boy
'Don't worry we will take care of you, you're in a safe place'
The scene I am using begins with Danny outside in very little clothing wondering aimlessly. a Thunderous entrance with hard rain with some very low ominous sounding music With this scene I am hoping to get a lost feeling across to my audience a female nurse enters the scene she asks 'Danny' some questions about what he is doing outside in the rain. The nurse takes him back to a small hospital where she works the next scene consists of a beeping of a heart monitor a conversation begins between the female doctor and her co-worker she begins to explain that the boy she has found has no identification and won't speak a word. The male doctor attempts to communicate with the boy the scene ends with the doctor telling boy
'Don't worry we will take care of you, you're in a safe place'
scene 1: Thunder cracking - emotions / fear
-Creating sound effects -
We were set the task to go out and record a collection of sounds to edit using adobe audition these would be used as as apart of our game
My collection of unedited sounds (soundcloud)
My collection of unedited sounds (soundcloud)
Sound effect ideas?
slamming doors
Futuristic door - seat height adjuster ?
source
http://www.epicsound.com/sfx/
Project summary
What went well? Overall I was happy with the start of my project, looking into the sounds that have built up sounds video games to what they are now the research I conducted went really well Unfortunately I was unable to attend many of the classes so I had to receive the work via email which worked for the most part
What didn't go well? Due to the amount of time I had off I was unable to take part in some of the practical aspects of the work, I was able to record my sounds for the editing part but I was only able to do the minimum amount all of my unedited sounds can be found via the sound cloud links.
What would I improve and what will I use in future? which concerns to making changes to how the project went I could only change my only personal circumstances due to family commitments I was unable to finish this project I missed a lot of class time and did not have the time to edit the sounds I had started to create I feel I could have done a much better job.
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