March 2, 2019 at 21:06What are the features and tasks of the sound accompaniment of games
In terms of complexity and soundness of sound accompaniment, modern video games are approaching films. Let's talk about the specifics of the game sound and how it is created. Photo George Becker / PD
Digital sound as such appeared quite late. Therefore, the first full-fledged computer game - Spacewar! 1962 release - was dumb. The gameplay was accompanied only by noise from a PDP-1 that was comparable in size to a refrigerator.
The first commercial game with sound was Computer Space , an arcade version of Spacewar !, which appeared in 1971. The minicomputers of that time were expensive, and the project budget was meager - therefore, the iron for the arcade was created from scratch.
One of the creators of the game, Ted Dabney, having experience working on audio equipment at Ampex, was able to integrate a simple audio generator into the device by modern standards. Thanks to him, the game sounds shots, explosions and the noise of rocket engines.
The role of the sound chip in it was performed by a microcircuit for synchronizing the video signal . Such chips usually operate at very high frequencies (approximately 4.4 MHz in PAL format systems and 3.6 MHz in NTSC format systems). If this frequency is lowered, the generated signal can be heard. This is what the creators of the game did.
With the growing popularity of home consoles, the race for the best sound has migrated to the living room. Atari 2600 77 model year boasted a two-channel audio chip. In 1983, users of Intellivision consoles became available an external module for voice synthesis. Then this functionality was built into the main system, to which Atari responded with the release of the 5200 model with a 4-channel POKEY chip.
A bit later, microcomputers entered the race. WhileCommodore PET , Apple II, and the early IBM PCs shipped with simple piezo emitters; Commodore 64 contained a chip with a three-voice digital synthesizer. The SID chip , which made such functionality possible, was loved by the public and was released in the company's products until 1989. The timbre of each of his three voices could be changed “on the fly” , creating the illusion of a more complex polyphony. Thanks to this breakthrough, the first game composers appeared.
In 1987, the sound device market for home computers really exploded. IBM released Music Feature Card , with sound chip from Yamaha DX-21 flagship synthesizer. This card cost almost $ 500 (more than a thousand modern dollars) and aimed at professional musicians. A popular budget option was the Covox Speech Thing , an 8-bit DAC that sold for $ 80. And in the middle price segment, Creative competed with AdLib products .
And although not all games were compatible with all sound cards, the excitement around game audio was useful to the industry - an increasing number of games paid attention to sound.
In the 90s, Creative realized that the future was in digital audio and captured the lion's share of the industry, with an emphasis on this. Sound Blaster 16 and subsequent models brought PCM audio CD quality to the home PC world.
With the advent of soundtracks “like in the movies”, music for synthesizer chips became a niche for hobby, and they began to use audio to create realistic sound environments. This is the kind of audio we are talking about when we are discussing game sound. What does it include?
The main difference between games and, say, movies is interactivity. The sound environment should inform the player's actions, which, in turn, also affect it. Therefore, in games the sounds are hypertrophied , which help the player to develop a strategy.
In horror games and shooters, the steps of the opponents are clearly audible, which makes it possible to understand where they are. In Battlefield, you can determine if the missiles are pointing at the player by the sound. In the Legend Of Zelda for NES, walls that can be broken through make a distinctive sound when struck with a sword. More modern games in the series have a range of dramatic sounds. Some even exist solely for informative purposes. For example, coins in Mario games ring when you pick them up.
The developers of Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice innovatively approached the creation of information sounds. A character controlled by players hears voices in his head . They help the heroine in the battle, warning which side the enemy is on and when to attack. Such dubbing immerses the player in the schizophrenia of the heroine as deeply as possible, while providing important game information.
Photo by kanonn / CC BY-ND
For many players, sound is a critical source of game information, especially in team games. But to ensure immersion in the world of the game, these sounds must be balanced decorative.
The soundtracks of video games can already be put on a par with cinema music in terms of quality and emotional impact on the listener. In combination with interactive elements, they create an amazing effect of immersion in the artificial world of the game.
