Industry Audio Magazine Focuses On Videogames

Thanks to the Gaming-Age messageboard regulars for pointing to an extensive feature in Mix Magazine ('Professional Audio and Music Production'), including an editorial discussing the rising importance of professional audio creators in videogames. The magazine's editor suggests: "Galaxies removed from the blips and boings of Atari's 1972 Pong or the primitive 'soundtracks' of early 1980s classics such as Donkey Kong or Mario Bros., the cheesy 8-bit music and effects have been replaced by high-quality streaming audio (16-bit/44.1kHz) with real-time, hyper-realistic Foley thunks, screams, shots and explosions that are triggered from RAM, with near-zero latency." The rest of the game audio feature also includes an in-depth look into audio at Electronic Arts, as well as articles on Ensemble Studio's audio, examples of musicians moving into game music creation, some tips for game sound designers, and the market for licensed songs in videogames.

Comments

Music, Sound, Doom3

[DarkkOne]

I'd have to agree with the general trend here, that although sound is "higher quality" in modern games, it isn't necessarily better. Whereas on the Nintendo I first heard the Zelda theme, and felt a heroic urge to adventure forth, or I first heard the few blips called music at the Metroid title, and felt the aloneness of space, modern videogame music is almost like elevator music in its almost pointless background. Very rarely do the themes seem to be as well pointed, because of the lack of limitation it seems less detail and focus on perfection goes into the music. (As always, with some exceptions. Every now and again I play a game where the music beautifully sets the scene and gameplay.)

I'll give you sound. Modern sound effects are a notch or two above where they've been. Not that I care too much about how well sampled the squishing noises made by exploding zombies are, mind you. Though better surround sound would be nice, with attention not on the quality of individual sounds, but the environment as a whole, and the interaction of the sounds not only with themselves but with the environment.

Which brings me to my third and final paragraph. I'm sure most of you are familiar with Doom3 and have probably seen the screenshots, if not played the leaked alpha. I read in a few articles / interviews published in gaming magazines several months back that id was claiming that they were focusing more on sounds than graphics, and that if you thought the screenshots looked good, wait until you heard them. Though they suggested a 6.1 setup.