Hearing. Arguably one of the more important of our senses, and certainly one of the most used. Its somewhat wondrous that simple vibrations in the air can be translated into an infinite amount of audible perceptions. Civilisation is built upon our ability to communicate with one another, and sound lets us do this most efficiently, but not just through voice.

Films may have started using sound to tell a story (for example look at fantasia, the music paired with the animation tells you exactly what is going on better than dialogue ever could), but video games have made this an art.

Back in the days we still flaunted how many bits our consoles used there were only two real ways to tell a story, text and sound. The music may have been rudimentary by today's standards, but it was often composed so well that many fully orchestral pieces of today can barely match the feelings it induced. I ask you now to think back to the mega-drive, its 16-bits, and the feeling of dread as a small child when you would hear the familiar beats that introduced Robotnik at the end of every zone of sonic 2.

“dun dun-dun dun dun-dun dun-dun-dun dun dun dun”

My love of video game music is no secret, in fact my first C-blog (http://www.destructoid.com/blogs/DiehardSpook/are-video-game-soundtracks-about-to-get-an-outlet-on-uk-radio--172844.phtml) was about this very subject but its not just music that has a profound impact on my gaming ,but also the lack of it. Take, for example, Dead Space: hearing nothing but the clank of your boots and the creaks of the ship around you bring you so far into the atmosphere of the game that it becomes more than just a game, it becomes an experience. If Isaac Clarke had a rousing score as you explored the Ishimura it would have been just another shooter (which, granted, some people still feel it is).

But music is not the only things video games use in this respect, sound effects are also a major factor in creating the full experience. I have already slightly mentioned Dead Space's use of sound, but it truly is a master piece of sound design, from the creaking metal bulk of the ship to Isaac's rasping breaths as his oxygen gets low, its a perfect example of what games can do better than films – a fully realised audible extravaganza. Sitting in the cinema you may be able to feel the bass, and may notice the surround sound, but step into the virtual worlds presented by our passion and it takes on a whole new level: rather than watching we are being.

These sounds effect us on a personal level as well, we attach them to childhood memories, the ringing of Sonic's rings, the beep of Metal Gear's codec, the 1-up mushroom, Link finding an item, drowning, dying, a barrel-roll, a pager, level-up, evolution, a crowbar on wood – I could go on. Gaming is filled with sounds that are instantly recognisable, as you read the above examples I am certain you yourself heard the very sounds I was talking about in your mind, and I am willing to bet they brought back memories of a simpler time. I'm also willing to bet that those very sounds are the ringtones and message tones for many of us. A simple walk through any expo is enough to witness the sheer variety in the sounds we have grown attached to.



"dun dun dun dun-dun dun-dun dun-dun-dun-dun-dun : to this day - terror"

Music and effects. These are the major two factors when it come to audio in gaming, they have been there since the beginning, evolving from humble roots of tones and beeps to fully orchestral scores and recorded real world sounds, and while these may fit with the tone of modern gaming there shall always be a place for the days of bits in our hearts.

I shall bring this blog to a close but I have one more audio element to inspect at a later date – dialogue. A more modern implementation but nevertheless an indisputably important part of modern day gaming culture.

Till next time,
-DiehardSpook