Unit 73: Sound for Computer Games
Why is music
and sound FX so important within game development?
What is
Foley?
Foley is the making of everyday sound effects
which are added to games and other media in post-production to enhance audio
quality. The reproduced sound could be someone getting punched in the face but
in reality it would be a slab of meat getting whacked by a bowling pin. The
person who came up with Foley is called Jack Foley and was born April 12th
1891 and died November 9th 1967.
What is
Timbre?
Timbre is the quality of a sound and is distinct
from its pitch, intensity and frequency in acoustics, phonetics and music. In acoustics and phonetics the quality of
sound is independent in pitch and loudness. In music timbre is the sound
produced by a particular instrument or note.
Wave length
The
wavelengths of the different sounds are affected by the size of the wave
lengths. The wider the wave length the deeper the sound and the taller the wave
length the louder it is and the opposites apply here. There are wavelengths are
in every single sound made which makes them very important when understanding
how to make music and sound. Certain notes in music are used to represent a
certain wave length, the images depict the wave lengths and how loud sounds
are. The amplitude is how loud a sound is, i.e. a sound of someone whispering
would be (1) and someone shouting would be (2). The waves are measured in one
millisecond so they are very short bursts of sound. Hertz is simply how long
the sound goes on for. Headphones and speakers can give out sounds that make
the sound like someone is right behind you. The development of sound is very
interesting and how it went from static to sounds so real that it sounds like
they are right behind you.
Mood and Atmosphere in Game Songs
Songs I have chosen
Skyrim: The Song of the Dragonborn
The mood of the song is very masculine and
operatic and makes you feel ecstatic and ready to become a Dragonborn.
Dead Space OST Track 14: The Cost of Living is on
the rise
The mood of the track is eerie and
disturbing and is spine-chilling. The atmosphere has a horror feeling and
leaves an empty feeling inside.
Gustavo Santaolalla: Last of Us Main Theme
The mood of this song is sad and has a slow pace
to make it more heart-wrenching and to make it more emotional.
Alexey Omelchuk: Metro Last Light Main Theme
The mood of this song is very post-apocalyptic and
atmospheric. It is very chilling and has sombre pieces the reason these
opinions fit in is because the game has a dark and dull setting.
Mick Gordon: DOOM 2016 Main Theme
The mood of the track is fast-paced and is very
heavy in sound. It sets the atmosphere for the game which is a run and gun
game.
Geneburn: Prepare for Escape (Escape from Tarkov Main Theme)
The mood of the
track is very sombre and has a sad epicness to it. It is very vibrant in
sounding atmospheric and is thought-provoking.
Psychology of Sound in Games
Sound is used to create emotion, tension and fear in games to set the atmosphere. It is also used to give information. Information is given in speech, iconography, symbolism and sometimes metaphors.
Speech: is used in nearly all games and is used to give the player information about something. It is also the most common thing used in games. For example in Until Dawn there is a psychiatric evaluation and the guy asks you why you are playing the game https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AfgYXLTy_w
Iconography: is something iconic and is popular for example the Wilhelm Scream which was commonly used in western films in the 1950s. It was also used in Star Wars and Indiana Jones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc5F2C0CYlA Wilhelm Scream skip to 14 seconds.
Symbolism: is something which is symbolic, for example thunder and lightning symbolise something bad is going to happen and is commonly used in horror films and games it was used in a game on the PS1 called Dracula: Resurrection. Here is a link for a thunder and lightning effect. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZpgHrKXooc
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