In horror, oppressive, grinding, rustling melodies with sharp explosions of strings keep the player in suspense and make him listen to every little creak. The unexpected appearance of the enemy, accompanied by a sudden loud sound, scares noticeably more than without voice acting.
Another way to immerse a player in an imaginary world is to use surround sound. This technique is especially important for the growing popularity of VR and AR games. In them, the player physically takes the place of the character, and unrealistic audio can destroy this illusion. To create surround sound, developers use binaural and multichannel recordings, as well as special libraries that allow you to dynamically process game sound sources.
Binaural audio is used in the aforementioned game Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, as well as in the new Metro: Exodus. With this recording, microphones are installed in the ears of the manikin, and read the sound for the right and left ear separately. The volume of the result is instantly felt, without the need to use multi-channel equipment.
Multichannel audio is more common in games, but requires special equipment, which many do not dare to buy. Among the famous games using 7-channel audio are both parts of the legendary Amnesia horror, the Rocket League team game and the new DOOM.
Even those far from video games will recognize the level jingle in Super Mario, the ringing of rings in Sonic The Hedgehog, and the punch of a ball in Pong! .. Some soundtracks and game composers have achieved recognition outside the game world. Akira Yamaoka, author of music for the Silent Hill series of games, performs her works in concert halls and philharmonic halls.
At the same time, more “traditional” composers entered the game world, emphasizing the important role of video games in modern culture. For example, German composer Hans Zimmer wrote the soundtrack for one of the parts of Call Of Duty.
What awaits us in the future? The need for game development specializations is still high. Therefore, with the growing popularity of this sphere and the development of new technologies, undoubtedly, there will be new ways to create an unforgettable gaming atmosphere.
Additional reading in our “Hi-Fi World”:
Old school: what games came out on - we discuss unusual media
How sounds and music make video games “live”
What it is: the Russian streaming services market
Eight audio technologies that will fall into the TECnology Hall of Fame in 2019
How turn a computer into a radio, and other ways to extract music from a computer. of systems
A bit of history
Digital sound as such appeared quite late. Therefore, the first full-fledged computer game - Spacewar! 1962 release - was dumb. The gameplay was accompanied only by noise from a PDP-1 that was comparable in size to a refrigerator.
The first commercial game with sound was Computer Space , an arcade version of Spacewar !, which appeared in 1971. The minicomputers of that time were expensive, and the project budget was meager - therefore, the iron for the arcade was created from scratch.
One of the creators of the game, Ted Dabney, having experience working on audio equipment at Ampex, was able to integrate a simple audio generator into the device by modern standards. Thanks to him, the game sounds shots, explosions and the noise of rocket engines.
A year later, the creators of Computer Space, already under the name Atari, released the legendary slot machine Pong! . He made the sound became an integral part of the games.
The role of the sound chip in it was performed by a microcircuit for synchronizing the video signal . Such chips usually operate at very high frequencies (approximately 4.4 MHz in PAL format systems and 3.6 MHz in NTSC format systems). If this frequency is lowered, the generated signal can be heard. This is what the creators of the game did.
With the growing popularity of home consoles, the race for the best sound has migrated to the living room. Atari 2600 77 model year boasted a two-channel audio chip. In 1983, users of Intellivision consoles became available an external module for voice synthesis. Then this functionality was built into the main system, to which Atari responded with the release of the 5200 model with a 4-channel POKEY chip.
A bit later, microcomputers entered the race. WhileCommodore PET , Apple II, and the early IBM PCs shipped with simple piezo emitters; Commodore 64 contained a chip with a three-voice digital synthesizer. The SID chip , which made such functionality possible, was loved by the public and was released in the company's products until 1989. The timbre of each of his three voices could be changed “on the fly” , creating the illusion of a more complex polyphony. Thanks to this breakthrough, the first game composers appeared.
In 1987, the sound device market for home computers really exploded. IBM released Music Feature Card , with sound chip from Yamaha DX-21 flagship synthesizer. This card cost almost $ 500 (more than a thousand modern dollars) and aimed at professional musicians. A popular budget option was the Covox Speech Thing , an 8-bit DAC that sold for $ 80. And in the middle price segment, Creative competed with AdLib products .
