I don't think people pay any 'direct' attention to the music and/or sound. They just take it for granted. It is really cool when you're playing an awesome game and then you have to turn the sound off (worried about waking people up for instance) and you can no longer play the game as well (or at all!) as you used to.

So, I think not much attention is directed towards it, but it DEFINITELY creates the experience; it isn't just enough to see things, you have to be able to hear also.

I think we can (and to a certain extent do) have a fairly profound influence on the playing experience through the use of both audio effects and the music or ambient noise we choose to use in certain situations, both in obvious and non-obvious ways.


Through the use of 3d audio effects we're able to give information about the environment around the player - in newer shooters you can actually hear when and where an enemy is approaching, or simply that there's one in the area. Similarly, we can provide audio clues to environmental changes such as doors opening, things breaking, gasses leaking, etc. Use of such audio clues allows us to be more free in the use of challenges which may not be immediately apparent to the player through purely visual means; if the player is able to hear a potential attack from behind we no longer have to worry so much about overdoing this and having players consider it a 'cheap' tactic.


Through the use of music we can have an effect an the mood of the player, and in some cases it can be quite profound. We can set the stage for an epic battle, or use some haunting music to increase the sense of wonder at some new environment. We can also have a subtle effect on the behavior of the player; the frantic music when you collect the star in Mario Brothers only serves to further encourage a sense of haste.


Environmental audio also helps immensely with immersion. In this case I'm talking about the sounds of the world around you; the constant hum of the ship's engines in System Shock 2 really got you in to the world, and the moaning of an enemy somewhere in the distance would immediately have you on edge. In a well designed scenario we can also use the lack of audio in a certain area to heighten tension or alternately to give the player a bit of a breather rather than pushing them onwards.


So yes, I consider music and sound to be a very important part of the gaming experience, and certainly an area I'll put a fair amount of consideration and work in to.

Quote: Gotta have sound. And a good music score, too... A game without sound is like a hamburger without ham :D ... now where to find the budget for it? If all else fails, order some royalty free piano sheets for classical pieces and have a friend perform it for you :D

We have libraries to play positional 3D sound easily, and imho for a 3D game positional sound like that is a must for immersion.

Having said all that, in my own projects sound always ends up on the back burner somehow. :(

i like your analogy :).
This is why I like to get a lot of opinions regarding music & sound. Some game developers fully understand & knows the importance/impact of music/sfx to enhance the overall experience for their project. And yet, pay less attention or effort to have the best possible music/sfx to the overall project development. I understand the budget aspect but I don't agree about using just a piano sheets or any PD materials from the internet. Of course it depends on the kind of game. I'm sure there are lots of good composers & sound designers out there that are willing to work for free if they believe about the project. And this is how important music & sound, it ends up in the back burner. Of course different priorities for certain projects.
btw, what do you mean by positional sound? like 5.1 surround?

Quote: In games, what you see is what you know about the game. What you hear is how you feel about it. That's the truth!

yes i agree...

Quote: Given you're posting in the music and sound forum I doubt you'll get an unbiased opinion - it'll be a rare person who replies here that they don't think it's important.

I understand that this is under music & sound topic & I'm sure everybody knows the importance of it. That's why I like to get others view on "How Important..." since all or most of us knows it's importance.

Quote: I'm also not that concerned with spending a lot on realistic music samples, composing software or ultra-high quality samples when all I require is a good tune and a few appropriate sound effects.

Yes for a hobby developer it is not ideal to have yourself a composing software & realistic samples as it is quite expensive. However, you can find somebody out there who is just as passionate as you doing music & sound for less money or even free.

Quote: I don't think people pay any 'direct' attention to the music and/or sound. They just take it for granted. It is really cool when you're playing an awesome game and then you have to turn the sound off (worried about waking people up for instance) and you can no longer play the game as well (or at all!) as you used to.
So, I think not much attention is directed towards it, but it DEFINITELY creates the experience; it isn't just enough to see things, you have to be able to hear also.

