Conan - Game Project Announced

It's recently been announced that the title i've been working on since making the jump to California will be a new game from the CONAN universe. I'll feed some more details as they become available, but it's exciting to have it out in the open. I'm sitting in a pleasant position suggesting audio tech, plugging in sfx/music content, and making the game sound as good as possible. Hopefully i'll be able to share some of the cooler implementation aspects and specialized audio systems as time goes by.

I'm headed off to GDC again this year and look forward to hearing all the geeks get their game on. If you're on the fence about going, feel free to read my wrap-up from last year.

If you're on your way, i'll see you there!

Avalon Audio Redux

I was looking back on the last year with a bit of nostalgia for some of the sound work I was able to be a part of, and thought I would put up a google video of a clip from a game inspired movie called Avalon, that I redid the sound for as part of a collaborative throw-down where a few of us noise makers would attack a short video clip and overhaul the audio for it.


Hope 2007 finds you all safely tucked into your beds this year!

Diversity and Non-Standard Randomization

The limitless potential of diversity and non-standard randomization.

We've all been there, several hours into a game and we just can't take it anymore. The same gunshot over and over, a signature spell or power-up...whatever the case, we've all been bitten by the repetition bug at some point in our gaming marathons. Some of these cases seem to have been deliberately crafted to impart their sonic signature on your brain in no uncertain terms, others were simply due to space and budget constraints. For example; the famous Zelda chime, Pac-Man's gobble, super Mario's jump...all have left a lasting & pleasurable impression in my mind as the quintessential sound of each action they represent, whereas the same four footsteps looping for several hours in any RPG have not.

It is now becoming standard to introduce randomization and weighted prioritization of sounds of the same type in order to introduce an amount of further believability.

The case for the use of these techniques should not be underestimated as the savvy gamer will quickly be pulled out of the moment by the ceaseless repetition of the exact same sound over and over. Unless this repetition is meant as a sonic-branding of the sound in order to promote its singularity, the sound will quickly grow tiring in a game that uses it often.

Another way to combat repetition is though the randomization of adjustable parameters such as volume and pitch. Most audio engines support this ability, and if a sound is assigned an acceptable range within which to randomize, you will get a large variable of potential sounds playing back with a high degree of diversity.

Figure out a way to turn four footsteps into forty, or multiply the number of different explosions by ten. Build a system that uses and recycles layers of sound that are combined in-engine, resulting in a random selection of sounds in each layer. Break down your ambiance into a combination of long loops and randomized stingers, instead of settling for a stereo mix.

In todays game design culture it is often taken for granted the large number of assets needed to create an appealing world that remains interesting throughout the course of game play. Even as available space continues to grow on todays consoles, it still remains a necessary task to do as much with as little as possible. As sound designers, we can plan for, and extend the use of sound using implementation tools in order to diversify the audio landscape of the game world.

Brilliance...Pending

Well, maybe not brilliance per se...but I do hope to have some frantic musings on this world of audio I've been submersed in lately.

There is an article waiting to happen that involves several building systems, a portable computer, and a microphone. A multitude of sound samples to accompany pictures of said noise making devices, and a slew of anecdotes about what it's like inside the belly of a beast.

Until then let randomization be your guide in the world!