ABSTRACT
After decades of multimedia, games, film, and art studies crossing disciplines, one thing has become certain; people parse visual information and auditory information differently. Video games are blessed with access to both of these channels, plus physical input through a controller. It just so happens that the brain has separate handlers for each of these things, and by learning how to take advantage of that, we can promote flow and positive engagement in our games. This chapter boils down research on multiple channel theories of how the brain parses information into readable actionable tidbits, and then demonstrates how visual and auditory elements are presented and used in contemporary games. It finishes by linking this back to the tutorial system, and how it can help players prepare for the images and sounds to be used in the game in question. As usual, some talk about the various parts of the brain and how they handle information is going to be undertaken, and it is going to be a little heavy, so I will finish the chapter with a cheat sheet review.
