"Quiet!" Conscious sound design in the game world

What the talk is about

Vasyl Filatov urges producers and sound designers to treat game audio consciously and to keep asking "why" and "for whom". First, the listening format shapes the approach: if players use small mobile devices or play with the sound off, layered ambiences and complex mixes waste time and budget, so fewer sounds is often better. Second, sound has two main jobs, giving information and evoking emotion, and it works best when it stays almost unnoticed. Third, much depends on implementation in the engine and on how well the sound designer communicates with the team; since producers find it hard to judge audio quality, he recommends testing in real conditions and holding to a clear concept. Using video examples, he shows how sound adds tactility and meaning to the picture. Useful for game producers, game designers and newcomers to audio.