And although not all games were compatible with all sound cards, the excitement around game audio was useful to the industry - an increasing number of games paid attention to sound.
In the 90s, Creative realized that the future was in digital audio and captured the lion's share of the industry, with an emphasis on this. Sound Blaster 16 and subsequent models brought PCM audio CD quality to the home PC world.
With the advent of soundtracks “like in the movies”, music for synthesizer chips became a niche for hobby, and they began to use audio to create realistic sound environments. This is the kind of audio we are talking about when we are discussing game sound. What does it include?
Sound as a source of information
The main difference between games and, say, movies is interactivity. The sound environment should inform the player's actions, which, in turn, also affect it. Therefore, in games the sounds are hypertrophied , which help the player to develop a strategy.
In horror games and shooters, the steps of the opponents are clearly audible, which makes it possible to understand where they are. In Battlefield, you can determine if the missiles are pointing at the player by the sound. In the Legend Of Zelda for NES, walls that can be broken through make a distinctive sound when struck with a sword. More modern games in the series have a range of dramatic sounds. Some even exist solely for informative purposes. For example, coins in Mario games ring when you pick them up.
The developers of Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice innovatively approached the creation of information sounds. A character controlled by players hears voices in his head . They help the heroine in the battle, warning which side the enemy is on and when to attack. Such dubbing immerses the player in the schizophrenia of the heroine as deeply as possible, while providing important game information.
Photo by kanonn / CC BY-ND
For many players, sound is a critical source of game information, especially in team games. But to ensure immersion in the world of the game, these sounds must be balanced decorative.
Music and atmosphere
The soundtracks of video games can already be put on a par with cinema music in terms of quality and emotional impact on the listener. In combination with interactive elements, they create an amazing effect of immersion in the artificial world of the game.
In horror, oppressive, grinding, rustling melodies with sharp explosions of strings keep the player in suspense and make him listen to every little creak. The unexpected appearance of the enemy, accompanied by a sudden loud sound, scares noticeably more than without voice acting.
In No Man's Sky, a procedurally generated soundtrack from British post-rock band 65daysofstatic shows the infinity of the universe. Each planet, each galaxy has its own melody, assembled from different pieces by a special algorithm, and unlike the others.
Surround sound
Another way to immerse a player in an imaginary world is to use surround sound. This technique is especially important for the growing popularity of VR and AR games. In them, the player physically takes the place of the character, and unrealistic audio can destroy this illusion. To create surround sound, developers use binaural and multichannel recordings, as well as special libraries that allow you to dynamically process game sound sources.
Binaural audio is used in the aforementioned game Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, as well as in the new Metro: Exodus. With this recording, microphones are installed in the ears of the manikin, and read the sound for the right and left ear separately. The volume of the result is instantly felt, without the need to use multi-channel equipment.
Multichannel audio is more common in games, but requires special equipment, which many do not dare to buy. Among the famous games using 7-channel audio are both parts of the legendary Amnesia horror, the Rocket League team game and the new DOOM.
Game Sound Beyond Game Culture
Even those far from video games will recognize the level jingle in Super Mario, the ringing of rings in Sonic The Hedgehog, and the punch of a ball in Pong! .. Some soundtracks and game composers have achieved recognition outside the game world. Akira Yamaoka, author of music for the Silent Hill series of games, performs her works in concert halls and philharmonic halls.
At the same time, more “traditional” composers entered the game world, emphasizing the important role of video games in modern culture. For example, German composer Hans Zimmer wrote the soundtrack for one of the parts of Call Of Duty.
What awaits us in the future? The need for game development specializations is still high. Therefore, with the growing popularity of this sphere and the development of new technologies, undoubtedly, there will be new ways to create an unforgettable gaming atmosphere.
Additional reading in our “Hi-Fi World”:
Old school: what games came out on - we discuss unusual media How sounds and music make video games “live” What it is: the Russian streaming services market Eight audio technologies that will fall into the TECnology Hall of Fame in 2019 How turn a computer into a radio, and other ways to extract music from a computer. of systems