Game Audio: Video Game Sound Design

Video game audio serves to immerse the player in the game through dialogue, thematic music, and sound effects. Game audio sound design creates impact by immersing the player into the interactive gaming experience.  Whether the game is portraying a realistic world or a fantasy realm, sound design is critical in creating that believable experience.

So... What is Video Game Sound Design?

Video game sound design involves creating and manipulating audio elements to make the game experience entertaining and interactive. These elements include dialogue, sound effects (both within the game and from the player), music, ambiences/atmosphere, and original sound.  These sounds can be acquired from a sound effects library or recorded specifically for the game itself (foley recording).  Each element works together to ultimately accomplish the following:

Impact of Game Audio

To express how important game audio truly is, think back to the early video games like Pong or Tetris. Though these games didn’t have story lines, characters, or anything of the sort, they still incorporated distinctive sound effects and music that have become synonymous with the game title.

Game audio and sound design play an important role in creating a lasting, memorable gaming experience.

What's Involved In Developing Game Audio

When constructing audio for a game, numerous people are involved who must work together to create a fully realized world. The sound designers work closely with the animation team to ensure the audio matches the experience. They must develop multiple layers of audio, as different actions require different sounds.  The music composer will score a composition for the game to articulate the emotion and mood of the story.

Key audio elements include:

  • Voice Over

  • Dialogue

  • Sound effects (both within the game and from the player)

  • Music Composition

  • Ambiences & Atmospheres

OK, I'm Ready for Game Audio. How Do I Get Started?

Clearly, game audio requires in-depth planning and developing to achieve optimal sound that both immerses players and provides an interactive experience. From its earliest stages to the final product, a video game’s sound design is one of the most important factors, alongside the visuals and gameplay.

If you’re working on a video game, or any project requiring sound design, we can help.  Contact us here or give us a call at 212-213-9420. For more information, you can also view our services page.