ABSTRACT
To better acquaint the reader with the subject, this introductory section will first look at the history of game audio: its pre-arcade origins and the arcade explosion of the 1970s, the console and home computer boom of the 1980s, the rise of mobile gaming, and beyond. What emerges is a distinct evolution of hardware; for game audio, this means an increase in the number and quality of simultaneous audio channels, followed by the inclusion of sampled audio, MIDI, WAVs and MP3s, advanced spatial processing, and finally, the advent of spatial audio experiences. Next is a brief discussion of game audio in education, focusing on the ever-increasing availability of videogame and interactive media programs around the world. The section will conclude with game audio’s growth within the videogame industry itself. This is due to many factors, including consumer demand for high-quality audio experiences, more internal development support (e.g., audio programmers and technical sound designers), and a rise in game audio-related career opportunities (see Chapter 13).
