If you want to learn Game Art and Animation, then an understanding of game audio design is an important skill in your creative tool box.
From ambient effects to the audio landscape, sound is crucial to the player and how they progress through a game. An ability to come up with an immersive experience and a focus on audio quality can go a long way in enhancing how a player engages with their experience.
According to a MoldStud study, almost 90 percent of players believe that sound significantly influences their enjoyment. Emotive scores and cleverly designed effects can enhance immersion by up to 70 percent, illustrating how audio is an important part of the development process. As tech evolves, then the potential and possibilities of sound to attract and retain gamers alongside telling a game’s story will expand. The potential of virtual worlds established by virtual reality and the sound of a three dimensional space are only just hinting at how they can shape game mechanics.
Any aspiring game developer wanting to study a course like SAE’s Game Art and Animation degree will have the chance to get to grips with the various sound elements of game audio and the best ways to work with sound designers.
In our blog, we explore the role of sound, what it can do for a gamer and how music and sound effects add up to much more than just background noise; they are an essential component that can make or break an immersive gaming experience.
If you want to join a course at SAE to learn more, then contact our team now.
Why is game audio important?
In games, audio is used to create an immersive environment, provide feedback on the gamer’s interactions, and guide the player through their mission.
If you learn game art and animation, then you will likely gain an understanding of the potential of game audio and what it can do to emphasise the visual elements. This includes:
- Prompt emotional responses in players
- Improve player learning outcomes by increasing retention
- Create a more authentic world to enhance player immersion and engagement
- Provide feedback and guidance to players
By drawing the player deeper into the gaming experience, well-crafted soundscapes and audio can communicate important details without disrupting game play.
Sound can work in different ways – for example, a particular audio cue can hint at an opportunity to show a player’s location, recognise characters, announce in-game events or beware incoming threats.
The soundtrack and various audio elements can help tell the story, set the mood and also influence the emotional state of a player or underline a protagonist’s mental state. Game designers can use these subtle shifts to, in turn, reinforce game mechanics, and play an important role in creating tension.
What are the audio elements in a game world?
The sonic world of a video game can feature an array of different sounds. They can include:
Speech
Character dialogue can often feature during the game and help enhance and evolve the gaming world. If you want to make the experience more immersive and authentic, then clear vocal delivery with different tones and cadences to speech will lend more depth to the story.
Speech will also help players understand the intended tone and meaning of dialogue, which is especially beneficial for those with difficulty processing non-verbal subtext. Voice actors can be utilised for this part of the game design to help create different sound assets.
Sound Effects
Foley is the practice of creating and recording sounds that are synchronised with specific character or object actions to make the game world feel more alive. These custom-made sound effects are an important part of game development and include elements like footsteps, cloth movements, and the handling of props, providing important layering sounds.
Environmental sounds: Ambient noise like wind, rain, or creature sounds complement a game’s visuals to build immersion.
Character sounds: Alongside speech, some characters will emit unique sounds, whether it be grunts or footsteps.
Weapon and combat sounds: The distinct noises of weapons and impacts during battles.
User Interface (UI) sounds: Feedback for menu navigation, button presses, and notifications.
Special Effects (SFX): Sounds for magical or supernatural elements, such as lasers or explosions or more distant echos help add depth to the game.
Musical Soundtrack
As with films or a television series, the score of a game can help underline the meaning and narrative of a game via its dynamic soundscapes. Many brilliant composers have taken to this format including The Flight and Jessica Curry. From background music to auditory cues, the resulting sound of the game can help ensure it is memorable, sticks in the player’s mind and means gamers return to play over and over again.
Top considerations for designing game audio elements
There are different elements to factor into the sound design of a game environment.
Understand the game’s world and narrative contextual sound design
It’s important for the audio to align with the game’s setting, story, and mood. For example, a fantasy game might use a soaring orchestral score, while a horror game could lean on more sinister electronic or classical tones. Different characters or environments require different audio assets too. Sound design plays an important role in helping distinguish characters, objects and the various environments players occupy.
Create your sonic world
Sound design draws on a range of tools, from self-made recordings and commercial sample libraries to synthesis. There is no right or wrong way of doing things: the most important thing is that these parts of the sound world are used in a creative way.
In this case, samples can be sourced from sample libraries. If you don’t have access to a big sample library, you can start by sourcing royalty-free sounds from the internet, or recording your own sounds at home.
Use Layering for Depth Multiple Layers
Combine ambient sounds, effects, and music to create a rich auditory experience. For instance, in a forest scene, layer bird chirps, rustling leaves, and distant water streams. Adjust layers dynamically based on player actions or game events to enhance immersion.
Spatial Audio Techniques 3D Soundscapes
Use spatial audio tools to position sounds in a 3D space, so players can perceive direction and distance. For VR or highly immersive games, binaural recording can simulate how humans naturally hear sounds.
Adaptive Music and Sound Effects Interactive Music
Many sound designers or video game composers come up with music that changes based on gameplay, such as increasing tempo during combat or softening sounds during exploration.
Optimise for Performance Compression and Formats
Ensure audio files are optimised for performance without sacrificing quality. To do this, test audio on various devices and setups, then make any changes to ensure consistency.
Tools for game sound design
Many of the tools and platforms you will need to create immersive soundscapes can be learned while studying a course. They include:
Tools and software DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations): If you are looking to create audio, then music production tools such as Ableton Live, Logic Pro, or FL Studio are a key part of composing and editing for films, television series and video games.
Middleware: Integrate audio seamlessly into the game using software like FMOD, Wwise, or Unity’s built-in audio tools.
Game engines: Familiarity with game engines like Unity and Unreal Engine is essential for game sound designers. These platforms allow you to integrate and test your sound designs within the actual game environment.
Sound libraries: They offer pre-recorded sound effects that can be customised to fit your game, while synthesis allows you to create entirely new sounds. Both tools are critical for building a rich and varied soundscape.
STUDY games at SAE
Whether you want to study Games Programming, Game Design or Game Art and Animation, our Gaming faculty has an array of courses to suit you and your ambitions.
Our state-of-the-art facilities and expert tutors are well placed to give your career the best possible start in exciting and creative sector.
