ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the first of the three main disciplines in audio design, and often, this is where we find the bulk of assets in most soundscapes. Sound can have a tremendous impact on the game overall; it has the power to provide an immersive setting and mood, enhance the gameplay experience in meaningful and entertaining ways, and provide critical feedback to the player. It can also help to establish the brand of a game series and even the publisher/developer themselves (such as with Nintendo’s style of audio branding for franchises such as Mario, Zelda). There are a variety of subdisciplines in sound design which include field recording, Foley, studio recording, sound synthesis, and working with sound libraries (“off-the-shelf” source material). A special look will be given to Foley, outlining a bit more about the overall process in synchronizing sounds to visual events and using equipment such as prop collections and the Foley pit. Once production is completed, the postproduction process begins which can include mixing, editing, and mastering (with specific techniques outlined in Chapters 3 and 4). From there, files are integrated into the game’s master repository and tested during gameplay for aesthetic and technical balance. An informal checklist will be offered with questions like “Is the sound triggering properly, at the right place and time?”, “Is it EQd properly, and does it fit well within the main mix?”, and so on. The chapter includes interviews with Joanna Fang, senior Foley artist at Sony PlayStation, and Trevor Dikes, lead sound designer at Avalanche Studios Group.
