Re: [microsound] game audio

[erik de bruyn <erikdastudio@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

very true, kim 
erik



----- Original Message ----
From: Kim Cascone <kim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: microsound_list <microsound@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, 31 July, 2008 7:40:52 PM
Subject: [microsound] game audio

having worked in game audio for a few years I can offer these tips:
- learn to program in C++ - because you will always be at the mercy  
of an audio programmer fresh out of college who knows NOTHING about  
audio or how it is supposed to play in a game context
- also very important: study the *physics engine* being used in the  
game!!! being able to use this intelligently will make the game sound  
much much better
- get ready to arm-wrestle for CPU with knuckle-heads who also KNOW  
NOTHING about audio except that it 'AWESOME GAME SOUND!' exists as a  
tick-mark on the marketing spec
- learn how to stack and layer sounds until they take on a 'Lucasfilm  
in-your-face quality' (they must also sound this way over crap  
computer speakers of course!) that wet the pants of all the managers  
of the game company who test drive the prototype
- game audio is *nothing* like film sound design -- the end users for  
gaming are in need of nappy-wetting hyper-caffeinated sfx so they can  
play for 20 hours at a time
    - the main difference is that there is a linear narrative arc in  
film while in games there are branching narrative arcs  – each of  
these demand a different set of brain functions of the user
    - the other main difference is that sound designers for film don't  
have to worry about stuffing all their audio into a small CPU budget  
hence dictating what they can get away with (depending on the game  
engine used)
    - while it is true that films are sounding more games these days the  
inverse is not true
- most game audio sucks due to various things that have usually  
little to do with the skill/prowess of the sound designer

OK that's my 0.02 from having worked in the trenches for a thankfully  
very short period of time




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