I agree that in any moving images or interactive media people don't pay direct attention to music/sfx. But I don't think they take it for granted. I think the audio works in a very deep level as we all know that we realize that the whole audio is there when we turn it off. Like what you just said & we all agreed that it's the overall experience that we have to be able to see, hear & feel the whole thing. That's why a good music or sfx artist can create a dramatic moment that will bring a whole new level of experience to a certain game.

I'm very glad to know some opinions regarding the importance of music & sound to a game. I appreciate all your comments :)

CHEERS

Though I can't claim to be unbiased, music is incredibly important in telling a story and providing subtle backing for the visual content as well. It keeps up the intensity of a film, keeping the audience engaged intellectually while also providing/heightening the emotional context experienced by the audience while the story unfolds. However, I will also go so far as to say that not having music is sometimes just as instrumental (no pun intended) as having music. Its not the effect of music which is most important, but the manner in which it is used for specific effect. Not having music in a particular section may heighten the musical of a particular scene as it occurs later in the movie.

kasgoroth - thanks for the wonderful view that you just share...

rain7 - Thats a very good point you just mention "space". As a music & sfx creator, I always make concious effort on when can I put silence or space in a piece or scenario. Sometimes we totally forgot that space is part of the whole piece. The effectiveness of music/sfx is thru space for more dramatic moment as well as continuity. I guess the key is balance...

I'm actually not in this field, but from experience I KNOW it is VERY important to have good music and sound. Like sometimes, i will just play a game because it sounds good and thats it, because i wanted to "Feel" it for a moment.

Also its pretty tough trying to be a "jack-of-all-trades" like im trying to be. Like im trying to be the programmer, writer, graphical artist, game systems planner, and of course audio engineer. All in one person, because i try not to work in groups for a personal 2d rpg experience, even tho i should, because i wont ever finish :P.

programming is the most involved because its "making the game."

Even silence might add to game experience..

music and sounds, graphics, framerate and good controls, they're all a blend of experiences developers should melt together if they wish to create a good game, nothing is more important but the whole lot together, taking each other in account. :)

Thanks for all your input guys...

First of all SOUND carries information.

People seem to be glossing over it at the moment but user interface sound replies let the player know even simple things like "did I click the button?" or "did this ______ pass the test?" "was my code entered correctly?" etc...

SOUND carries information.

Yes the footsteps around the corner. Sound is what you don't see, whether you FEEL it or not depends on how receptive you are to internalizing what you hear. Sound can give presence to that which is not seen whether by distance or other device.

SOUND carries (dis)information.

There are cultural/societal conventions and expectations for sound and this can be used to effect/affect the player and their experience. Through these expectations you can manipulate player perception of the game and guide the experience in tandem with the visuals.

SOUND carries.

It can be an extremely passive exercise to 'hear' something but whether we 'listen' or not the sound will invade our perception. We don't often THINK of perceiving a game via our ears, we often think of LOOKING or WATCHING when we play. The eye seems active, it moves -- ears do not. Yet we hear nonetheless (unless you're deaf, sorry). We can close our eyes and not our ears.

If a horror game shoots a visual on to the screen, we can react by shutting our eyes. But we can't shut our ears and when we hear that scream, yes, our blood will curdle in our veins.


SOUND isn't just important to experiencing video games -- it's important to experiencing life.

SOUND will only become more and more important the more dynamic and interactive it becomes because it will integrate itself into the game design in more profound and game oriented ways.

This is only happening because game designers are becoming more and more aware of SOUND's potential.

It can be more than background, it can be more than atmosphere -- SOUND carries information, just like VISUALS and its potential is just as limitless.

I agree with Dannthr 110%

I am an engineer in RL, and I am working on a pretty large game project as we speak. The one thing I can tell you about every project I have ever worked on in Audio is this:

It is an uphill battle from day one, but it is a battle that must be fought. The harder you fight today, the easier it will be tomarrow when they begin to realise the effects audio has on the world.